Archiv: Benjamin Gantz


28.10.2022 - 23:40 [ Commondreams.org ]

Amnesty Says ICC Israel Probe Should Include ‚Crime Against Humanity of Apartheid‘

(October 25, 2022)

Calling for the International Criminal Court to open a new investigation into possible war crimes by Israeli military forces in Gaza in August, Amnesty International on Tuesday said the court must also include Israel’s illegal apartheid policies against the Occupied Palestinian Territories in its probe.

The organization’s call centered on the three-day offensive launched by Israel between August 5-8 in the Gaza Strip, with advocates saying its research suggests three specific attacks could amount to war crimes.

24.10.2022 - 19:15 [ Haaretz ]

WATCH NOW: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to Haaretz: ‘Isn’t It Time for [Israel] to Choose Sides? The Democratic World, or Russian Terror?’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Haaretz Democracy Conference on Monday, saying that Moscow’s military cooperation with Tehran will likely result in Russia assisting Iran with the development of its nuclear program.

In the prerecorded video message, the Ukrainian leader said that Iran’s sale of suicide drones and provision of military instructors to Russian forces operating in his country would not have been possible without Israel’s decision to stay neutral in the conflict.

24.10.2022 - 07:49 [ Haaretz ]

‚Time to Take a Side‘: U.S. Lawmakers Push Israel on Aid to Ukraine

Murphy, who chairs the Senate subcommittee dedicated to the Middle East, noted that Israel is not the only country that possesses the Iron Dome missile defense system that could potentially help Ukraine.

“The United States, in fact, could move toward transferring some of our Iron Dome capabilities to Ukraine, as well. I think Israel can do much more here,” the Connecticut senator said, adding: “These drones are absolutely devastating when they hit civilian areas“.

24.10.2022 - 07:44 [ Washington Post ]

As missiles strike Ukraine, Israel won’t sell its vaunted air defense

(12.10.2022)

Israel’s Iron Dome air defense, which boasts a 90 percent success rate against rockets fired against it, will stay out of Ukraine’s reach, experts said, as Jerusalem seeks to maintain strategic relations with Russia in Syria and other hot spots.

Israel’s Defense and Foreign ministries and the prime minister’s office uniformly declined to comment Wednesday on long-standing requests from Ukraine and its supporters for it to give, sell or loan Ukraine the system, including calls made since Monday’s barrage.

02.10.2022 - 15:45 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Hadash-Ta’al Slams Lapid, Michaeli for Refusing to Block Barring of Arab Parties

Hadash-Ta’al commented on the Central Election Commission’s decision to disqualify Balad’s candidacy for the 25th Knesset. “The decision to disqualify Balad is an unfortunate decision. [Benny] Gantz, [Yair] Lapid and [Meirav] Michaeli proved that they are right-wing in disguise. Despite the anger of the racists who want to keep the Arabs away from the polling stations, on election day we all flock to the polling stations.”

02.10.2022 - 15:41 [ Times of Israel ]

Elections panel blocks Balad party’s run for Knesset, against AG’s advice

Balad and several of its lawmakers have been disqualified by past elections panels, and have so far won every appeal to the High Court to be reinstated. The party is expected to make a similar appeal to return to November’s contest following Thursday’s disqualification.

Earlier on Thursday, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara released a letter to the committee stating that there was no basis for disqualifying either Balad or the Islamist Ra’am party. The panel ultimately cleared Ra’am’s path to the ballot box, dismissing petitions that alleged the party supported terrorist organizations.

02.10.2022 - 15:33 [ Times of Israel ]

Israel: Balad banned from election run, Ra’am qualifies

(29.09.2022)

Despite appeals filed alleging that Ra’am „supports terrorism,“ the vote to allow their running passed 14-0, with representatives from Likud, the Religious Zionist Party, Yesh Atid, and Labor not present.
Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz of the National Unity Party ruled on Thursday that all of his party representatives on the election committee will vote to disqualify Balad from running for parliament.

21.08.2022 - 16:28 [ Auswaertiges-Amt.de ]

Joint Statement by the Spokespersons of the Foreign Ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden

We are deeply concerned by the raids which took place in the morning of 18 August, as part of a worrying reduction of space for civil society in the oPT. These actions are not acceptable.

The further reduction of civil space in the oPT remains a source of concern. We stand firm with NGOs to uphold the right to freedom of expression and association in the oPT.

A free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values and for a two state solution. As we stated on 12 July, no substantial information was received from Israel that would justify reviewing our policy towards the six Palestinian NGOs on the basis of the Israeli decision to designate these NGOs as ‘terrorist organisations’. Should convincing evidence be made available to the contrary, we would act accordingly.

21.08.2022 - 16:25 [ Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Nitter ]

🇧🇪🇩🇰🇫🇷🇩🇪🇮🇪🇮🇹🇳🇱🇪🇸🇸🇪 Statement by the Foreign Ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden on the Israeli raids of six Palestinian civil society organisations on 18 August 2022.

21.08.2022 - 00:05 [ Haaretz ]

‚Not Acceptable‘ | Nine European States Slam Israeli Raids of Palestinian NGOs

In October, Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an order declaring Addameer, Al-Haq, the Bisan Center for Research & Development, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees as terrorist organizations. The Defense Ministry claims that they are part of a funding network operated by the largely-defunct Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a charge that all six groups deny.

17.08.2022 - 07:41 [ Jerusalem Post ]

If elected, I will deport anyone who acts against the State of Israel – Ben-Gvir

“When we form the government, I will promote the Deportation Law, which will deport anyone who acts against the State of Israel or IDF soldiers,” Ben-Gvir said in the interview. “Those who throw stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers will be deported from here. Those who work against the state like [Joint List MK] Ofer Cassif will be deported. Maybe to Europe. They need working hands there.”

However, he said, the same law would not apply to Jews.

16.08.2022 - 19:11 [ Haaretz ]

Europe Needs Working Hands‘: Kahanist Leader Calls to Deport ‚Disloyal‘ Israelis

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Otzma Yehudit party head hoping to be part of Israel’s next government, declared he would support a deportation policy for anyone who works ‚against the state of Israel,‘ specifically mentioning Joint List lawmakers

14.08.2022 - 22:52 [ ORF.at ]

Israels Ex-Armeechef schließt sich Partei von Gantz an

Israels ehemaliger Armeechef Gadi Eisenkot will mit Blick auf die anstehende Parlamentswahl der neuen Partei von Verteidigungsminister Benny Gantz beitreten. Er werde sich der neuen Mitte-rechts-Partei Hamahane Hamamlachti (Nationale Einheitspartei) von Gantz und Justizminister Gideon Saar anschließen, erklärte Eisenkot heute.

14.08.2022 - 21:49 [ Haaretz ]

Uninvolved: These Are the 36 Palestinian Civilians Killed During Israel’s Gaza Op

6:45 pm IDT

Forty-nine Palestinians have been killed as a result of the latest military escalation between Israel and Islamic Jihad, which lasted three days. They include five girls, 11 boys and four women.

Thirty were killed during Israeli strikes. Of those, 17 were civilians, among them three girls, a boy and four women. Botched launches of Palestinian rockets killed 19 non-combatants, including 12 children.

09.08.2022 - 15:17 [ Newsweek ]

Israeli Defense Minister Refutes Report That Netanyahu Urged Trump to Strike Iran After Losing Election

Benny Gantz, a retired Israeli army general and the country’s minister of defense, told a local media outlet yesterday that a New Yorker report which said Netanyahu encouraged U.S. action against Iran was likely „not what happened.“

„I don’t know of this story and I assume this is not what happened,“ Gantz said in an interview, according to the Jerusalem Post.

31.07.2022 - 06:38 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Is Expecting Lapid to Bow Out Gracefully Once Again

Gantz is expecting Lapid to be the silver platter on which his government will rest. He’s expecting Lapid to bow out gracefully a fourth time.

First, Lapid gave up on leading Kahol Lavan (back when it was a joint ticket). Then he gave up on a rotation as prime minister should it win. Then he let Naftali Bennett be the first prime minister in the outgoing rotation government. As far as Gantz and his supporters are concerned, that’s Lapid’s purpose – to be an indefatigable capitulator, the person who provides springboards and makes governments for others.

11.07.2022 - 15:26 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Gantz and Sa’ar sign political merger in bid to take votes from Lapid

Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party are merging, the two announced in a press conference on Sunday night.

“Today we are laying the foundation stone of the next government,” Gantz said. “The edges and extremes have set the tone for too long, and the Israeli center remained without a voice.”

03.07.2022 - 08:07 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Downs Unarmed Hezbollah Drones Believed to Be Heading for Gas Rig

Israeli military sources say …

03.07.2022 - 08:05 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Election: Netanyahu’s Party Is Counting on Gantz

(Jul 1, 2022)

The second consensus – which is both more important and more interesting – is that absolutely no one in Likud, from the most junior member to the most senior, failed to cite Kahol Lavan Chairman Benny Gantz, the current defense minister, as the person they are counting on to complete the tally of 61 Knesset seats that Netanyahu needs to form a government.

29.05.2022 - 16:18 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Military, Mossad Chiefs Visited Saudi Arabia in Last Decade

A number of senior Israeli officials secretly visited Saudi Arabia over the past decade, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz when he was the Israeli army’s chief of staff, signalling deepening covert relations between Israel and the Kingdom, the Israel Hayom daily reported on Sunday.

Ex-Mossad intelligence agency head Tamir Pardo, and former directors of the National Security Council Yossi Cohen and Meir Ben-Shabbat also travelled to the Gulf monarchy.

24.05.2022 - 05:11 [ Algemeiner.com ]

Pentagon, CENTCOM Deny Reports US Refueling Planes Took Part in Israel Iran-Strike Drill

(23.05.2022)

According to Buccino, the fuel tankers simulated refueling two US F-15s and four Israeli F-16s. The timing of the refueling exercise was coincidental, Buccino said.

“There is no direct US military involvement in that exercise,” Buccino said, referring to “Chariots of Fire.”

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Rob Lodewick also denied that the Department of Defense was “directly participating” in the exercise, according to the report.

“A small number of personnel from across US Central Command are observing portions of the exercise,” Lodewick added.

24.05.2022 - 04:56 [ Times of Israel ]

Report: In 1st, US refuelers to take part in major Israeli drill for strike on Iran

(17.05.2022)

According to the unsourced report, the US Air Force will serve as a complementary force, with refueling planes drilling with Israeli fighter jets as they simulate entering Iranian territory and carrying out repeated strikes.

The unprecedented Israel- US aerial collaboration in a drill simulating a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities is seen as a potential message to Iran amid long-stalled negotiations in Vienna over a return to the 2015 nuclear deal, a possibility Israel has repeatedly voiced its objection to, warning it would lead to “a more violent, more volatile Middle East.”

24.05.2022 - 04:53 [ Times of Israel ]

Israeli military to hold large-scale drill simulating widescale strike on Iran

(17.05.2022)

Gantz is slated to meet with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, on Thursday at the Pentagon in Washington. Meanwhile, Michael Kurilla, head of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Israel on Tuesday for his first official visit.

24.04.2022 - 09:58 [ Times of Israel ]

Russian envoy: We’ll ‘respond accordingly’ if Israel gives Ukraine defensive gear

Speaking with Russian state television, Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov noted Defense Ministry Benny Gantz’s announcement a day earlier that Israel will provide Ukraine with helmets and flak jackets.

Gantz’s office stressed the equipment will go to Ukrainian civilian rescue and medical forces, not the military.

14.10.2021 - 09:22 [ ORF.at ]

Israelischer Luftangriff in Syrien

Nach Angaben des syrischen Verteidigungsministeriums hat Israel erneut Luftangriffe auf syrisches Gebiet geflogen.

05.08.2021 - 17:28 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Says Israel Is Prepared to Strike Iran, ‚Hope We Won’t Get Dragged Into It‘

With tensions running high in the aftermath of the tanker attack off Oman, the defense minister says strikes in Lebanon were ‚warning shots‘

05.08.2021 - 16:14 [ Xinhua ]

Lebanese president condemns Israeli air raids in southern Lebanon

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday condemned the Israeli air raids that targeted Lebanon’s southern villages earlier in the day, saying they constitute a flagrant and serious violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, according to a statement by Lebanon’s Presidency.

05.08.2021 - 16:13 [ ORF.at ]

Israel fliegt Luftangriffe im Libanon

Heute seien erneut „Raketen aus dem Libanon auf israelisches Gebiet“ gefeuert worden, schrieb die israelische Luftwaffe auf Twitter.

Als Reaktion darauf hätten Kampfjets „Abschussrampen und für Terror genutzte Infrastruktur“ attackiert.

23.07.2021 - 06:41 [ Haaretz ]

‘The State’s Right’: Top Court Refuses to Rule on Israeli Sale of Spy Tech to Russia

(26.06.2021)

Israel’s defense exports, including the sale of offensive cyber technologies to foreign countries, and the policy that governs them is beyond the jurisdiction of Israeli courts, the Supreme Court ruled Sunday. The court’s justices refused to hear a petition filed by human right activists against the director of Israel’s Defense Ministry and Cellebrite, the digital forensics company, for the sale of phone-hacking tech to Russia.

23.07.2021 - 06:26 [ Haaretz ]

Pegasus Project: Israel Will Review Defense Export Regulation After NSO Allegations, Lawmaker Says

(22.07.2021)

The Israeli interministerial team „will conduct its checks, and we will be sure to look into the findings and see if we need to fix things here,“ Ben Barak said.

DECA is within Israel’s Defense Ministry and oversees NSO exports.

21.07.2021 - 19:10 [ Axios.com ]

Scoop: Israel forms damage control team after NSO Pegasus spyware reports

Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz spoke at the same conference and said Israel was „studying“ reports about the alleged use of the Pegasus software in violation of the terms of its export license.

“We approve the export of cyber products only to governments and only for lawful use in order to prevent crime and terrorism. Countries who purchase those systems must adhere to the conditions of use,“ Gantz said.

21.07.2021 - 18:46 [ Haaretz ]

Israel’s NSO and Pegasus Are a Clear and Present Danger to Democracy Around the World

After 12 years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure as prime minister, in which human rights activists and Knesset members were smeared as supporters of terrorism, critical journalists deemed enemies of the people and left-wing voters as traitors, why would the Israeli public, which had grown accustomed to view dissident voices as enemies, care about what happens to journalists in Azerbaijan, India or Hungary?

19.07.2021 - 17:14 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Coalition party demands answers from Gantz on NSO spyware

Head of left-wing Meretz, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, to meet with defense minister this week, with fellow lawmaker calling on Israel to halt company’s exports, likening it to ‚exporting weaponry‘

19.07.2021 - 17:09 [ Newsweek ]

Israeli Defense Minister Refutes Report That Netanyahu Urged Trump to Strike Iran After Losing Election

Benny Gantz, a retired Israeli army general and the country’s minister of defense, told a local media outlet yesterday that a New Yorker report which said Netanyahu encouraged U.S. action against Iran was likely „not what happened.“

„I don’t know of this story and I assume this is not what happened,“ Gantz said in an interview, according to the Jerusalem Post.

02.07.2021 - 18:32 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

“Change” Gov’t Approves 31 New Projects in Occupied West Bank

On Friday, June 25, the United Nations accused Israel of blatantly violating international law and called on it to halt the illegal expansions in settlements. According to Al-Ittihad, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General and Tor Wennesland, UN Mideast envoy, cited Security Council resolution 2334 from December 2016 that declared the occupation’s settlements as having “no legal validity.”

“I again underscore, in no uncertain terms, that Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of United Nations resolutions and international law,” Wennesland said. “They are a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-state solution and a just, long lasting and comprehensive peace. The advancement of all settlement activity must cease immediately.

02.07.2021 - 14:35 [ TRT World Research Centre ]

Israel carried out airstrikes against #Gaza on Friday, the third such attacks since the May ceasefire between #Israel and #Hamas. #Israelis point to „arson balloons“, #Palestinians point to the siege.

23.06.2021 - 11:19 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Is Dealing With Mount Meron. Now Investigate the Submarine Affair

(21.06.2021)

This isn’t the first time Gantz has tried to launch an inquiry into the submarines affair. In November, he appointed a governmental inquiry committee headed by retired Judge Amnon Straschnov. But Mendelblit ordered that panel to hold off on starting work because he said its mandate would overlap with the criminal investigation. Moreover, Straschnov resigned after less than a month after concluding that the committee’s work would be pointless due to limitations to its authority. Nevertheless, it’s impossible not to attribute the dissolution of this committee to the fact that Netanyahu and his power structure controlled Israel at the time.

20.06.2021 - 19:14 [ Kurier.at ]

Netanyahu will Amtssitz in Jerusalem erst in drei Wochen räumen

Die israelische Zeitung „Haaretz“ schrieb, Bennett wolle dem 71-jährigen Netanyahu und dessen Familie eine „Anpassungsphase“ ermöglichen. Sie hatten zwölf Jahre lang in dem Gebäude gewohnt, das auch für offizielle Empfänge dient. Nach seiner Niederlage bei der Wahl im Jahre 1999 habe Netanyahu sechs Wochen gebraucht, um den Amtssitz zu räumen. Sein Nachfolger Ehud Olmert habe ihn dagegen vier Tage nach seiner Amtsniederlegung verlassen.

18.06.2021 - 19:04 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Ordered Illegal Shredding of Docs at His Office Before Bennett Took Over, Sources Say

The material was kept in safes in the so-called ‘aquarium,’ where prime ministers and their most senior aides sit. It’s unclear which, or how many, documents were destroyed at Netanyahu’s orders

18.06.2021 - 11:10 [ Haaretz ]

‚Severe Shock‘: Netanyahu Left Scorched Earth for Bennett at Prime Minister’s Office

Dozens of private diplomatic conversations with world leaders, agreements and understandings that go unmentioned in meeting minutes, the Iranian nuclear issues or strategic ties with the American government about which private conversations were held with Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump: All of these remain in Netanyahu’s notebooks and his memory, as if they were his private possession. The heads of the intelligence community who briefed Bennett know only some of these issues – what they were told.

16.06.2021 - 09:33 [ i24news.tv ]

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.

16.06.2021 - 09:19 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Israel strikes Hamas sites in Gaza after incendiary balloon attacks

The attacks from Gaza came in response to the controversial flag parade in Jerusalem on Tuesday that had drawn threats of action by Hamas. The overnight airstrikes gave way to calm by morning, and there were no reports of casualties on either side.

13.06.2021 - 19:15 [ Anshel Pfeffer אנשיל פפר / Twitter ]

Benny Gantz making last speech in debate before the vote to appoint a new Knesset Speaker, preceding confidence vote. He’ll remain defense minister in the new government but no longer “alternate prime minister.”

12.06.2021 - 11:55 [ Ynetnews.com ]

U.S. warns Israel ‚far-right provocations‘ could light up Jerusalem

The Biden administration warned Israel that a Jewish nationalist march that was scheduled to take place in East Jerusalem next Tuesday could reignite violence across Israel and kick off another round of fighting in the Gaza Strip, Ynet has learned on Thursday.

U.S. officials conveyed to Defense Minister Benny Gantz they expected Israel to avoid moves that could further escalate tensions, and especially what they call „far-right provocations.“

04.06.2021 - 12:12 [ apnews.com ]

No ‘provoking’: Israeli official vows quieter tone with US

Sitting across a table from his U.S. counterpart at the Pentagon, Gantz said, “Our dialogue is so important to ensuring that any deal effectively meets its goal of keeping Iran away from nuclear weapons.”

“Of course, given the scope of the threat, Israel must always make sure that it has the ability to protect itself,” Gantz added.

04.06.2021 - 00:55 [ i24news.tv ]

Gantz meets with Blinken in Washington to talk Mideast security

„ery happy today to have the opportunity to pursue that conversation, to talk about the United States‘ enduring commitment to Israel’s security and to talk about some of the needs that Israel has in that regard,“ Blinken said.

The officials discussed the Iran nuclear threat, as well as the recent 11-day conflagration between Israel and the Gaza Strip-based terrorists of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

03.06.2021 - 16:43 [ Times of Israel ]

IDF general warns further Gaza fighting could break out

The head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command indicates he anticipates fighting to again break out in the Gaza Strip, saying that the conflict last month was only the “first stage” of a wider campaign.

“The operation ended, or at least its first stage did. The next stage will happen if we see that the security situation has changed,” Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano says in an on-stage interview at a conference held by Israel’s Channel 13 news.

01.06.2021 - 16:33 [ i24NEWS English / Twitter ]

#Israel: Interparty negotiations accelerate in an attempt to form a government i24NEWS @AlecHaimPollard with the latest

01.06.2021 - 15:48 [ Joel Solkoff / Twitter ]

Lapid, Bennett, Sa’ar meet to hammer out final coalition deal ahead of deadline

30.05.2021 - 13:20 [ Ynetnews.com ]

As coalition for change coalesces, Saar rejects Netanyahu offer

With Lapid apparently making strides in building government, New Hope leader nixes Likud offer for first slot in three-way rotation of premiership that would also include Yamina’s Bennett; ‚Our commitment is to replace Netanyahu,‘ Saar says

30.05.2021 - 13:18 [ Haaretz ]

In Last Ditch-effort, Netanyahu Offers Bennett, Sa’ar Rotating Premiership Deal

The coalition of parties seeking to form a new government without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have hammered out an agreement on the assignment of senior cabinet positions if the coalition actually comes into being.

Naftali Bennett: The Yamina party chairman would be prime minister first, then foreign minister. Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid leader, would first serve as foreign minister, then prime minister. Ayelet Shaked: interior minister. Avigdor Lieberman: finance minister. Benny Gantz: The Kahol Lavan chief will continue to serve as defense minister. Gideon Sa’ar: justice minister. Merav Michaeli: The Labor Party chairwoman would serve as transportation minister.

21.05.2021 - 08:14 [ White House ]

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.

21.05.2021 - 08:04 [ Ynetnews.com ]

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.“

20.05.2021 - 20:08 [ Tagesschau.de ]

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.

20.05.2021 - 19:51 [ Haaretz ]

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.

20.05.2021 - 14:53 [ USA Today ]

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.

20.05.2021 - 08:19 [ Ynetnews.com ]

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

20.05.2021 - 08:09 [ Haaretz ]

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.

20.05.2021 - 08:03 [ Washington Post ]

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.

20.05.2021 - 07:53 [ Washington Post ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 20:15 [ The Hill ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 18:46 [ Haaretz ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 18:39 [ i24news.tv ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 18:36 [ i24news.tv ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 09:53 [ ORF.at ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 06:39 [ KashmirMirror.com ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 06:24 [ ORF.at ]

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.

19.05.2021 - 06:12 [ derStandard.at ]

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.

18.05.2021 - 13:56 [ Haaretz ]

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.

18.05.2021 - 13:53 [ CBS News ]

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.“

17.05.2021 - 16:32 [ ORF.at ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 15:17 [ New York Times ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 14:37 [ i24news.tv ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 13:34 [ New York Times ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 13:29 [ CNN ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 13:14 [ Haaretz ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 08:12 [ Bernie Sanders / Twitter ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 08:04 [ Jeremy Corbyn / Facebook ]

The nightmare for the people of Gaza and the West Bank must end.

(video)

17.05.2021 - 07:45 [ Logan Bayroff / Twitter ]

A Republican Senator about to call for a ceasefire before the Biden White House has. Incredible.

17.05.2021 - 07:41 [ J Street / Twitter ]

.@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.“

17.05.2021 - 07:16 [ wtop.com ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 07:08 [ imemc.org ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 07:00 [ Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده / Twitter ]

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

17.05.2021 - 06:53 [ Al Jazeera English / Twitter ]

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.

17.05.2021 - 06:34 [ J. Shawa جاسم الشوا / Twitter ]

Can’t believe the savagery. They have been bombing like crazy for severe minutes. Car alarms going off shrapnel flying all over

17.05.2021 - 06:13 [ Mohammad Alsaafin / Twitter ]

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)

17.05.2021 - 06:07 [ Max Blumenthal / Twitter ]

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

17.05.2021 - 05:52 [ CNN ]

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.“

17.05.2021 - 05:47 [ Nachdenkseiten ]

Abed Shokry zur Situation in Gaza

(15.05.2021)

Das ist wahnsinnig. Das ist unglaublich, das ist unerträglich und unvorstellbar. Das ist unbeschreibbar. Ich habe das Gefühl, dass die israelischen Piloten jeden Einzelnen von uns, auch die Kinder hassen. Ich kann es mir sonst nicht erklären, wie sie gezielt eine Wohnung bombardieren, obwohl sie sehen, dass da Kinder schlafen (geschlafen haben, denn sie sind jetzt tot). Anzahl der Getöteten, von denen die meisten Zivilisten sind, ist weiter gestiegen. Heute am Freitagabend gibt es 122 Tote, von denen 31 Kinder waren. Waren die Kinder Hamas-kämpfer? Es gibt ca. 800 Verletzte, die zusätzlich zu den vielen an Covid19 Erkrankten behandelt werden müssten – wenn es denn genug Medikamente, Ärzte und Betten gäbe

Gestern Nacht waren die Angriffe heftiger, stärker, und irgendwie anders. Denn das Haus bebte und bebte und bebte. Es wackelt und wackelt und wackelt, wenn die Bomben in der Nachbarschaft fallen. Und die Geräusche sind sehr, sehr beängstigend. Das ist total gruselig. Ich dachte, es handle sich um einen USA Action- Film. Es ist aber LEIDER sehr real. Die vierte Nacht infolge ohne Schlaf, weder ich noch die Kinder und ebenso wenig meine Frau. Dann wurden Gift-Gas-Granaten auf unterschiedliche Stadtviertel in Gaza Stadt und im Norden vom Gazastreifen abgeworfen. Uns brannten gestern Nacht die Augen und wir hatten schlimme Atemproblem.

Das ist ein Horrorfilm und wir sind mittendrin.

17.05.2021 - 05:36 [ ForeignPolicy.com ]

Biden Stonewalls U.N. Concern Over Israeli-Palestinian Clashes

(12.05.2021)

In recent days, the United States has on at least three occasions refused to engage in negotiations initiated by Norway and Tunisia aimed at adopting a Security Council statement criticizing Israel’s evictions and demolitions of Palestinian properties in occupied East Jerusalem.

16.05.2021 - 17:22 [ ZDF ]

Konflikt in Nahost – Mindestens 42 Tote bei israelischen Angriffen

Am Samstag hatte das Militär nach einer Vorwarnung auch das Gebäude in Trümmer gelegt, in dem die Nachrichtenagentur AP und der katarische Fernsehsender Al-Dschasira ihre Büros hatten. Standardmäßig nannte es eine Präsenz der Hamas in dem Haus als Grund und warf Hamas vor, Journalisten als menschliche Schutzschilde benutzt zu haben. AP-Präsident Gary Pruitt sagte dagegen, die Nachrichtenagentur habe seit 15 Jahren in dem Gebäude gearbeitet und keinerlei Hinweise auf eine Anwesenheit der Hamas dort gehabt, obwohl sie dies aktiv und nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen prüfe.

16.05.2021 - 15:11 [ Haaretz ]

Lapid Suggests Political Considerations Are Behind Israel’s Gaza Operation

Lapid, who has been tasked with forming a coalition after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s mandate expired, also accused Kahanist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir of having a central role in the escalation in tensions that led to rioting around the country and ultimately Israel’s flare-up with Gaza. “No one would let a card-carrying lunatic like Itamar Ben-Gvir to set Jerusalem and then the entire country ablaze.”

16.05.2021 - 05:55 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Army Deployed a Secret, Strategic Weapon Against Hamas – and Reaped Limited Benefits

The current casualty toll seems modest and a far cry from the numbers that were circulating in Israel about mass deaths in the tunnels. Netanyahu, who initially planned a big press conference, made do with a short and cautiously worded video. But not all his mouthpieces got the message in time: one of them tweeted about the genius maneuver led by him and the IDF chief, but quickly deleted it. Mainstream media took longer to get the message.

16.05.2021 - 05:44 [ Haaretz ]

Foreign Media Fumes Over Being Used in IDF Ploy to Trick Hamas: ‚They’ve Lost Credibility‘

Foreign journalists stationed in Israel and senior editors in international media outlets are enraged over reports in the Israeli media stating that the Israel Defense Forces deliberately misled them as part of a wider scheme against Hamas. Several reporters who spoke with Haaretz said that the incident will lead media to mistrust IDF statements in the future.

16.05.2021 - 05:23 [ Associated Press / Youtube ]

Israeli airstrike in Gaza destroys media building

An Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media on Saturday, the latest step by the military to silence reporting from the territory amid its battle with the militant group Hamas. (May 15)

16.05.2021 - 05:20 [ i24news.tv ]

IDF razes Gaza high-rise hosting Hamas military intelligence, intl media offices

The Jala Tower complex in the Gaza Strip is also where the Gaza offices of several international news media outlets are based, including the Associated Press and al-Jazeera.

The tower’s owner had received a warning from the IDF ahead of the airstrikes, allowing the civilians inside to evacuate, media reports suggest.

15.05.2021 - 07:45 [ Najla Shawa / Twitter ]

Navy shelling is intense – 5 each round so far more than 5 rounds across the coast. #GazaUnderAttack

15.05.2021 - 07:33 [ @amoreyedam / Twitter ]

Loud Explosion Warning! Civilian settlements in Western Gaza were shaken after the Flag of Israel warship bombed a residential area.

(…)

15.05.2021 - 07:28 [ Basant Hameed / Twitter ]

#Urgent : Shehab correspondent: An Israeli warship bombarded the beaches of the southern Gaza Strip, making big explosions.

#GazaUnderAttack

15.05.2021 - 07:25 [ Najla Shawa / Twitter ]

Heavy shelling from Israeli warship #gazaunderattack #PalestineUnderAttack

(14.05.2021)

15.05.2021 - 07:06 [ Agencia AJN / Twitter ]

.. #IDF release video of Spike ATGM strikes by IDF Special Navy Forces against Gazan targets belonging to Hamas’ Naval forces

15.05.2021 - 06:57 [ defensenews.com ]

Israeli Navy welcomes new generation of German-made warships

( December 3, 2020 )

“Behind me is one of the most advanced war machines in the world, which poses a significant leap forward in the Israeli military’s ability to ensure our strength at sea and in naval operations,” said the military’s chief, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi.

Israel agreed to buy the vessels in a 2015 deal valued at roughly €430 million (U.S. $480 million at the time), with the German government covering about one-quarter of the cost.

Several Israeli businessmen, including confidants of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former commander of the Navy, are suspects in a graft scandal connected to the purchase of the warships and submarines from German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

15.05.2021 - 06:32 [ Mohamed Hashem @mhashem_ Journalist @MiddleEastEye / Twitter ]

Latest #Gaza death toll: – At least 137 dead, including 36 children – At least 920 injured

Early Saturday, Israeli air strikes killed 7 Palestinians, including at least 5 children, in an attack on the overcrowded al-Shati camp, west of Gaza city. #Gaza_Under_Attack

15.05.2021 - 06:30 [ i24news.tv ]

Germany brands Hamas rocket fire on Israel ‚terror attacks‘

„These are terrorist attacks that have only one goal: to kill people indiscriminately and arbitrarily and to spread fear,“ Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told a press conference.

Merkel’s government defended „Israel’s right to self-defense against these attacks“, he added.

13.05.2021 - 07:18 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Israel weitet Gaza-Angriffe aus

Medienberichten zufolge wurden das Finanzministerium im Herzen der Stadt Gaza sowie eine Bank der Hamas zerstört. Das Militär teilte mit, Kampfflugzeuge hätten eine Reihe strategisch wichtiger Gebäude sowie ein Marinekommando der Hamas angegriffen. Die Angriffe auf Terrorziele würden fortgesetzt.

13.05.2021 - 06:43 [ CNN ]

67 killed in Gaza, 7 killed in Israel as UN warns conflict could turn into ‚full-scale war‘

(today)

Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza has now killed at least 67 people, including 17 children, and injured more than 388 more, according to the Gaza-based Palestinian health ministry. Israel says at least 15 of the dead were Hamas militants.

13.05.2021 - 06:41 [ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Abgeordnete im US Repräsentantenhaus / Twitter ]

Blanket statements like these w/ little context or acknowledgement of what precipitated this cycle of violence – namely, the expulsions of Palestinians and attacks on Al Aqsa – dehumanize Palestinians & imply the US will look the other way at human rights violations. It’s wrong.

(12.05.2021)

By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions – which are condemnable – & refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence.

This is not neutral language. It takes a side – the side of occupation.

13.05.2021 - 06:40 [ JTA.org ]

Biden says Israel has a ‘right to defend itself’ as he sends envoy to deescalate conflict

(12.05.2021)

During a White House press conference Wednesday afternoon, Biden said he had just spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and had an “expectation and hope” that the conflict would end soon.

13.05.2021 - 06:39 [ theHill.com ]

Biden speaks with Israel’s Netanyahu amid spiraling conflict with Hamas

(12.05.2021)

“I had a conversation for a while with the prime minister of Israel, and, I think, my hope is that we’ll see this coming to conclusion sooner than later,” the president said during remarks to the press about the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president said his national security and defense staff have been in “constant contact” with their counterparts in the Middle East, including the Israelis but also the Egyptians, Saudis and Emiratis.

13.05.2021 - 06:25 [ i24news.tv ]

US halts statement by UN Security Council on escalation in Israel-Palestinian tensions

(11.05.2021)

The United Nations Security Council held an urgent meeting Monday on the unrest in Jerusalem but issued no immediate statement, with diplomats saying the United States assessed that public comments could be counterproductive.

12.05.2021 - 14:47 [ i24news.tv ]

ICC prosecutor: ‚Possible crimes‘ committed over Israel-Palestinian clashes

(today)

Bensouda announced on March 3 that she had opened a full investigation into actions committed by Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem since 2014.

12.05.2021 - 14:31 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Israel vows more Gaza attacks to bring ‚total, long-term quiet‘ after UN warned it’s hurtling towards full-scale WAR: Cross-border airstrikes leave 43 Palestinians and five Israelis dead

Israel today vowed to bring ‚total, long-term quiet‘ to the Gaza Strip amid growing international alarm at the increasing civilian death toll from retaliatory air strikes targeting Hamas militants.

‚The army will continue to attack to bring a total, long-term quiet. Only when we reach that goal will we be able to speak about a truce,‘ Defence Minister Benny Gantz said as the Palestinian death toll rose to 43, including 13 children. At least 230 Palestinians have been wounded.

11.05.2021 - 08:04 [ Anshel Pfeffer / Twitter ]

Oh, and not that I expect this to reassure anyone, but the IDF has already given the escalation a name: Operation Guardians of the Walls מבצע שומרי החומות

28.04.2021 - 17:00 [ Ynetnews.com ]

High Court cancels hearing as PM agrees to Gantz as justice ministe

In addition, a few moments before Netanyahu announced his decision to back Gantz for the position, he apparently was made aware that Bennett held his first meeting with Mansour Abbas – the leader of the Islamist Ra’am party – in an effort to form a unity government.

28.04.2021 - 15:44 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Netanyahu reverses course, votes to appoint Gantz as justice minister

Hours before the High Court of Justice was due to decide on the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to install a justice minister from his own party, the premier announced Wednesday afternoon he supports the appointment of Blue & White leader Benny Gantz for the position.

28.04.2021 - 15:42 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Caves After Rebuke From Supreme Court: Gantz Appointed Justice Minister

In a statement Netanyahu said, „The prime minister submitted a detailed response to the High Court that completely rejects the court’s claim that yesterday’s vote was illegal.“

„However,“ Netanyahu said, „after the prime minister’s attempts at compromise were rejected again this morning, and in order to extract us from this dead end situation and allow the Justice Ministry to function, the prime minister decided to appoint Benny Gantz to the post of Justice Minister for the tenure of the interim government.“

27.04.2021 - 14:58 [ Ynetnews.com ]

High Court to convene as government stalls again over justice minister

The High Court of Justice was to convene at 5pm Tuesday after the government failed to appoint a justice minister within the time frame allocated by the court.

The latest attempt to end the deadlock over the appointment of the minister failed when the government voted down a move by Blue & White leader Benny Gantz to return to the ministry on a permanent basis.

12.04.2021 - 18:29 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Blood & Tears. Gaza August 2014

(02.09.2014)

Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas agreed to an open-ended ceasefire on August 26 after seven weeks of fighting – an uneasy deal that halted the Protective Edge operation, with more than 2,200 killed.

12.04.2021 - 18:26 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Gaza-Israel War. Deadly July 2014

(03.08.2014)

The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) began their current operation against Hamas after three teens were kidnapped and killed. The military op has already claimed over 1,500 civilian lives in Gaza.

11.04.2021 - 21:19 [ The Hill ]

Defense secretary boasts ‚ironclad‘ commitment to Israel during trip to Tel Aviv

Austin’s visit to Israel is part of a multi-stop tour of U.S. allies “to discuss the importance of international defense relationships, and reinforce the United States’ commitment to deterrence and defense, burden sharing, and enduring trans-Atlantic security.“ He will also travel to Germany, the United Kingdom and NATO headquarters in Belgium.

07.04.2021 - 01:43 [ France24 ]

US defense chief Austin to visit Israel: report

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit Israel next week for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Axios reported Tuesday.

03.04.2021 - 01:17 [ Tagesschau.de ]

US-Regierung: Sanktionen gegen Strafgerichtshof aufgehoben

US-Außenminister Antony Blinken teilte in Washington mit, Biden habe eine entsprechende Verfügung seines Amtsvorgängers Donald Trump rückgängig gemacht. Dadurch seien auch die von der Trump-Regierung verhängten Strafmaßnahmen gegen die Chefanklägerin des Gerichts, Fatou Bensouda, sowie ICC-Abteilungsleiter Phakiso Mochochoko, aufgehoben. Visarestriktionen für Mitarbeiter des Gerichtshofes seien ebenfalls gestrichen worden.

03.04.2021 - 00:56 [ Haaretz ]

Biden Administration Lifts Trump Sanctions on ICC Officials

The move comes nearly one month after ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced the decision to open a formal investigation into war crimes in the Palestinian Territories, which will examine both sides in the conflict

30.03.2021 - 23:25 [ i24news.tv ]

Gantz courts Abbas, warns against Netanyahu plan to cancel graft trial

Prior to the meeting, Gantz took to Facebook to announce his support of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid for the premiership and warned Mansour Abbas that “Bibi will use you” — referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his Israeli nickname.

30.03.2021 - 22:36 [ Haaretz ]

Does Israel Really Need 30 Million More COVID Vaccine Doses?

Levy, the ministry’s director general, points to Europe’s potential ban on exporting the vaccine beyond the continent, particularly to countries such as Israel, where vaccination levels are high. If Israel signs the new contracts, it might be protected against such export bans. The ministry is also hastening Israel to sign contracts prior to the completion of clinical trials of the vaccine on children, before stiff international competition sets in.

30.03.2021 - 22:29 [ Haaretz ]

China Is Involved in a Sensitive Israeli Project. Israeli Government Claims It Didn’t Know

According to sources who spoke with Haaretz, the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Council did not know of the Chinese corporation’s involvement, and claimed that the matter is under the purview of the Defense Ministry.

11.03.2021 - 09:52 [ Communist Party of Israel ]

Israeli Jets Escort US B-52s during Mideast Flyby in Warning to Iran

Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Tuesday, March 2, that Israel intends to develop a “special security arrangement” with the reactionary regimes of Arab Gulf states, who share common concerns over Iran. This comes after i24 News reported that Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have discussed expanding cooperation against their common enemies. “We will continue to confront any threat, along with our new and veteran partners, chiefly the US, so that Iran will not be able to develop nuclear capacity,” Gantz said.

08.03.2021 - 09:21 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Blood & Tears. Gaza August 2014

(02.09.2014)

Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas agreed to an open-ended ceasefire on August 26 after seven weeks of fighting – an uneasy deal that halted the Protective Edge operation, with more than 2,200 killed.

08.03.2021 - 09:19 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Gaza-Israel War. Deadly July 2014

(03.08.2014)

The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) began their current operation against Hamas after three teens were kidnapped and killed. The military op has already claimed over 1,500 civilian lives in Gaza.

08.03.2021 - 09:13 [ i24news.tv ]

Israel praises Brazil for steadfast support against ICC war crimes probe

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi met Sunday his Brazilian counterpart in Jerusalem and thanked his country for its “steadfast position against the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to launch a [war crimes] probe” against the Jewish state.

“It is a decision that harms international law and distances the possibility to advance negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians,” Ashkenazi stressed at the meeting.

06.03.2021 - 20:42 [ Haaretz ]

A State That Has Nothing to Hide Has No Reason to Fear an ICC Investigation

But no attempt to tar the investigation as antisemitic and wage a campaign against the court can serve as a substitute for Israel’s obligation to conduct its own honest investigation into the incidents that gave rise to the complaint against it, halt the kinds of actions that put it on a collision course with the international community and cooperate with the court. A state that doesn’t consider itself to be guilty has no need to fear an investigation.

06.03.2021 - 09:55 [ straitstimes.com ]

US opposed to ICC probe of Israel, Kamala Harris tells Netanyahu

US Vice-President Kamala Harris, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (March 4) reaffirmed US opposition to an International Criminal Court (ICC) probe of possible war crimes in the Palestinian Territories, the White House said.

06.03.2021 - 09:52 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Blood & Tears. Gaza August 2014

(02.09.2014)

Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas agreed to an open-ended ceasefire on August 26 after seven weeks of fighting – an uneasy deal that halted the Protective Edge operation, with more than 2,200 killed.

06.03.2021 - 09:48 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Gaza-Israel War. Deadly July 2014

(03.08.2014)

The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) began their current operation against Hamas after three teens were kidnapped and killed. The military op has already claimed over 1,500 civilian lives in Gaza.

20.02.2021 - 14:06 [ Haaretz ]

Israelis‘ Distrust in State Institutions Is Turning Into an Existential Threat

A year after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the three-fold crisis plaguing Israeli society threatens the basic contract between the state and its citizenry, and has led to a lack of trust in government leaders and institutions and an ‚unparalleled degree of polarization‘.

13.02.2021 - 16:32 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Internationaler Strafgerichtshof: Khan wird neuer UN-Chefankläger

Der Wechsel als Chefankläger erfolgt in einer kritischen Zeit für das Gericht. Es steht unter großem politischen Druck wegen geplanter Ermittlungsverfahren zu Kriegsverbrechen in Palästina und in Afghanistan. Dadurch wären auch Prozesse gegen Militärs aus Israel oder den USA möglich.

06.02.2021 - 20:09 [ i24news.tv ]

State Dept.: US ‚objects‘ to ICC’s decision on Palestinian situation

The United States announced Friday night that it objects to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to probe into alleged war crimes perpetrated by Israel and Hamas on Palestinian territories.

State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted that “Israel is not a State Party to the Rome Statute. We will continue to uphold [US] President [Joe] Biden’s strong commitment to Israel and its security, including opposing actions that seek to target Israel unfairly.”

05.02.2021 - 22:35 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Blood & Tears. Gaza August 2014

(02.09.2014)

Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas agreed to an open-ended ceasefire on August 26 after seven weeks of fighting – an uneasy deal that halted the Protective Edge operation, with more than 2,200 killed.

05.02.2021 - 22:32 [ RT / Youtube ]

Uncut Chronicles: Gaza-Israel War. Deadly July 2014

(03.08.2014)

The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) began their current operation against Hamas after three teens were kidnapped and killed. The military op has already claimed over 1,500 civilian lives in Gaza.

05.02.2021 - 22:22 [ Internationaler Strafgerichtshof / International Criminal Court ]

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I issues its decision on the Prosecutor’s request related to territorial jurisdiction over Palestine

On this basis, the majority, composed of Judge Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, found that the Court’s territorial jurisdiction in the Situation in Palestine extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

(…)

Judge Péter Kovács, Presiding Judge, appended a partly dissenting opinion, in which he disagrees on the fact that Palestine qualifies as ‚[t]he State on the territory of which the conduct in question occurred‘ for the purposes of article 12(2)(a) of the Statute, and that the Court’s territorial jurisdiction in the Situation in Palestine extends – in a quasi-automatic manner and without any restrictions – to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

05.02.2021 - 22:07 [ Haaretz ]

ICC Approves Probe Into Possible War Crimes by Israel, Hamas in Palestinian Territories

The judges – Presiding Judge Peter Kovacs of Hungary, Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut of France and Judge Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin – accepted the findings of Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s preliminary investigation from December of 2019 that there is a basis for investigating the matter further, and ruled that the court does have jurisdiction in the Palestinian territories, rejecting Israel’s argument that it lacks such authority.

02.02.2021 - 15:01 [ i24news.tv/ ]

Israel’s security cabinet to meet Wednesday over Iran issue: report

The meeting comes amid US State Secretary Antony Blinken’s latest remark to NBC that Tehran could enrich enough uranium to produce a nuclear bomb in a “matter of weeks.”

02.02.2021 - 13:56 [ U.S. Central Command / Twitter ]

Gen McKenzie appreciated the gracious hospitality and expansive discussions on regional security with Defense Minister Gantz and IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Kochavi last week. @Israel_MOD @IDF

17.01.2021 - 11:04 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Making Progress in Bid to Cancel His Corruption Trial

A year ago, Netanyahu waived his parliamentary immunity after he realized that in the Knesset elected in September 2019, he had no chance of receiving immunity. But the prime minister’s lawyers recently claimed in court that he never waived his right to parliamentary immunity, saying that the Knesset’s immunity proceedings were flawed.

14.01.2021 - 19:07 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz, We’ll Take It From Here

It’s hard not to feel uncomfortable when we hear Gantz – who gave Netanyahu the government, betraying his voters and his partners – trying to look like someone worried about the future of the “Anyone But Bibi” camp and trying to serve as a strategic adviser.

12.01.2021 - 14:53 [ Haaretz ]

‚I Was Wrong to Join Netanyahu‘: Gantz Calls for Broad Center-left Coalition

Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz called on leaders of center-left parties to unite ahead of Israel’s March 23 election in order to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – his coalition partner over the past year.

02.01.2021 - 07:28 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Election Polls: Tel Aviv Mayor Gains Ground, Gantz Grazing Threshold

(30.12.2020)

Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn left the slate on Tuesday to join Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai’s party, and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi announced on Wednesday afternoon that he will not be running with Kahol Lavan in the upcoming election.

After Huldai announced that he is running for Knesset on Tuesday, his Hayisraelim party is projected to win eight to nine parliamentary seats.

02.01.2021 - 07:20 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Gantz: Nissenkorn stabbed me in the back

(01.01.2021)

In a weekend interview with Yediot Aharonot, Gantz said „I felt him stabbing me in the back and turning the knife.“
Nissenkorn, whose resignation took effect Friday morning, wrote on Facebook afterward that Gantz made „crazy concessions“ that would have emptied the justice minister post of authority in an effort to keep the government together.

23.12.2020 - 00:16 [ ORF ]

Neuwahl fix: Israels Parlament automatisch aufgelöst

Gegen Netanjahu läuft ein Korruptionsprozess. Ganz hat dem 71-Jährigen vorgeworfen, er wolle alles unternehmen, um einer Verurteilung zu entgehen.

Das Bündnis um Ganz ist inzwischen zerbröselt. Bei einer Neuwahl muss Blau-Weiß sogar bangen, ob es die 3,25-Prozent-Hürde schafft.

20.12.2020 - 22:41 [ Haaretz ]

Anti-Netanyahu Bloc Grows but Gantz Is Losing Steam, Election Poll Shows

threshold.

The bloc that has pledged not to join a Netanyahu government would stand at 64 out of 120 Knesset seats. The opposing bloc, composed of Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism and Yamina, would garner just 56, which is not enough to form a government.

20.12.2020 - 22:38 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz’s Party Agrees to Delay Budget Deadline to Give More Time for Deal With Netanyahu

Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan party said Sunday that it has agreed to postpone the Tuesday deadline to pass Israel’s 2020 state budget by one week, in a move that could give it more time to negotiate a deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud to avoid what would be a fourth election cycle in two years.

20.12.2020 - 15:08 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Agrees to Curb Justice Minister’s Powers in Deal With Netanyahu to Stave Off Election

Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz has agreed to curb Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn’s powers, sources said, in bid to stave off election.

In return, Gantz hopes to cement the rotation agreement for the premiership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is upheld.

20.12.2020 - 10:33 [ Haaretz ]

Three Days to Stave Off Election: Gantz Met With Netanyahu Rival Sa’ar

Defense Minister and Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz met on Saturday with breakaway Likud lawmaker Gideon Sa‘ar, three days before the Knesset is expected to disband.

02.12.2020 - 14:56 [ theGuardian.com ]

Israel moves towards fourth election with no-confidence vote

Wednesday’s vote, which is not final and requires several more readings, was largely seen as a gambit by Benny Gantz, the former head of the opposition who reluctantly joined Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition this year, to assert his authority.

In a televised speech on Tuesday night, Gantz, who serves as defence minister, accused the country’s longest-serving leader of lying and sidelining his demands, in particular, a proposed budget.

02.12.2020 - 14:38 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Breaks With Netanyahu, Votes With Opposition to Dissolve Parliament

The Knesset voted to dissolve in a preliminary vote Wednesday, bringing the country closer to a fourth election in under two years.

Sixty-one lawmakers voted in favor, and 54 voted against. The proposal will now go to the Legislative Committee for discussion.

02.12.2020 - 05:29 [ Vol.at ]

Israels Parlament stimmt über seine Auflösung ab

Am Mittwoch steht ein Vorschlag der Opposition zur Auflösung des Parlaments zur Abstimmung. Gantz sagte am Dienstagabend, Blau-Weiß werde den Vorstoß unterstützen. Es handelt sich allerdings um eine vorläufige Abstimmung, für die endgültige Auflösung der Knesset wären drei weitere Lesungen notwendig.

02.12.2020 - 05:24 [ Tagesanzeiger.ch ]

Regierung in Israel wankt: Benny Gantz hat genug von Netanyahus Spielen

Gantz hatte diese Runde der Auseinandersetzung in der vorigen Woche mit einem Frontalangriff auf Netanyahu eröffnet, als er in seinem Ministerium eine Untersuchungskommission einsetzte, die den Kauf deutscher U-Boote näher beleuchten soll. Es geht um den Verdacht der Korruption im engeren Umfeld des Premiers.

02.12.2020 - 03:39 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Says His Party Will Vote With the Opposition to Dissolve Parliament

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Tuesday his party will vote in favor of an opposition-backed bill to dissolve the Knesset, which would come for a preliminary vote on Wednesday, as he continued to butt heads with coalition partner Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

01.12.2020 - 19:50 [ Haaretz ]

Israeli Leftists, Enough With the Generals

The left is now in need of Jewish-Arab partnership, ethical leadership with a clear vision, and ability on the ground based on practical political experience. The left does not need another general from the boring list of names.

01.12.2020 - 18:59 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Calls on Gantz to Vote Against Dissolving Knesset

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that his Likud party will vote against a bill put forth by the opposition to dissolve the Israeli parliament, effectively ending the current government. „We will vote against dissolving the Knesset tomorrow, and for unity, I call on Benny Gantz to do the same,“ he said during a visit to the police’s coronavirus enforcement headquarters.

30.11.2020 - 22:08 [ Haaretz ]

Israel’s Government Is Set to Fall. Here’s How It Got There and What Happens Next

By Wednesday night, the seven months of the Netanyahu-Gantz zombie government could be over and Israel will be on its way to an election in March 2021, the country’s fourth in two years.

30.11.2020 - 11:22 [ Haaretz ]

Full Transparency for the Submarine Inquiry

The commission’s first meeting, scheduled for Monday, has been postponed at Mendelblit’s request until the scope of its activity has been defined. The commission is expected to submit a final report in about four months.

29.11.2020 - 11:34 [ Haaretz ]

‚Netanyahu Endangers Israel‘: Thousands Protest Against PM Across Israel

Thousands of protesters demonstrated on Saturday evening against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at intersections, bridges and squares across Israel, as weekly demonstrations continued for the 23rd week in a row.

24.11.2020 - 11:55 [ New York Times ]

Israeli Panel to Look Into Submarine Scandal, Riling Netanyahu

Mr. Netanyahu was not named as a suspect in an earlier police investigation of the purchase of submarines and missile boats from Germany that caught up several of his close associates. The planned commission of inquiry lacks legal authority. It may summon any witness to testify but cannot compel anybody to appear before it.

23.11.2020 - 12:30 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Announces Commission of Inquiry Into Submarine Affair That Has Plagued Netanyahu

The submarine affair has become a central element in the protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where demonstrators have carried inflatable submarines inscribed with slogans like “S.S. Investigation.” Protesters are calling for a commission of inquiry into the affair, as well as calling on Netanyahu to step down in light of his corruption charges.

03.11.2020 - 06:28 [ i24news.tv ]

Gantz asserts Netanyahu won’t honor coalition agreement: report

Gantz, according to the report, stressed that he is willing to “pay with [his] seat,” but will delay a decision for two weeks.

23.10.2020 - 22:45 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Says Israel Agreed to Sale of F-35s to UAE; Gantz: Talks Were Kept From Me

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel’s authorization of the United States‘ sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates was not part of the peace deal signed between the nations in Washington, and that this came about through discussions held by Defense Minister Benny Gantz with the Pentagon.

Meanwhile, in a statement of his own, Gantz claimed that negotiations on the sale of arms were known to some Israeli officials, but were kept hidden from him and Israel’s security establishment.

16.10.2020 - 04:07 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Thousands protest across Israel demanding Netanyahu’s resignation

Some protesters accused Netanyahu of not condemning violence against them and also directed their ire at his coalition partner, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, for not taking a harsher stance against the violence.

„The fact that the Israeli prime minister has not once condemned the violence against the protesters is a green light for violence against citizens of the country,“ they said.

09.10.2020 - 20:15 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz: Rising Violence Against anti-Netanyahu Protesters Could Lead to Murder

Gantz called on Public Security Minister Amir Ohana of Likud and acting police commissioner Motti Cohen to bolster police forces at the demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slated for Saturday evening.

The defense minister told Ohana and Cohen that „the violence toward protesters is evident and there’s a genuine fear for human life.“

05.10.2020 - 12:00 [ i24news.tv ]

Whispers in Blue and White to dissolve Israeli gov’t intensify: report

More Blue and White party members are calling to end the collaboration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and dissolve the government, broadcaster Channel 12 reported Sunday.

In an interview with Israel’s public radio Kan, chairwoman of the Knesset’s (Israel Parliament) Internal Affairs and Environment Committee Miki Haimovich said that more people within her party are thinking on such a possibility.

05.10.2020 - 02:30 [ Haaretz ]

Lawmaker From Gantz’s Party: More ‚Thinking of Quitting Netanyahu Government‘

Israeli lawmaker Miki Haimovich, a member of Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan party, said on Sunday evening that there is a growing group in Kahol Lavan that is considering dismantling the partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

05.10.2020 - 02:20 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Knows the Premiership Is Lost and Now His Party Is Raising the Stakes

Passing legislation to keep protests away from Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, to which Gantz’s party didn’t oppose, was the last of too many straws, bringing Kahol Lavan to its limit

04.10.2020 - 08:59 [ Niv Lilien / Twitter ]

תגיד, אתה ראש ממשלה או סמרטוט? תדרשו לפטר את אוחנה ולסיים את העוצר הכללי, או שאתם מפילים את הממשלה. אופציה ב‘ – תעברו ישר לחלק של להפיל את הממשלה. תעיפו את נתניהו!

04.10.2020 - 08:55 [ בני גנץ - Benny Gantz, Verteidigungsminister von Israel / Twitter ]

תקיפת המפגינים הערב ובימים האחרונים בלתי מתקבלת על הדעת. ההפגנות המתקיימות לפי ההנחיות הן דבר לגיטימי וחיוני בדמוקרטיה. אני קורא למשטרה לשים את ידה על התוקפים ולמצות עימם את הדין.

04.10.2020 - 08:48 [ Haaretz ]

Tel Aviv’s Mayor Among Injured Amid Violence at Nationwide anti-Netanyahu Protests

Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted on Saturday night that violence against protesters is „intolerable“, adding that the demonstrations are a „legitimate and vital aspect of democracy“. He called on police to apprehend those attacking protesters and bring them to justice.

The Black Flag responded to Benny Gantz in a fiery tone: „Words do not suffice: as long as you serve the defendant you are just as guilty as he is – resign!“

23.09.2020 - 03:50 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Meets Kushner in Washington Discusses Israel’s Military Edge, Additional Peace Deals

Gantz is also expected to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other Pentagon officials in Washington on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

Gantz is also set to discuss international policy vis-à-vis Iran and strategy for stopping its expansion and entrenchment in the Middle East.

14.09.2020 - 11:09 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Lands in D.C for UAE, Bahrain Deal as Israel Braces for 3-week Lockdown

Netanyahu’s main coalition partners, Defense Minister Benny and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, were shunned from the trip

30.08.2020 - 19:32 [ The Jerusalem Post ]

Gantz to Kushner: Let’s work together to keep Israel’s military edge

Kushner, O’Brien, US Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz and US Iran envoy Brian Hook, together with an Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, are set to take the first-ever direct flight from Israel to the UAE on Monday, on an El Al plane bearing the word “peace” in Arabic, Hebrew and English in honor of the historic moment.

21.08.2020 - 03:57 [ Haaretz ]

What Defendant Netanyahu Really Wants

So we must take seriously the report in Israel Hayom, the Netanyahu family’s private journal, saying that the prime minister is willing to give up the one-year budget – and consequently an election – in exchange for appointing the police commissioner and attorney general of his choice.

20.08.2020 - 09:14 [ theHill.com ]

Netanyahu calls reported US F-35 sales to UAE ‚fake news‘

(19.08.2020)

But Netanyahu said Israel would oppose such a deal, as the Israeli military must maintain superiority in the region.

The peace agreement “did not include Israel’s consent to any arms deal whatsoever between the United States and the UAE,” according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

“The U.S. made clear to Israel that it will always ensure to protect Israel’s qualitative edge.”

20.08.2020 - 09:13 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Netanyahu told Likud MK about UAE deal but left Gantz, Ashkenazi in dark

(17.08.2020)

The prime minister did not reveal the deal to Gantz or Ashkenazi, even though they are both former IDF chiefs of staff, because he was afraid they would leak the secret negotiations, Netanyahu said in an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper published on Monday.
„I have been working on this for years, and they have been here for just a couple of months,“ Netanyahu said.

20.08.2020 - 09:04 [ Times of Israel ]

Defense minister: It’s not good for Israel if other countries get F-35

(18.08.2020)

Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday warned that the proliferation of the F-35 fighter jet was “not good for Israel,” following reports that the United States would sell the advanced aircraft to the United Arab Emirates.

“It’s not good for Israel that the plane is going around in other places. We need to talk to the Emiratis, to the Americans, and make sure that our security interests are being upheld,” Gantz told reporters in a press conference.

20.08.2020 - 09:02 [ i24news.tv ]

US confirms review of potential F-35 sale to United Arab Emirates

On Wednesday, Channel 13 reported that Meir Ben-Shabbat, chief of Israel’s National Securit Council, approached Israeli Air Force head Amikam Norkin in June for a review of Israel’s position on such a sale.

According to the report, the move came in a breach of the command chain, as Ben-Shabbat was supposed to first speak with Defense Minister and Alternative Prime Minister Benny Gantz, whom Netanyahu kept in the dark in regards to the upcoming deal with the UAE.

13.08.2020 - 16:20 [ Haaretz ]

A Bruising No-holds Barred Exchange: What We Saw in the Bibi-Lapid Showdown

Gantz has now destroyed his own credibility by joining Netanyahu’s coalition, so has Labor leader Amir Peretz. Lapid remains the only leader of a major party on the center-left. Netanyahu has no choice but to take him on. But while Lapid’s inexperience and dilettantism gives Netanyahu ample ammunition against the former chat-show host and columnist, it also creates a dilemma for him. Attacking Lapid with all guns blazing increases his popularity in the anti-Netanyahu camp, where many have had trouble taking Lapid seriously. Lapid, unlike Gantz, Gabbay and Herzog, is also prepared to follow Netanyahu into the mud.

11.08.2020 - 21:54 [ Times of Israel ]

Gantz: ‘If I emerge from partnership with Netanyahu a sucker, so be it’

(26.07.2020)

Gantz sat down for a lengthy and, at times, combative interview with Channel 12’s Dana Weiss, reacting in frustration at her suggestions that he was out of his depth and being outmaneuvered by Netanyahu at every turn. According to their coalition deal, Gantz is set to become PM in November 2021 as part of the power-sharing agreement between his party and Netanyahu’s, but Israel’s longest-serving premier is said to be seeking ways to avoid having to hand over the post, including by triggering new elections.

11.08.2020 - 21:40 [ i24news.tv ]

Netanyahu demanding changes to coalition deal to prevent elections: report

The Israeli premier reportedly wants immediate elections in case the High Court of Justice disqualifies him from serving as alternate prime minister, after his rotation with Gantz commences in November 2021, due to the indictments filed against him.

His second demand is to dissolve a public committee slated to appoint the state prosecutor and police commissioner and transfer the procedure to the government instead.

The report suggested that Gantz’s Blue and White party will find it „difficult“ to approve Netanyahu’s first request.

11.08.2020 - 21:36 [ Haaretz ]

Kahol Lavan Says Won’t Back Bill Preventing Netanyahu From Forming Future Government

The bill, brought forward by Kahol Lavan’s former political allies Yesh Atid, is aimed at preventing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from running for office in the next election. Netanyahu currently stands trial for suspected bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

10.08.2020 - 17:18 [ Haaretz ]

‚Election Would Mean Civil War‘: Netanyahu, Gantz Clash Over Budget as Deadline Nears

Gantz’s party said that if the bill was not fully passed on Tuesday, it would be pointless to consider other proposals in the future.

Likud does not plan to agree to the demand, viewing members’ backing of the bill in a preliminary vote is a gesture of goodwill and not having decided on their position.

10.08.2020 - 02:38 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu, Gantz Back Bill to Delay Budget Deadline, Potentially Staving Off Election

The bill will be brought to a preliminary vote by the Knesset on Wednesday. Gantz’s party and ultra-Orthodox Shas party announced they would vote in favor.

09.08.2020 - 17:55 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Caught Between Rock of Risky Election and Hard Place of Criminal Trial

Netanyahu’s original plan was to go through the motions of trying to set up a new coalition, declaring failure and setting a date for a fourth election. He was sidetracked by the sudden realization that Gantz could be coaxed into an illusory power-sharing agreement, thus precipitating the break-up of Netanyahu’s center-left opposition while delegitimizing his partner’s leadership role at the same time. Gantz was forewarned that Netanyahu was laying a trap for him, but decided, naively and disastrously, to walk straight into it.

29.07.2020 - 18:33 [ Times of Israel ]

Gantz: ‘If I emerge from partnership with Netanyahu a sucker, so be it’

(26.07.2020)

Gantz sat down for a lengthy and, at times, combative interview with Channel 12’s Dana Weiss, reacting in frustration at her suggestions that he was out of his depth and being outmaneuvered by Netanyahu at every turn. According to their coalition deal, Gantz is set to become PM in November 2021 as part of the power-sharing agreement between his party and Netanyahu’s, but Israel’s longest-serving premier is said to be seeking ways to avoid having to hand over the post, including by triggering new elections.

29.07.2020 - 18:29 [ Ynetnews.com ]

Gantz: Protests must not be silenced, attackers must face justice

Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday demanded the arrest of perpetrators of violent attacks on demonstrators calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

„They must be caught and brought to justice, the protest will not be silenced as long as we are here,“ he said.

16.07.2020 - 16:36 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Drafts Secret List of Hundreds of Officials Who May Stand Trial at International Court

Israel is drawing up a secret list of military and intelligence officials who might be subject to arrest abroad if the International Criminal Court in the Hague opens an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories.

Haaretz has learned that this list now includes between 200 and 300 officials, some of whom have not been informed.

08.07.2020 - 19:50 [ i24news.tv ]

Israel: Gantz quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19 patient

Israel’s Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, has entered quarantine after being exposed to a coronavirus carrier, Hebrew outlets reported Wednesday.

Gantz’s home will be equipped with the means necessary for him to fulfill his role, a defense ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

08.07.2020 - 19:46 [ Haaretz ]

Knesset Votes Down Probe of Judges as Gantz-Netanyahu Crisis Brew

The Knesset on Wednesday voted against forming a commission of inquiry that will probe conflicts of interest of Supreme Court justices.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party said it would back the initiative by far-right lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich of the Yamina faction to establish such a commission.

Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan party called the move „a declaration of war on democracy.

29.06.2020 - 20:34 [ Haaretz ]

After Gantz Pours Cold Water on Annexation, Netanyahu Says Issue Not Up to Him

„We are in contact with the American team here in Israel,“ Netanyahu said at a Likud meeting. „We are doing so discretely. The issue is not up to [Gantz’s party] Kahol Lavan. They are not a factor either way.“

Earlier on Monday, Gantz met with Trump’s special envoy Avi Berkowitz and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman to discuss the Trump administration’s peace plan.

28.06.2020 - 15:44 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Disappoints Time and Again

This isn’t how a political leader talks, and certainly not one who is interested in being an alternative to the inciter in the Prime Minister’s Office. Gantz’s contempt for the Palestinians demonstrates arrogance, pettiness and lack of understanding of the national conflict between the two peoples. If there’s any “deep shit” in which the Palestinians are drowning, it’s the 53-year-old occupation, a messianic project of o