April 24, 2024

From Gaza to Iran, the Netanyahu Government Is Endangering Israel's Survival

Israel is facing a historic defeat, the bitter fruit of years of disastrous policies. If the country now prioritizes vengeance over its own best interests, it will put itself and the entire region in grave danger

In the coming days Israel will have to make historic policy decisions, ones that could shape its fate and the fate of the entire region for generations to come. Unfortunately, Benjamin Netanyahu and his political partners have repeatedly proven that they are unfit to make such decisions. The policies they pursued for many years have brought Israel to the brink of destruction. So far, they have shown no regret for their past mistakes, and no inclination to change direction. If they continue to shape policy, they will lead us and the whole Middle East to perdition. Instead of rushing into a new war with Iran, we should first learn the lessons of Israel's failures over the past six months of war.

War is a military means for achieving political aims, and there is one key yardstick by which to measure success in war: Were the political aims achieved? Following the horrendous massacre of October 7, Israel needed to liberate the hostages and disarm Hamas, but these should not have been its only aims. In light of the existential threat posed to Israel by Iran and its agents of chaos, Israel also needed to deepen its alliance with Western democracies, strengthen cooperation with moderate Arab forces, and work to establish a stable regional order. However, the Netanyahu government ignored all these aims, and instead focused on revenge. It has failed to secure the release of all the hostages, and has not disarmed Hamas. Worse, it intentionally inflicted a humanitarian disaster on the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and thereby undermined the moral and geopolitical basis for Israel's existence.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the worsening situation in the West Bank are inflaming regional chaos, weakening our alliances with Western democracies, and making it harder for countries like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to cooperate with us. Most Israelis have now focused their attention on Tehran, but even prior to the Iranian attack we preferred to turn a blind eye to what was happening in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet if we don't change our behavior toward the Palestinians, our hubris and vengefulness will inflict a historic calamity on us.

After six months of war, many of the hostages are still in captivity and Hamas is still on its feet, but the Gaza Strip is devastated, many thousands of its people have been killed, and most of its population are now famished refugees. Together with Gaza, Israel's international standing is also in ruins, and we are now hated and ostracized even by many of our former friends. If an all-out war breaks out with Iran and its proxies, to what extent can Israel count on the United States, the Western democracies and moderate Arab states to risk themselves for us, and provide us with vital military and diplomatic assistance? Even if such war is averted, how long can Israel survive as a pariah state? We don't have Russia's ample resources. Without commercial, scientific and cultural ties with the rest of the world, and without American arms and money, the most optimistic scenario for Israel is to become the North Korea of the Middle East.

continued @ :
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-18/ty-article-magazine/from-gaza-to-iran-the-netanyahu-government-is-endangering-israels-survival/0000018e-f25f-daad-a3de-fe7ff5790000

(no paywall )

April 1, 2024

'Can't go on like this': Tens of thousands start 4-day anti-gov't protest outside Knesset

Lapid tells crowds ‘there is only one thing that is important to Netanyahu — to stay in office,’ as demonstrators demand ‘elections now’; tent city erected outside parliament

By SAM SOKOL,
MAYA ZANGER-NADIS and TOI STAFF
31 March 2024

Thousands of demonstrators packed streets outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday evening in a mass protest demanding the government resign, marking the first day in what is slated to be a four-day event.

The organizers of the protest called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to step down, for Israel to hold early elections, and for the country’s leaders to agree to a hostage deal that will bring about the release of the 130 captives held in Gaza since Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack on the country.

The gathering outside the Knesset was spearheaded by a coalition of anti-government protest movements, including the Kaplan Force and Brothers in Arms, who plan to hold four days of protests and gatherings in Jerusalem this week.

The rally was the largest protest held since October 7, with the war putting a stop to months-long demonstrations against the government and its efforts at the time to overhaul the judiciary. Organizers claimed more than 100,000 people had taken part, while media outlets reported turnout in the tens of thousands.

Source : https://www.timesofisrael.com/tens-of-thousands-throng-knesset-at-start-of-4-day-protest-against-government/

February 21, 2024

US readying to issue 2nd round of settler sanctions in coming weeks

The Biden administration is readying to issue a second round of sanctions in the coming weeks against Israeli settlers who carried out acts of violence in the West Bank, a US official and a second source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel this week.

The sources said several more Israeli extremists will be targeted, joining the four who were sanctioned in the first round, which was announced in tandem with a February 1 executive order signed by US President Joe Biden that cleared the way for the unprecedented penalties on the grounds that settler violence threatens regional security along with American interests.

The planned second round of sanctions indicates that Washington intends to hold Jerusalem’s feet to the fire to address the phenomenon, which has continued in the weeks since the executive order was signed without a single arrest.

snip

A senior US official said the administration in the first round of sanctions seriously considered including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has a long history of incendiary comments and was also convicted of several terror-related charges before he entered politics. The US official said far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was not considered for sanctions, though Washington did mull denying his request for a visa to enter the US last year.



Source : https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-readying-to-issue-2nd-round-of-settler-sanctions-in-coming-weeks-sources/

January 2, 2024

Israel's Top Court Deals Netanyahu and His Band of Thieves a Decisive Defeat

By a single vote, Sunday's Supreme Court ruling restored the adjective 'democratic' to the description of the State of Israel

by Yossi Verter
Jan 2, 2024 6:00 am IST

Sunday's Supreme Court ruling, which was decided by a single vote, restored the adjective "democratic" to the description of the State of Israel. It removed from above the heads of the Israeli service members who risk their lives in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank the threat of arrest and prosecution in Europe. It also put in their rightful place the leaders of the government coup, who dealt a mortal blow to the economy, security, international standing and social solidarity of the state on October 7.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin's reaction to the ruling shows that he has not surrendered. The dangerous extremist who is identified with the damage wreaked by the "reform" more than any other individual is not satisfied with the disaster he has already caused. He has vowed to try again. If he and his fellow members of the terrible coalition of 64 lawmakers are not ousted after the war, there is a chance that they will succeed next time: The Supreme Court currently has a conservative majority regarding relations among the branches of government.

If Dery and his partners in the Prime Minister's Office thought they would get the wheels of legislation rolling and the High Court of Justice would lie quietly and let them bully the Knesset and its committees while the court wait until the January 12 deadline, they don't understand the world they live in. This is a war for Israel's character, and the Supreme Court is the final fortress.

The right rampaged repulsively last night, as is its wont, about former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut, who led the majority opinion. But the right bears full responsibility for the result: Levin and Simcha Rothman and Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who opposed any compromise in the language of the law. (Netanyahu apparently supported a compromise but capitulated to the others' threats.) If the law had been softened, the bottom line in the Supreme Court might have been different.

Source : Haaretz

https://archive.md/dZFHQ

December 26, 2023

Illegal West Bank outpost of Sde Yonatan evacuated and demolished, 10 activists detained

The illegal outpost of Sde Yonatan in the West Bank was evacuated and demolished by Border Police and Civil Administration forces, the second such demolition of an illegal outpost in the territory in less than 48 hours.

A rudimentary residential building and a goat pen were destroyed by the Civil Administration forces during the operation, reports say.

Settler activists state that the Border Police officers were violent when evacuating the residents of the outpost, punching and kicking the residents and throwing them to the ground. Three people were injured during the incident, the activists say.

A Magen David Adom ambulance was called to the area but was prevented from reaching the outpost, the activists allege. Paramedics from United Hatzalah also arrived at the scene to treat one person who was lightly injured during the incident and needed stitches on his hand.

Activists say that the area was declared a closed military zone before the evacuation began and phones belonging to the residents and activists at the site were confiscated.

Ten people were detained at the site during the enforcement operation, three of whom were taken to the local police station. The other seven were released after the demolition had been completed.

The outpost, close to the settlement of Michmash northeast of Jerusalem, was built on private Palestinian land, the Civil Administration says.

It has been built and demolished several times in the last two years and was most recently reestablished shortly after the beginning of the current war with Hamas.

The Border Police declined to comment on the incident.

Source : https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/illegal-west-bank-outpost-of-sde-yonatan-evacuated-and-demolished-10-activists-detained/

_________

Whatever President Biden is doing behind closed doors is working .
He is 100% correct that the only solution is a two state solution .
Ive been saying that since I joined here years ago .
You are supposed to be a Democratic forum .....have some faith in your elected leader he knows what he is
doing .
Bibi and Trump are one and the same ........neither of them give a damn about us or the Palestinians or the hostages
its all about ego and power and money .

December 13, 2023

Israeli leaders are ignoring our calls for a ceasefire. You shouldn't

We are being held hostage by politicians who have no plan and only know how to bomb. We need the world to step in — now.

It is now clear to any person with common sense that Israel will not stop its massive bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip without serious external pressure. I am not a radical. I am not a traitor. But you would have to be delusional to trust the same people who led us into this disaster to take the proper steps to lead us out of it. Our government has no answers and no limits.

I have attended the few small protests in Tel Aviv in recent weeks calling for a ceasefire. We leftist activists are a tiny minority in our society, and we are currently having to choose our words carefully. We are scared for our own safety amid the crackdown on dissent within Israel since Hamas’ October 7 massacres, which is forcing us to tone down the visibility of our rage. If we are completely silenced, who will be left to protest for an end to the war and the release of the hostages?

During the speeches by the hostages’ families, many have stated in no uncertain terms that their calls are being shunted aside to allow the Israeli army to continue its aggression in Gaza. If our government is not even listening to them, who will listen to us? The fear is numbing, like everything could blow up in our faces, and Itamar Ben Gvir’s police could lock us up with ease. We feel frustrated and powerless.

There is no ceasefire because the only way Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows how to survive politically is through blood and tanks, satiating a fascist base thirsty for ever more settlements and resources to achieve their messianic dreams. He is fueling division even in our grief, now even suggesting that the October 7 massacres were enabled by army reservists refusing to serve in opposition to the government’s judicial coup.

While polls currently indicate that a majority of the Israeli public wants Netanyahu gone as soon as the hostilities are over, we know this war criminal far too well to expect him to exit the stage quietly. He will surely find some way to pit us against each other again to try to remain in office.

continued @
https://www.972mag.com/ceasefire-israeli-leaders-gaza/

October 9, 2023

Heavy rocket fire on central, southern Israel; 300,000 reservists mobilized in 48 hours

Source: The Times of Israel

5 injured by barrages in Ashkelon, Ashdod; IDF sees fastest call-up of reservists in its history; IDF claims control of all border towns, but says terrorists may remain

By EMANUEL FABIAN and TOI STAFF
Today, 2:05 pm

Five people were wounded on Monday, two of them seriously, as heavy barrages of rockets were fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip at towns in southern and central Israel, including one that exploded near Ben Gurion International Airport.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it treated four people wounded in Ashkelon by rocket impacts, including a 75-year-old man in serious condition, two men aged 55 and 30 in moderate condition, and one person who was lightly hurt.

Sirens were heard in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ra’anana and as far north as Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
It was the first time sirens were heard in many of the locations since Saturday.



Read more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/heavy-rocket-fire-on-central-southern-israel-300000-reservists-mobilized-in-48-hours/

---

October 9, 2023

'The state abandoned her,' says Israeli whose grandmother, 85, was kidnapped to Gaza

As the war in southern Israel rages on, and the death toll already reaching 700 and counting, Israeli officials have obtained information about at least dozens more Israeli citizens who have been kidnapped and are being held captive in Gaza. Among the captives are dozens of American citizens, Thai workers employed in greenhouses in Gaza border towns, as well as citizens of Great Britain, Germany and Russia.

Three of the captives are 34-year-old Adi Koplon - a Canadian citizen and a resident of Holit; Liri Elbag – an IDF observer in Nahal Oz and Yafa Adar - an 85-year-old woman who was filmed being taken into the Gaza Strip by armed terrorists.

Yafa's granddaughter, Adva Adar, wrote a post on Facebook and included a photo of her kidnapped grandmother next to armed terrorists. "This is my grandmother! She was captured and transferred to Gaza. Her name is Yafa Adar, she is 85 years old! My grandmother, who founded the kibbutz with her own bare hands, who believed in Zionism, who loved this country that abandoned her, is kidnapped, probably thrown out somewhere, suffering from severe pain, without medication, without food and water. Scared to death, alone."

Adva also wrote that "no one talks to us, no one knows a thing. We obtained the information through videos that have been circulated online. I want this picture to be engraved in the minds of all members of this disgraceful government. Let them understand that there are people here, elderly and children, women and men, with names and families. I want them not to sleep at night and do whatever is necessary until these people return home."

Adi kidnapped to Gaza, her kids left at the border

Adi Koplon was also abducted by terrorists from her home on Saturday alongside her two children, one is four years old and the other is only six months old. However, the toddlers were found abandoned at the border.
Her father-in-law, Yondav Koplon, said that "Adi was at home alone with her children, because her husband, Benny, was with his brother at a party in Nirim. My two sons were besieged after the party. The partner of one of them was murdered and Adi was kidnapped by Hamas, along with my two grandchildren, from their home. At the border, they separated the mother from her children and Adi was taken into Gaza, while for unknown reasons they abandoned the children at the border in the dead of night."

continued @
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1iej9lwa

August 15, 2023

Ex-IDF general likens military control of West Bank to Nazi Germany

Amiram Levin accuses the IDF of being a ‘partner in war crimes’ when it stands by as settler extremists attack Palestinians, says situation in West Bank is ‘absolute apartheid’

By TOI STAFF
13 August 2023

A former IDF general argued that Israel’s control of the West Bank has similarities to discriminatory policies under Nazi Germany, and expressed fear that soldiers will not be motivated to defend the country if the coalition succeeds in shackling the judiciary.

Amiram Levin, who headed the IDF Northern Command, commanded the elite Sayeret Matkal unit and served as deputy director of the Mossad spy agency, told Kan radio on Sunday morning that the military is not only suffering harm to its preparedness because of reservists’ threats and refusals to serve amid the government’s judicial overhaul, but is also “rotten to its core” due to Iarael’s ongoing presence in the West Bank.

“It stands on the side, looks at the rioting settlers, and begins to be a partner in war crimes,” Levin told the public broadcaster. “It’s 10 times worse than the issue of [military] readiness… and I say honestly, I am not angry at the Palestinians, I am angry at us. We are killing ourselves from the inside.”

Recent months have seen a rise in settler violence, with the United Nations earlier this month reporting close to 600 attacks on Palestinians and their property over the past six months. The Israeli defense establishment recorded similar numbers during that period.

According to official data provided to The Times of Israel, there were 680 incidents of stone-throwing or assault of Palestinians by settlers in the first six months of 2023, compared to 950 in all of 2022.

The interviewer asked Levin if he agreed with a May 2016 speech by former Meretz MK Yair Golan, who was IDF deputy chief of staff at the time, in which he said that processes in Israel were similar to some in Europe in the years leading up to the Holocaust.

(snip)

Levin also assailed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of “draft dodger” cabinet members such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was not accepted for mandatory military service by the IDF because of his extremist activities.

The prime minister is being exploited by “a messianic group of criminals, former ‘hilltop youth,’ people who don’t even know what democracy is,” he charged, referring to extremist settler activists.

“They come from areas where there is no democracy, from the West Bank, where for 56 years there hasn’t been democracy there,” said Levin. “There is absolute apartheid

Continued @ :

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-idf-general-likens-military-control-of-west-bank-to-nazi-germany/

August 10, 2023

Peace Now: Israel approved more settlement development in 2023 than any previous year .

The Peace Now organization says Israel has approved more settlement construction and development in the seven months since the start of 2023 than in any other previous year.

Under the hardline right-wing government, authorities have advanced the approval of 12,855 homes, passing the previous record of 12,000 in 2020, the organization says.

It has also retroactively legalized 22 illegal outposts, another unprecedented number, the group notes.

Source :

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/peace-now-israel-approved-more-settlement-development-in-2023-than-any-previous-year/

For more info see :

https://peacenow.org.il/en