The last speech of prime minister and minister of defense Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by right-wing Israeli radical on November 4th 1995 in Tel Aviv.
Archiv: the Israeli People
החשיבה ה“משימתית“ שמאפשרת השמדה של עם
העובדה שעולם הדימויים של השואה משמש הן כהצדקה להשמדת עזה והן כאמצעי התנגדות לה משקפת בין היתר את כפיפות הפלסטינים לשיח השואה, ואת הצורך שלהם להכניס את הטרגדיה שלהם לתבניות שלה כדי להישמע. הבנת המתחולל בעזה לא רק דרך הפריזמה של ג׳נוסייד אלא גם של הנכבה כמטרת על, המושגת על ידי השמדה מכוונת של בני אדם ומרחב החיים שלהם, מייצרת קוהרנטית רבה יותר. עם זאת, כיהודי-ישראלי, אל מול הזוועות בשנתיים האחרונות, אני לא יכול שלא לחשוב דרך השואה. השמדת עזה איפשרה לי להבין לא רק את היהודים, אלא גם את הגרמנים, את הרוב הדומם, את אלו שאיפשרו לזוועות לקרות במעשה או בשתיקה.
One target at a time: The logic that helped Israeli liberals commit genocide
Yet to see the past two years not only through the prism of genocide but also as a second Nakba — a sustained project of erasure aimed at destroying both a people and the space they inhabit — may bring us closer to grasping the nature of Israel’s actions. Whereas genocide is often understood as violence for its own sake, the Nakba represents violence with a purpose: the removal and replacement of a people.
And yet, as a Jewish-Israeli faced with the horrors of the past two years, I cannot help but think in Holocaust terms. The destruction of Gaza has enabled me to better understand not only the stories of the victims but also of the perpetrators — the silent majority who facilitated atrocities through their actions and the stories they tell themselves to justify it all.
MK Odeh to Submit Bill to Knesset to Recognize Palestinian State
“I welcome the decision of the UK, France, Australia, Canada and other countries to recognize a Palestinian state,” he wrote in X, adding that the Palestinian people are no better or worse than anyone else, but nevertheless deserve the right to self-determination. “On the first day of the winter session, I will place on the Knesset table a bill to recognize a Palestinian state. Because there are two people here, and the State of Israel must also recognize this simple fact.”
Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman told The Jerusalem Post that the recognition of a Palestinian state by “Western powers is an important step, but it is not enough, too little too late.” Touma-Sliman said that Palestinian state recognition “must be the beginning of a serious pressure campaign on Israel and its backers in the White House, including economic measures and arms embargoes.” “The world knows that the destruction of Gaza must end, and a Palestinian state must be established alongside Israel. It is time for action,” she said.
Israel is waging a holocaust in Gaza. Denazification is our only remedy
What Israel is doing in Gaza City is not the tragic byproduct of chaotic events on the ground, but a well-calculated act of annihilation, executed in cold blood by “the people’s army” — that is, the fathers, sons, brothers, and neighbors of us Israelis.
How is it that, despite the mounting testimonies from Gaza’s concentration and extermination camps, no mass refusal movement has taken root in Israel? That after two years of this carnage barely a handful of conscientious objectors sit in prison is truly inconceivable. Even the so-called “gray refusers” — reserve soldiers who do not oppose the war on ideological grounds but are simply exhausted and questioning its purpose — remain far too few to slow the killing machine, let alone bring it to a halt.
Who are these obedient souls who keep this system running? How can a society so deeply fractured — between the religious and the secular, settlers and liberals, kibbutzniks and urbanites, veteran immigrants and new arrivals — unite only in its willingness to slaughter Palestinians without a moment’s hesitation?
How Israelis turned atrocity denial into an art
(August 22, 2025)
Meanwhile, the reprehensible refusal by the vast majority of the Israeli media to show what is actually happening in Gaza means that when images do manage to slip through, the public response is often little more than a collective shrug of dismissal. Yet almost every time, that shrug is accompanied by “they deserved it,” as denial and justification intertwine in what may seem like a paradox but actually reflects two sides of the same coin.
Poll: 62% of Israelis believe government has lost public’s confidence, majority back some form of hostage deal
Only 27% respondents answer that the government has the confidence of the majority of the population, and 11% answer that they didn’t know.
Measuring support for a hostage deal, the survey finds that 26% of respondents believe that the government needs to sign a deal immediately, even if it only brings back some of the hostages, due to their deteriorating state in captivity.
Forty-six percent answer that the government should sign a comprehensive deal that ends the war in Gaza, while 18% oppose a deal, believing that the military should continue fighting Hamas even at the risk to the lives of the hostages.
Yitzhak Rabin – The Last Speech (English Subtitles)
The last speech of prime minister and minister of defense Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by right-wing Israeli radical on November 4th 1995 in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu surges in first poll after Iran war, Bennett‘s bloc remains ahead, election poll finds
A majority of 52% of the public supports a ceasefire with Iran, including 66% of opposition voters and 34% of coalition voters. On the other hand, 33% oppose the ceasefire (almost half of coalition voters), and 15% have no opinion.
The public is even more decisive on the issue of ending the war in Gaza and signing a deal for the release of hostages: 67% support the deal, including 90% of opposition voters and 67% of undecided voters. However, most coalition voters (54%) oppose the deal.
Israel’s greatest threat isn’t Iran or Hamas, but its own hubris
We Israelis must understand — we are not immune. A people whose entire existence depends solely on military might is destined to end up in the darkest corners of destruction, and ultimately, in defeat. If we haven’t learned this most basic lesson from the past two years, let alone the past eighty, then we are truly lost. Not because of Iran’s nuclear program or Palestinian resistance, but because of the blind, arrogant hubris that has taken hold of an entire nation.
For more Israelis, calling out war crimes is no longer taboo
Recognition of the army’s atrocities in Gaza has moved into mainstream Israeli discourse. This alone cannot end the war — but it‘s a profound shift.
The Israeli army is facing its biggest refusal crisis in decades
(April 11, 2025)
Over 100,000 Israelis have reportedly stopped showing up for reserve duty. While their reasons differ, the scale demonstrates the war’s waning legitimacy.
Is Qatargate a scandal too far even for Benjamin Netanyahu?
The Israeli PM will have to call on his talent for self-preservation in the face of questions about how a foreign power viewed as an enemy was able to infiltrate the highest levels of his government
Faced with impeachment, far-left lawmaker slams attempts to silence him
(February 23, 2025)
And by the way, that [in no way] means that there is any justification for the war crimes and crimes against humanity of October 7 whatsoever. Not even the ongoing occupation and persecution and oppression of the Palestinian people. What happened on October 7 must be rejected 100%.
The second thing is that the Palestinian people didn’t launch a war against Israel. Those who are guilty of the crimes of October 7 are Hamas and some other elements of course. That’s not the Palestinian people. The Israelis, in general, are innocents, and the Palestinians, in general are innocents. There are those who are guilty of war crimes here and there and everywhere. In my view, [they] should be caught and brought to justice in The Hague.
The Times of Israel: Does that include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant?
Ofer Cassif: Yes.
MK Cassif: There’s a Fascist Atmosphere in Israel
(February 24, 2025)
“There are attempts to silence us and to pursue and to create an atmosphere of chilling effect to terrorize us. There are attempts, again, to silence us, to prevent us from raising our political voice. We were not elected to represent those who disagree with us. It’s our right and obligation to represent as firmly as possible our values for which we were elected. Since October 7, people have been arrested because of tweets [in which] they simply expressed sympathy for the children of Gaza, not for Hamas, perish the thought…There’s a fascist atmosphere,” Cassif said to The Times of Israel. Above excerpts from the interview.
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS ACCREDITED TO THE HOLY SEE
A diplomacy of hope is also a diplomacy of forgiveness, capable, at a time full of open or latent conflicts, of mending relationships torn by hatred and violence, and thus caring for the broken hearts of their all too numerous victims. My wish for the year 2025 is that the entire international community will work above all to end the conflict that, for almost three years now, has caused so much bloodshed in war-torn Ukraine and has taken an enormous toll of lives, including those of many civilians. Some encouraging signs have appeared on the horizon, but much work must still be done to create the conditions for a just and lasting peace and to heal the wounds inflicted by the aggression.
Similarly, I renew my appeal for a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, where there is a very serious and shameful humanitarian situation, and I ask that the Palestinian population receive all the aid it needs. My prayerful hope is that Israelis and Palestinians can rebuild the bridges of dialogue and mutual trust, starting with the smallest, so that future generations can live side by side in the two States, in peace and security, and that Jerusalem can be the “city of encounter”, where Christians, Jews and Muslims live together in harmony and respect. Just last June, in the Vatican gardens, we joined in commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Invocation for Peace in the Holy Land that, on 8 June 2014, saw the presence of the then President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, and the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, along with Patriarch Bartholomew I. That meeting bore witness to the fact that dialogue is always possible and that we cannot give in to the idea that enmity and hatred between peoples will have the upper hand.
At the same time, it must also be pointed out that war is fuelled by the continued proliferation of ever more sophisticated and destructive weapons. This morning, I reiterate my appeal that “with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favour development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory solutions, or have to leave their countries in order to seek a more dignified life”. [3]
War is always a failure! The involvement of civilians, especially children, and the destruction of infrastructures is not only a disaster, but essentially means that between the two sides only evil emerges the winner. We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians or the attacking of infrastructures necessary for their survival. We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit.
The entire international community seems to agree on the need to respect international humanitarian law, yet its failure to implement that law fully and concretely raises questions. If we have forgotten what lies at the very foundation of our existence, the sacredness of life, the principles that move the world, how can we think that this right is effectively respected? We need to recover these values and to embody them in precepts of the public conscience, so that the principle of humanity will truly be the basis of our activity. I trust, then, that this Jubilee year will be a favourable moment in which the international community will take active steps to ensure that inviolable human rights are not sacrificed to military needs.
Poll: 68% of Israelis Dissatisfied with Netanyahu’s Far-Right Govt
(December 29, 2024)
A Channel 12 poll published on Friday, December 27, and held ahead of the far-right government’s two-year anniversary on Sunday finds that 68 percent of the public disapprove of its performance, as opposed to just 26% who approve and six percent who say they didn’t know.
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In addition, according to this week’s Maariv poll if new Knesset elections were held today the opposition earned 72 seats, including six for Hadash-Ta’al. Survey respondents were asked for whom they would vote said Netanyahu’s Likud and the rest of the ruling coalition far-right parties emerged with a combined 48 seats, one fewer than last week. The coalition has 64 seats and therefore needs at least 13 more seats to form a government.
Knesset Votes to Extend State of Emergency, Poll: Majority Support Ending War
(December 24, 2024)
According to a poll published by Maariv on Friday, a substantial 74% of the public says Israel should pursue a comprehensive deal to secure the return of all hostages, even if it requires halting the fighting in Gaza. Among opposition voters, support reaches 84%, while 57% of coalition voters agree. In contrast, only 16% favor a partial deal, and 10% remain undecided.
In addition, text messages published Thursday purport to show that Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Netanyahu, was instrumental in efforts to combat those perceived as enemies of the family, going so far as to instruct her husband’s secretary to send activists of his Likud party to hurl obscenities at their neighbors, the parents of a fallen military pilot, who were active in demonstrations against the premier.
The correspondence of Benjamin Netanyahu’s late aide Hanni Bleiweiss, published by Channel 12 investigative program “Uvda” (facts), indicated that the premier’s wife and son were active in efforts to dig up dirt on his political rivals; intimidate key actors in his corruption trial; and sic law enforcement on protesters against him, while seeking the promotion of police officers who complied with the request.
Netanyahu throws cold water on hostage deal prospects, and reminds us what a curse he is for Israel
(December 23, 2024)
From the beginning it was clear that the only feasible post-Hamas arrangement would be a return of the Palestinian Authority, which now runs the West Bank autonomy zones, back to Gaza, from which Hamas expelled it in 2007 by force. Israel itself once yearned for this, back when rational people governed the country. The proposals pushed by President Joe Biden for more than a year now envision versions of this, with the PA rejuvenated and assisted by Arab and perhaps other forces.
An Israel that wanted this would have ensured that Hamas is out of the way, publicly and persistently offering its remaining troops exile. Arab pressure on the group would have been overpowering. Israel would possibly get peace with Saudi Arabia as part of the bargain.
Instead, Netanyahu’s goons flooded the airwaves arguing that Israel cannot pull out of Gaza and end the war because Hamas would regain power.
One year after Oct. 7 attacks, Netanyahu is on a winning streak
He now has the political capital for negotiations that could set the country‘s next budget and allow him to continue to call the shots for at least another year in the multi-front regional war Israel is fighting.
„He feels he is winning,“ one of Netanyahu‘s aides told Axios.
The six-time prime minister will outlast President Biden, who has largely failed in his attempts to contain the conflict in the Middle East and rein in Netanyahu.
Netanyahu seeks continuous war as Israeli centre left favours state power
Even more surprising is the Israeli public’s near-total embrace over the last three weeks of Netanyahu’s declared desire to prosecute a war for “total victory”. Prior to this, hundreds of thousands of people were out on the streets, demanding a “deal now” and accusing the prime minister of prolonging the war for his own ends.
Now, it seems the majority of Israel’s Jewish public, from Ben Gvir supporters to fans of the centre-left Zionist Yair Golan, wants a never-ending war. Even the first casualties from the ground invasion of Lebanon are not shifting this support – at least so far.
New Israeli poll shows Netanyahu‘s party advancing
Netanyahu‘s right-wing coalition with a clutch of nationalist-religious and ultra-Orthodox parties would lose any election held now, with 53 seats in the 120-seat parliament, against 58 for the main opposition bloc, according to the poll.
WATCH: Fmr. Saudi official: There are no heroes in Israel-Hamas war, only victims
(October 20, 2023)
Former head of Saudi Arabia‘s General Intelligence Presidency and former Saudi ambassador to the US Turki al-Faisal condemned both Hamas and Israel in a speech on Tuesday, saying Hamas committed acts forbidden by Islam and Israel was ‚indiscriminately‘ bombing civilians in Gaza.
„There are no heroes in this conflict, only victims,“ said Faisal in a speech at a conference hosted by Rice University‘s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
We’re Beginning to Learn How the War on Terror Shaped a Generation
(Devember 21, 2023)
That might have been why, when President Biden and Israeli officials said that Oct. 7 was Israel’s Sept. 11, intending the comparison as a rallying cry for self-defense, their words seemed to many instead a cruel provocation of trauma. Were they kidding? The response to Sept. 11 was catastrophic for the Arab and Muslim world and, eventually, terrible for the United States. A similar response to Oct. 7 would be terrible for the Israeli people, and a total reinvention of hell for the Palestinians. We know this because we are Americans. In the Israelis, we saw our own leaders: shocked victims for a day, destroyers of worlds every day thereafter.
Tumultuous weekend for Israelis leaves Netanyahu with fewer options than ever
Unlike Palestinians in Gaza, Israelis can rise up to challenge their leadership. Late-night skirmishes between protesters and the authorities Sunday on Tel Aviv’s usually hyper-busy eight-lane Ayalon Highway were a manifestation of that.
As flames and dense smoke engulfed wooden pallets and tires on the roads, I watched a young man, blue paint spray in hand, scrawl his message to the prime minister in foot-high letters on the roadside wall: “Hostages or revolt.”
Masses around Israel demand Gaza deal as nation recoils from murder of 6 hostages
Labor federation chief Arnon Bar-David says hostage release stuck due to ‘political considerations,’ most of labor market will strike as of 6 a.m. Monday
Protest In Tel Aviv Live | Israelis Protest In Tel Aviv City After Hostages Dead | Israel Hamas War
Protesters gather in Tel Aviv after Israel‘s army announced it recovered the bodies of 6 hostages in Gaza.
Israelis protest against Netanyahu after 6 hostages found dead in Gaza
Israel on Sunday said it had recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza. Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages protested Sunday outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office in Jerusalem. Eylon Keshet, a family member of a Hamas-held hostage, says ‘it’s been a nightmare every day,’ adding that Netanyahu ‘should be held responsible’ and Hamas should be pressured into a ceasefire.
Israelis erupt in protest to demand a cease-fire after 6 more hostages die in Gaza
Grieving and angry Israelis surged into the streets Sunday night after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza, chanting “Now! Now!” as they demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a cease-fire with Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.
Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, pressured the government by calling a general strike for Monday, the first since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that started the war.
‘Israelis are frustrated, but do they want to stop the war? Not exactly’
But now Netanyahu’s support is starting to bounce back, right?
Yes, we’re seeing trust in the government recover pretty consistently across all surveys — starting in April [when Israel assassinated an Iranian Quds Force commander in Damascus, and Iran responded with a missile attack]. A series of polls in recent weeks have shown that Likud would win the most votes if elections were held today, and Netanyahu himself is once again coming out on top in head-to-head surveys against opposition leader Benny Gantz. He’s not in a stellar position, but he is more or less where he was before the war.
This recovery is linked to the new threats from Iran and Hezbollah following Israel’s assassinations in Beirut and Tehran.
Israeli society’s dehumanization of Palestinians is now absolute
(August 23, 2024)
In the past, Israel’s moral debate about its military actions may have been narrow and hypocritical, but at least it existed. Not this time.
Shin Bet chief warns prime minister in July 2023 that war is incoming
The Prime Minister‘s Office denied these allegations, saying: „Prime Minister Netanyahu did not receive a warning about the war in Gaza not on the date in question not before October 7. On the contrary, all security officials made it clear that Hamas is deterred and strives to reach an agreement. Also, a few days before October 7, the Shin Bet assessed that Gaza‘s stability is expected to be maintained for a long time.“
The Shin Bet did not comment on the Prime Minister Office‘s response.
Israel, opposition leader accuses Netanyahu: He knew about the threat of October 7 and did nothing
In the weeks that followed, Lapid continued, he viewed classified intelligence provided to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that indicated that deterrence had indeed eroded. He also viewed highly classified material made available to him as a former prime minister. On September 18, 2023, there was “a further warning. For me, what was written there was unmistakable: Israel’s deterrence has eroded dramatically; our enemies think they have a rare opportunity to harm us,” Lapid said.