(November 28, 2022)
The NIS 58 billion defense budget set for the IDF in the coming year is expected to allow the Israeli military to focus on the threats posed by Iran across the region, with some NIS 3.5b. designated specifically for this.
Archiv: Aviv Kohavi
.@IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi concluded his trip to the #UnitedStates on Friday and said the trip‘s goals of discussing and warning about #Iranian #nuclear weapons development were met.
(25.06.2021)
Another Mysterious Iran Strike. Totally Different Circumstances
(25.06.2021)
Did the drone strike on the Iranian site – conducted while Israel‘s army chief is in Washington – surprise the Americans?
Breaking: Iranian officials say, a Sabotage attempt on a building of atomic energy organization of Iran has been foiled, it was reportedly a drone strike that targeted the building in the city of Karaj to the west of Tehran.
(23.06.2021)
IDF chief Kohavi to make postponed Washington trip; discuss Gaza, Iran
Kohavi was initially set to meet with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, head of the US Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., and head of the US Special Operations Command Gen. Richard D. Clark, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Intel Officer Who Died in Jail Was About to Compromise ‚Big Secret,‘ Says Israeli Army Chief
According to Kochavi, the secrecy, with which the affair was handled, was important „in order to safeguard his privacy and the privacy of his family … while guarding a big secret.“
Kochavi added that the IDF managed to stop „him at the last minute,“ before he caused harm.
Remarks by President Biden on the Middle East
(20.05.2021)
THE PRESIDENT: Folks, I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Earlier today, I spoke with President Al Sisi of Egypt.
And Minister — Prime Minister Netanyahu informed me that Israel has agreed to a mutual, unconditional ceasefire to begin in less than two hours. The Egyptians have now informed us that Hamas and the other groups in Gaza have also agreed.
Israel-Gaza ceasefire comes into effect, ending 11 days of intensive fighting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office said Thursday night that the cabinet had unanimously approved the truce without preconditions on the recommendation of all defense officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman, Mossad Director Yossi Cohen and National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat.
The statement said that Israel‘s achievements in Operation Guardian of the Walls were „unprecedented.“
Maas in Israel: „Sie können auf uns zählen“
Mit einem Lächeln auf den Lippen betritt Heiko Maas einen Konferenzraum. Streckt Benny Gantz die Hand hin. Der israelische Verteidigungsminister lächelt ebenfalls und schüttelt Maas die Hand. Ziemlich kräftig. Gantz überragt seinen deutschen Kollegen deutlich. Die Szene wirkt herzlich, fast als sähen sich zwei alte Kollegen zum ersten Mal seit Langem wieder.
Netanyahu and Hamas Are Working Together to Destroy My Israel
Everyone knew it at once. Some Israelis hated the idea, others saw it as a blessing in disguise. After all, even if Israel had already lost the war, even if parallel lynch mobs of Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews were out for rival blood; even if in Israel synagogues were torched and a Muslim cemetery desecrated and sacred texts firebombed to ash, Netanyahu’s death grip on power had been rescued. By Hamas. And by the Jewish scumbag fascist supporters of terror whom Netanyahu had spent recent months coddling and courting and campaigning for.
Israel unleashes airstrikes after vowing to press on in Gaza
Explosions shook Gaza City and orange flares lit up the night sky, with airstrikes also reported in the central town of Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis. As the sun rose, residents surveyed the rubble from at least five family homes destroyed in Khan Younis. There were also heavy airstrikes on al-Saftawi Street, a commercial thoroughfare in Gaza City.
EU foreign ministers to arrive in Israel in show of solidarity
Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia‘s top diplomats will arrive in Israel as part of Jerusalem‘s effort to strengthen its legitimacy as it defends itself against Gaza’s terrorist factions
Support for the Palestinians Is Growing in Washington, and It‘s Not Just About Gaza
The pro-Palestinian stance of these lawmakers reached unprecedented levels on Wednesday after Reps. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Mark Pocan introduced a resolution attempting to block a $735 million arms sale to Israel — the first-ever attempt by sitting members of Congress to block such a sale.
Biden is increasingly at odds with other Democrats over Israel
(19.05.2021)
The president’s top spokeswoman has repeatedly declined to say whether Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip was appropriate to the provocation, while many Democrats have not been shy about calling it disproportionate. And Biden and his advisers have stuck to an assertion that liberal Democrats reject as insufficient, the notion that Israel has a right to defend itself.
That has led to sharp criticism of the Biden administration from some Democrats, which otherwise has been rare.
The U.S. conversation on Israel is changing, no matter Biden’s stance
(17.05.2021)
President Donald Trump’s close alliance with Netanyahu may have helped erode the once ironclad bipartisan consensus around Israel. But many Democrats are also waking up to how Trump’s predecessors, including Biden himself during the Obama years, did not stop the steady expansion of Israeli settlements or impose costs on Israel for undermining the prospects of a viable Palestinian state.
Ocasio-Cortez leading effort to block arms sale to Israel
The Biden administration notified Congress on May 5 that it approved selling Israel $735 million in weapons, mostly Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions that can turn so-called dumb bombs into precision-guided missiles.
Gaza Lives Erased: Israel Is Wiping Out Entire Palestinian Families on Purpose
Wiping out entire families in Israeli bombings was one of the characteristics of the war in 2014. In the roughly 50 days of the war then, UN figures say that 142 Palestinian families were erased (742 people in total). The numerous incidents then and today attest that these were not mistakes: and that the bombing of a house while all its residents are in it follows a decision from higher up, backed by the examination and approval of military jurists.
Netanyahu rebuffs Biden‘s call for immediate ‚de-escalation‘ in Gaza
Israel‘s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to ignore US President Joe Biden‘s plea for a scaling back of the Israel Defense Force‘s (IDF) retaliatory attacks on Hamas and other Islamists within the Gaza Strip.
Following the release of a transcript detailing the conversation between the two earlier Wednesday, in which Biden called for „significant de-escalation“ on the path to a ceasefire.
Biden told Netanyahu he expected ‚significant de-escalation‘ Wednesday
US President Joe Biden in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday said that he „expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,“ according to a readout of the call provided by the White House.
Medien: Hamas-Militärchef entkam zweimal gezielter Tötung
Nach Medienberichten hat Daif bei Angriffen Israels in der Vergangenheit bereits ein Auge, einen Arm und beide Beine verloren.
Im August 2014 kamen während des letzten Gaza-Krieges bei einem Luftangriff Israels im Gazastreifen die Frau des Hamas-Führers sowie zwei seiner Kinder ums Leben.
Gaza death toll reached to 217, including 63 children and 36 women
Two Palestinians were killed and eight others injured on Tuesday on the 9th day of Israel’s continued attacks on the Gaza Strip, raising the death toll in the besieged enclave to 217, including 63 children and 36 women.
Sicherheitsrat: Weiter keine gemeinsame Nahost-Erklärung
Der UNO-Sicherheitsrat hat angesichts der Gewalteskalation in Nahost seine vierte Dringlichkeitssitzung in acht Tagen abgehalten – und erneut ohne eine gemeinsame Erklärung beendet. „Wir glauben nicht, dass eine öffentliche Erklärung zu diesem Zeitpunkt zur Deeskalation beitragen wird“, sagte die US-Botschafterin bei der UNO, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, wie die Nachrichtenagentur AFP gestern aus Diplomatenkreisen erfuhr.
Israel und Hamas setzen Angriffe fort – Ungarn blockiert EU-Position zu Nahostkonflikt
Wie der EU-Außenbeauftragte Josep Borrell am Dienstag nach einer Videokonferenz mit den Ministern, darunter Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP), mitteilte, blockierte Ungarn eine von ihm vorgeschlagene EU-Positionierung. „Priorität hat der sofortige Stopp aller Gewalt und die Umsetzung einer Waffenruhe“, sagte Borrell. Gründe für die ungarische Blockade nannte der Spanier nicht.
U.S. Vetoes Security Council Resolution on Israel-Gaza Crisis for Third Time
The statement distributed on Monday among the council members calls on the parties to reach a ceasefire and expresses concern for a possible eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem.
An Israeli official said that the statement was predictable given the „bias“ of the council members. As expected, the United States blocked the passing of the statement by exercising its veto.
Biden „expressed his support for a ceasefire“ in call to Israeli Prime Minister
President Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night, their second phone call since Saturday. The president is expressing support for a ceasefire, which comes as fellow Democrats are urging him to do more to stop the violence.
According to the readout of the call, Mr. Biden „reiterated his firm support for Israel‘s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks.“ Mr. Biden also „encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.“
Merkel sichert Netanjahu Solidarität zu
Die deutsche Kanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) hat Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu angesichts des neuen Konflikts zwischen Israel und der radikalislamischen Hamas die Solidarität der deutschen Regierung zugesichert.
Merkel telefonierte heute mit Netanjahu über die aktuelle Eskalation im Nahost-Konflikt, wie Regierungssprecher Steffen Seibert mitteilte.
For Trump, Hamas and Bibi, It Is Always Jan. 6
Like Trump, both Bibi and Hamas have kept power by inspiring and riding waves of hostility to “the other.” They turn to this tactic anytime they are in political trouble. Indeed, they each have been the other’s most valuable partner in that tactic ever since Netanyahu was first elected prime minister in 1996 — on the back of a wave of Hamas suicide bombings.
No, Hamas and Bibi don’t talk. They don’t need to. They each understand what the other needs to stay in power and consciously or unconsciously behave in ways to ensure that they deliver it.
Report: US approves $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel
The administration of US President Joe Biden has earlier this month approved the sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, the Washington Post reported on Monday.
According to the outlet, US lawmakers were notified of the move on May 5, well before the latest military escalation between Israel and Gaza Strip-based terrorist groups.
When Fighting Erupts Between Israel and Hamas, the Question of War Crimes Follows
Civilian deaths on both sides raise urgent questions about which military actions are legal, what war crimes are being committed and who, if anyone, will be held to account.
Palestinians deserve the same security, equality and right to a homeland as the Israelis
If history serves as a guide, however, after a ceasefire is reached, the conflict will slowly fade from the headlines, the world will go back to its business and the Palestinians will largely be forgotten — yet again. For those who sincerely want to see a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, this time must be different. The world, and especially the Biden administration, cannot look away but must engage on the question of Palestine. It‘s 2021 — a homeland for Palestinian Christians and Muslims is long overdue, as is safety and equality for Palestinians.
Dozens of Democrats Urge Immediate Israeli-Palestinian Cease-fire to Prevent Further Loss of Life
Twenty-eight Democratic senators, led by Sen. Jon Ossoff, and eight House Democrats issued joint statements calling for a swift end to the flare-up in order to prevent a further loss of life.
“To prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories, we urge an immediate cease-fire,” the senators said.
The devastation in Gaza is unconscionable. We must urge an immediate ceasefire. The killing of Palestinians and Israelis must end. We must also take a hard look at nearly $4 billion a year in military aid to Israel. It is illegal for U.S. aid to support human rights violations.
The nightmare for the people of Gaza and the West Bank must end.
(video)
A Republican Senator about to call for a ceasefire before the Biden White House has. Incredible.
.@JeremyBenAmi on The @mehdirhasan Show: „This occupation is now 54 years old. It is strategically terrible for the State of Israel, but it‘s also morally reprehensible and runs counter to not only democratic principles, but I would say to Jewish values.“
Biden faces an angry rift in his own party over Israeli-Palestinian conflict
It’s an awkward public fight for a party that has made its commitment to social and racial justice a main part of its platform. As the US comes to grips with its own history of racism in new ways and adopts the Black Lives Matter movement in a mainstream way, liberals want to apply similar notions of justice to foreign policy, where an increasing number see apartheid in Israel’s approach to the Palestinians.
UN Security Council Calls for Ceasefire; US Vetoes Statement
14 out of 15 Security Council members were in favor of the statement. Only the US was opposed. And since the US has ‘veto power’ at the UN Security Council, they were able to block the resolution.
The U.S. also blocked a similar resolution this past Monday, May 10th, the day that the escalation began.
Another night of HELL. Random bombing across civilian areas in west, south, east and north of Gaza. This is an onslaught. Bombing is ongoing for 25 minutes so far. Many houses are directly hit #GazaUnderAttak
Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip has entered its seventh consecutive day, with the death toll expected to rise further. Rescue workers are digging through rubble to find survivors.
Can‘t believe the savagery. They have been bombing like crazy for severe minutes. Car alarms going off shrapnel flying all over
So among the people killed in yesterday‘s airstrikes on Gaza: Gaza‘s top neurologist (Dr Mouin Al-Aloul) The head of Coronavirus response at Gaza‘s biggest hospital (Dr Ayman Abu Al-Ouf) Psychologist and social worker Rajaa Abu Al-Ouf (as well as her children)
In addition to destroying the roads to al-Shifa Hospital and killing 33 in the process, including 8 children, Israel targeted a Doctors Without Borders clinic
Israel-Palestinian conflict marks its deadliest day as scenes of horror unfold in Gaza
(16.05.2021)
Two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 43 Palestinians — including eight children — and injured 50 others, most of whom were women and children early Sunday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. (…)
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a Tweet on Saturday that „Israel has no interest in escalation, but is ready for any scenario,“ echoing an Israeli military official, who said on Friday that Israel is prepared to continue hitting „quality targets“ for an „extended period of time.“