The far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, said on Saturday it would follow through on its threat to leave the government, with members handing in resignations Sunday morning in protest of Israel’s acceptance of a hostage-ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
Archiv: New National Camp / Tkuma (National Union / HaIchud HaLeumi) / Noam (Lazuz) / Religious Zionist Party
Cabinet members call to resettle Gaza, encourage Gazans to leave, at jubilant conference
(29.01.2024)
Speaking amid a carnival-like atmosphere at the Jerusalem International Convention Center, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party, extolled the virtues of creating new settlements, declaring: “God willing, we will settle and we will be victorious.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the extreme-right Otzma Yehudit party, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not present, and the audience that it was “time to return home to Gush Katif” — the name of the Israeli settlement bloc in Gaza that was evacuated in the 2005 Disengagement.
No-confidence motion against Netanyahu fails in Knesset, with only 18 votes in favor
With the government’s popularity plummeting, a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nevertheless garnered only 18 votes in the Knesset on Monday evening, falling far short of the necessary majority to pass in the 120-strong Knesset plenum.
The vote was boycotted by the coalition, whose heads stated earlier in the day that they would “not take part in political theater during wartime.”
Cabinet approves deal for release of 50 hostages in exchange for multi-day ceasefire
In exchange, Israel has agreed to a ceasefire for at least four days for the first time since the outbreak of the war.
Obviously we won’t know until more details come out but since the unity government is with Benny Gantz and not Yair Lapid that means that Ben Gvir and Smotrich will remain in government. That’s horrible for a host of reasons
It‘s not clear to me who is and isn‘t in it. Not Lapid (yet), Liberman, nor Michaeli, but Ben Gvir and Smuthrich? What kind of ‚unity‘ is that? We are used to Gantz immediately taking action. As soon as he can move up a step, he forgets principles and agreements.
Israeli Activist Detained for Placing Art Installation Near Far-right Party Headquarters
The organizations involved include Standing Together, Peace Now, Breaking the Silence, and Combatants for Peace. The activists also placed stickers reading, „Caution! Terror supporters and architects of the [judicial] coup work in this building.“
Speaking to Haaretz, the activist who was detained – Nadav Weiman – said that a day before he was brought in for questioning, a person who took over his apartment lease in Tel Aviv called him and told him that three police officers knocked on his door looking for him. According to Weiman, police called him and asked him to come in for questioning only after they didn‘t find him in his apartment.
Netanyahu‘s Mafioso Ministers Gave Israelis a Foretaste of Tyranny
When cabinet ministers, under the leadership and guidance of the prime minister and justice minister, two human demons who have taken over the state, insult and denounce the High Court of Justice merely for hearing petitions (which it could end up rejecting), Israel can no longer be seen as a democratic, liberal state. Nor is it Jewish, because what Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir and Eliyahu and Strock represent is not Judaism. It is messianism, racism and degradation.
Smotrich in Tel Aviv: ‚Overhaul protesters, way you feel now is how we felt in Oslo‘
Speaking to a crowd of pro-judicial overhaul demonstrators in Tel Aviv, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: „Those against the reform, I understand how you‘re feeling, this is how we felt during Oslo,“ referencing how right-wing Israelis felt during the Oslo peace process led by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin during the 90s.
In Israel, Growing Fascism and a Racism Akin to Early Nazism
(Jan 19, 201)
The left is no longer capable of overcoming the toxic ultra-nationalism that has evolved here, the kind whose European strain almost wiped out a majority of the Jewish people. The interviews Haaretz’s Ravit Hecht held with Smotrich and Zohar (December 3, 2016 and October 28, 2017) should be widely disseminated on all media outlets in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. In both of them we see not just a growing Israeli fascism but racism akin to Nazism in its early stages.
Like every ideology, the Nazi race theory developed over the years.
They Incited Rabin‘s Murder. Now They‘re Murdering Israel‘s Democracy
Following Rabin’s murder, the public turned against Netanyahu. Many believed his political career was over. But he was soon brought to power amid a wave of terror by Hamas and a slick campaign capitalizing on the public‘s fears.
And that original assault against democracy, secular law and territorial compromise that launched both Netanyahu’s career and the ascent of the religious right, is today continuing its illiberal advance via a legal hijacking.
„Reasonableness Standard“: Knesset Panel Greenlights Bill Key to Israel‘s Judicial Coup
Religious Zionism lawmaker Simcha Rothman, chair of the committee and a key architect of the judicial overhaul, said he intends to advance the motion which seeks to reduce the courts’ ability to overturn government decisions it deems illegal, on Tuesday afternoon, setting it up for a vote in the Knesset itself next week.
Protest at the Knesset as Netanyahu government passes a budget granting exorbitant allocations to West Bank settlements and to the ultra-Orthodox communities
Thousands of Israelis Protesting Outside Knesset Ahead of Crucial State Budget Vote
The demonstrators are protesting the government’s proposed state budget that is slated to send billions of shekels to the ultra-Orthodox communities. Protest organizers said in a statement that this “isn’t a state budget [that’s being put up for a vote], but rather raiding the public coffers that will destroy Israel’s economy for generations to come.”
20th Week of Protests – ‚Robbing Our Children of Their Futures, With Our Money‘: Israelis Protest Controversial Budget, Judicial Overhaul
he Knesset is slated to devote several days next week to debating and passing the budget.
Despite the tension, leaders of all the coalition parties expect the budget to pass next week and say the government is at no real risk of falling. “In the long run, things can’t work this way, but at least for now, the budget will pass,” one minister said. “There’s no immediate threat to the government.”
Israel Moves Forward With Far-Right Plan for National Guard
(02.04.2023)
The form and leadership of the national guard were yet to be determined and will take months to be fleshed out by a committee of government officials, who will then present their proposal for the cabinet’s approval.
Regardless of the form the guard ultimately takes, the government’s decision on Sunday reflected the influence that figures like Mr. Ben-Gvir, a once-marginal activist, wield within the most right-wing government in Israeli history.
Ministers approve Ben Gvir-led national guard, major budget cuts to fund it
After a heated discussion at their weekly cabinet meeting, ministers voted Sunday in favor of forming a national guard under the command of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, along with a major budget cut across all ministries to fund it.
The controversial force is expected to comprise 2,000 servicemembers who will report directly to the far-right minister and will be tasked with tackling “nationalist crime” and terrorism, and “restoring governance where needed.”
Thousands Rally Against Forming Fascist Ben Gvir-led National Guard
(31.03.2023)
Addressing the protest, the head of the Hadash-Ta’al parliamentary faction likened the National Guard to “the brown shirts” of the Nazi paramilitary, “or the yellow shirts,” MK Ayman Odeh said in reference to the color included in the logo of several Israeli nationalist groups, including the Jewish supremacist Kach movement that Ben Gvir was active in as a teen. Kach was founded by the late extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, who Ben Gvir and other members of his Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party have described themselves as disciples of. “We won’t allow you to form fascist militias in the service of Kahanism,” Odeh said at the protest.
Israel‘s AG, Police and Shin Bet Chiefs Oppose Establishing National Guard Under Ben-Gvir
Ben-Gvir‘s proposal to establish a national guard will be discussed Sunday during the weekly cabinet meeting.
Israel‘s Opposition Overtakes Netanyahu Bloc to Reach Majority, Polls Show
According to the polls, conducted by Channel 12 and public broadcaster Kan, if an election were held today, the parties that make up the current ruling coalition – Netanyahu’s Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Shas and United Torah Judaism – would amass a total of just 54 seats, seven short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The opposition, made up of National Unity, Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, Ra’am and Labor, is projected to win 61 seats. Hadash-Ta’al would garner the remaining five seats.
Israel‘s Night of Chaos: Growing Calls Inside Netanyahu‘s Coalition to Delay Judicial Overhaul After Defense Minister‘s Sacking, Massive Protests
Netanyahu ally and chairman of ultra-Orthodox party Shas, Arye Dery, reportedly expressed support for halting the process, as did ministers Ron Dermer and Yoav Kish of Likud who spoke to Netanyahu on the subject, according to a source in the party.
Meanwhile, United Torah Judaism party‘s Degel Hatorah faction expressed support for the „prime minister and his decisions,“ while far-right coalition party Otzma Yehudit called on Netanyahu not to stop the legislation.
BREAKING: 13 Jewish IfNotNow activists were just attacked by security at the Israel Bonds Conference as they prayed Maariv to protest the visit by genocidal Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for a Palestinian town to be wiped out.
Israel‘s Smotrich met by hundreds of protesters in Washington, DC
Protesters descended on the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC, where Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was giving a speech to an Israel Bonds convention on Sunday.
U.S. says Israeli minister‘s call to wipe out Palestinian town is „disgusting“
What to watch: Smotrich is expected to visit the U.S. the second week of March for a meeting of the Israel Bonds organization.
Israeli officials said he hasn‘t asked for any meetings with the Biden administration.
Two U.S. officials told Axios that even if he asked for meetings with Biden officials, he likely wouldn‘t get them.
US condemns Israel far right minister’s call for Palestinian town ‘to be erased’
Price issued a strong condemnation from the US State Department podium Wednesday, saying, “I want to be very clear about this. These comments were irresponsible. They were repugnant. They were disgusting.”
“And just as we condemn Palestinian incitement to violence, we condemn these provocative remarks that also amount to incitement to violence,” he said at a State Department briefing.
Price also called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “and other senior Israeli officials to publicly and clearly reject and disavow these comments.”
Following Sunday‘s deadly settler riot in the West Bank village, MK Zvika Fogel (from Ben-Gvir‘s Otzma Yehudit party), said he „looks favorably on the results“
Palestinian ‚Village of Hawara Needs to Be Wiped Out‘: Israel‘s Far-right Finance Minister Justifies ‚Disproportionate‘ Response to Terrorism
Israel’s Finance Minister called for the destruction of a West Bank Palestinian village on Wednesday, days after it was attacked by a mob of settlers who torched dozens of homes and reportedly killed one resident.
“The village of Hawara needs to be wiped out. I think that the State of Israel needs to do that [and] not, God forbid, private individuals,” said Bezalel Smotrich, when asked why he had “liked” a tweet by deputy Samaria Regional Council head Davidi Ben Zion calling for Hawara to be “wiped out today.”
Ex-police chief says he recommends seeking plea deal in Netanyahu corruption trial
Roni Alsheich – who led police investigation into former premier – suggests AG seek plea bargain as ‘our democracy is not yet ready to prosecute a sitting PM’
Israeli Far Right‘s Plan to Oversee Police Clears First Hurdle in Knesset
According to Itamar Ben-Gvir, „the correction to the law that we brought is a blessing for democracy. Only in police states does the police commissioner work on his own.“ He also accused the opposition of never having been democratic. „You are dark people, non-liberals who do not correspond with the democratic system of government,“ he added.
American Jews Wonder: Is It Time to Declare Independence From Israel?
The painful truth for American Jews is that while they have tended to worship Israeli Jews, their “cousins” have, historically, returned this feeling with a combination of amusement and contempt.
The Ideal of Democracy in a Jewish State Is in Jeopardy
Mr. Netanyahu’s government, however, is a significant threat to the future of Israel — its direction, its security and even the idea of a Jewish homeland. For one, the government’s posture could make it militarily and politically impossible for a two-state solution to ever emerge. Rather than accept this outcome, the Biden administration should do everything it can to express its support for a society governed by equal rights and the rule of law in Israel, as it does in countries all over the world. That would be an act of friendship, consistent with the deep bond between the two nations.
This is an excellent conversation with our friends @ShibleyTelhami & @ChrisVanHollen. Thank you, Sen Van Hollen, for calling out Ben-Gvir and Smotrich‘s extremism and bigotry and highlighting the important work being done by progressive groups in Israel and the US to oppose them.
Netanyahu’s Lust for Power Revealed in All Its Sickening Glory
To paraphrase Ben-Gurion: Every Hebrew mother should know that she has placed her children’s fate in the hands of a prime minister, other politicians and a school system that are unworthy of it. If there was ever a justification for a civil rebellion (not violent, but also not so polite and photogenic as the social protests of the summer of 2011), here it is – in all its sickening glory.
Koalitionsverhandlungen: Wird Israels Rechtsstaat ausgehöhlt?
Verhandelt wird nun, ob die Knesset künftig die Möglichkeit erhält, sich über solche Entscheidungen in einer erneuten Abstimmung hinwegsetzen zu können. Dann könnte das Parlament Gesetze beschließen, die den grundlegenden Gesetzen Israels widersprechen.
Israel: Netanjahu kurz vor neuer Koalitionsbildung
Parteichef Besalel Smotrich nannte die Vereinbarung einen „historischen Schritt“ in Richtung einer Regierung, die das „Siedlungsvorhaben regeln und entwickeln“ werde. Netanjahu sprach von einer „rechtsnationalen Regierung, die sich um alle Israelis kümmern“ werde.
Bad Blood: Netanyahu, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir All Spin Terror for Gains
The echoes of the explosions of the coordinated attacks in Jerusalem were still ringing, and the area had not yet been cleaned of the blood and broken glass. Politicians, seeing the promised land of power before their eyes, pounced on the opportunity they were given. Otzma Yehudit urged Likud members to stop with this “nonsense” of negotiating over forming a coalition (meaning: yield to all their demands). Religious Zionism repeated their demand that Benjamin Netanyahu convene the heads of all the relevant parties in a closed room and wrap things up. Needless to say, for the sake of security.
Will a parliamentary override clause for Supreme Court rulings balance power or harm democracy?
Israel’s right-wing majority considers the Supreme Court‘s authority “overreaching” – and the expected incoming coalition plans to pass legislation known as the “override clause” giving parliament the power to reverse rulings from the high court.
‚Override Law‘ would be ‘fatal blow’ to Israel’s democracy, legal experts warn
Members of the likely upcoming coalition government under Benjamin Netanyahu are said to be in favor of a proposal that would enable a 61-Knesset-member majority to overrule the Supreme Court and cancel its decisions. Netanyahu, who was initially reluctant to include the controversial override clause in coalition negotiations, agreed to do so following pressure from his allies in the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Religious Zionist parties.
Israel‘s Religious and Far-right Parties Demand Law to Legitimize Gender Segregation
In exchange for joining the coalition, the far-right Religious Zionism and United Torah Judaism parties have demanded legislation that gender separation at public events will not be considered discrimination. Likud has not yet decided whether to grant the demand.
Top Ben Gvir Aide: Legal Adviser for Group that Donates to Rabin Assassin and Jewish Terrorists
Chanamel Dorfman, the adviser who racist Otzma Yehudit chairman MK Itamar Ben Gvir (Religious Zionism) has described as his “right-hand man” helped establish an organization that donates money to incarcerated Jewish terrorists and extremists, among them prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin Yigal Amir, Channel 13 revealed Thursday.
Islamist Ra’am Will ‘Leave Door Open to Dialogue’ With Incoming Far-right Coalition
(15.11.2022)
The Islamist Ra’am party stressed on Sunday that although it sits in the opposition, it will not necessarily vote in line with the bloc that opposes incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and will keep the channels of communications open with the next far-right and racist coalition, specifically when it comes to matters that concern Arab-Palestinian communities in Israel.
As the election fog clears, Netanyahu poised to ride a hungry, far-right tiger
Conflicting priorities to maximize the performance of their own anchor slates and also strengthen the market shares of their allied factions—with which they would aspire to craft ruling coalitions—were the source of schizophrenic messaging by Likud and Yesh Atid, which left voters to choose in whom to place their trust. Those decisions shaped the current playing field.
Kahanism Won. Israel Is Now Closing in on a Right-wing, Religious, Authoritarian Revolution
In recent years, Israel has become terrifyingly more extreme. Everything we were warned about is happening right before our eyes.
Wahl in Israel: Netanyahu kann Vorsprung ausbauen
In der Zeitung „Jediot Ahronot“ schrieb die Kolumnistin Sima Kadmon vor der Wahl: „Falls Netanyahu triumphiert, werden dies die letzten Tage des Staates Israel sein, wie wir ihn seit 75 Jahren kennen.“ Seine Kritiker sehen im Ex-Regierungschef eine Gefahr für die Demokratie. Würde er wieder Ministerpräsident werden, könnte das seine Chancen erheblich verbessern, eine Verurteilung oder eine Haftstrafe in den Korruptionsprozessen gegen ihn abzuwenden.
Wahl in Israel: Netanyahus Bündnis laut Prognosen vorn
Israel hat gewählt – zum fünften Mal binnen dreieinhalb Jahren. Erste Prognosen sehen das Bündnis von Oppositionsführer und Ex-Premierminister Netanyahu knapp vorn. Er will eine nationalkonservative Koalition schmieden.
Israel Election Exit Polls: Netanyahu Secures Razor-thin Majority, Shock Triumph for Far Right
According to Kan 11 public television, the exit polls show:
– Likud: 30 seats
– Yesh Atid: 22 seats
– Religious Zionism: 15 seats
– National Unity Party: 13 seats
– Shas: 10 seats
– United Torah Judaism: 7 seats
– Labor: 5 seats
– Yisrael Beitenu: 5 seats
– The United Arab List: 5 seats
– Meretz: 4 seats
– Hadash-Ta‘al: 4 seats
– Habayit Hayehudi: Under electoral threshold
– Balad: Under electoral threshold
Knesset-Wahl: Israel vor weiterem Rechtsruck
In Israel wird eine neue Knesset gewählt. Noch bevor die Wahlurnen ausgezählt sind, steht ein Gewinner bereits fest: Benjamin „Bibi“ Netanjahu.
Gewinner zunächst einmal deshalb, weil er schlicht noch da ist. Alle Skandale, alle Prozesse, bei denen er sich vor Gericht verantworten muss und auch nicht seine Ablösung als Ministerpräsident vor einem Jahr haben zu seinem politischen Ende geführt.
Will Israel Fall to the Far Right Without a Whimper?
In his desperation to vacuum up every last vote on the right, to establish a government pliant enough to interfere with, if not quash, his criminal trial, Netanyahu engineered a political path to bring the far right in from the cold. He has diligently mentored their fortunes, even hosting Ben-Gvir at his home in Caesarea.
Israel election: A far-right politician moves closer to power
For decades, Ben Gvir was a political untouchable. His roots in the overtly racist Kach party — founded by a radical American rabbi, Meir Kahane, and banned by Israel — put him beyond the fringe of even the most right-wing parties. That changed last year when then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had lost his governing coalition and was desperate for a few more parliamentary votes, invited Ben Gvir into his alliance.
Netanyahu downplayed his maneuver, largely dismissing Ben Gvir as a backbencher who wouldn’t play a major role in government.
What a difference a year makes.
Israel: Former army chief says Ben Gvir could spark ‘civil war’
Ben Gvir – leader of the Religious Zionism party and who the Israeli army refused to draft due to his extremist activities and views – is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Polls have credited his bloc with up to 14 seats in Israel’s parliament, which would make it the third-largest faction.
Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu recently said that if he were to regain his position as the Israeli premier, Ben Gvir would be a minister in his government.
9 Days to Election – KnessetJeremy Polling Average: Likud 31.6, Yesh Atid 24.3, Smotrich 13.4, Gantz 11.6, Shas 8.1, UTJ 7; Blocs Deadlocked
(October 23, 2022)
Smotrich made the most significant gain with a 0.6 jump. Liberman’s Yisrael Beitenu went up for the second straight week, this time by 0.3.
Likud dropped for the second consecutive week, this time by 0.5. Gantz also went down this week, this time by 0.3. Lapid’s Yesh Atid also lost 0.1.
Overall, we remain stuck at a 60-60 deadlock between the two blocs.
There Is a Place for Ben-Gvir in Netanyahu‘s Cabinet, Former PM Says
The extreme-right MK Itamar Ben-Gvir would be a minister in a government formed by opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister said on Sunday evening.
When asked in a Channel 14 interview whether the Religious Zionism party member has a place in the cabinet if the right-wing-religious bloc receives 61 Knesset seats, Netanyahu responded „Yes, certainly.“
Israeli elections are in 10 days and the apathy and fatigue are palpable, despite how high the stakes are – with the potential return of Netanyahu still on trial, the entry of the far right Zionist faction and the possible exclusion of a few Arab parties due to low voter turnout.
(22.10.2022)
Legalizing Corruption
The reform that Bezalel Smotrich is proposing validates public corruption on a grand scale. It is intended as a come-on for Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters on the eve of the election, people who understand well that in contrast to the feigned denial of Smotrich, annulling the offense will necessarily lead to the cancelation of the bulk of the indictment against Netanyahu. This is another reminder of what is at stake in the forthcoming election.
Two Weeks to Election Day, Netanyahu’s Right-wing Allies Are Going Rogue
The last thing Benjamin Netanyahu wants is for voters to start focusing on his political partners in Religious Zionism and the Haredi parties, but they’re acting as if they’ve already won the November 1 election
Pro-Israel Democrat Warns Netanyahu: Far-right Coalition Will Damage U.S. Ties
Democratic Senator Robert Menendez raised ‚serious concerns‘ about the possibility of Netanyahu establishing a coalition with far-right Religious Zionism after the next Israeli election, according to a report from news site Walla
Racist ‘Citizenship Law’ Advances, Months after Ban on Palestinian Spouses Lapsed
The bill was rejected by the Knesset plenum six months ago, and since then, Shaked has struggled to obtain a majority. Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) said he was determined to prevent its passage. “We toppled the Citizenship Law, because we oppose racist, anti-democratic legislation”, Odeh said. “We will do everything we can to topple it again.” According to Hadash MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), “This Israeli law is racist, collective, pre-emptive punishment. It can neither be justified, nor redeemed.” The Joint List also oppose Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s bill on drafting yeshiva students. All parties in the coalition support the bill, including Islamist Ra’am (United Arab List).
Controversial right-wing citizenship bill advanced by ministers
The controversial bill would tighten immigration controls and make it harder for Palestinians who marry Israeli Arabs to receive citizenship. The passage of a bill backed by right-wing parties and opposed by Meretz and Ra’am (United Arab List) was seen as a first step toward the formation of a right-wing government if opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu accepts a plea agreement.
Lapid: The Ideological Descendants of Rabin’s Assassin Are Sitting in the Knesset Today
(18.10.2021)
Speaking earlier at the official ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem commemorating the 26th anniversary of the assassination, Bennett said at the official ceremony in Jerusalem‘s Mount Herzl that an entire Israeli generation is suffering from PTSD, whose lives were shaken and molded by the assassination in 1995.
Seventeen Palestinian Protesters Arrested as Thousands Attend Jerusalem Right-wing March
Thousands of people took part in the controversial right-wing Flag March in Jerusalem on Tuesday, with police clashing with hundreds of Palestinian protesters near the Old City‘s Damascus Gate as tensions with Gaza run high after last month‘s fighting.
Mounted police and skunk water were used to disperse them, while at Herod’s Gate, police fired sponge-tipped bullets at protesters. Police arrested 17 Palestinian protesters.
Jerusalem March ‚Provocations‘ Risk Reigniting Israel-Hamas Violence, UN Warns
The march was originally scheduled for Israel‘s Jerusalem Day last month. It was, however, diverted due to security concerns as clashes between police and Palestinians in the city intensified. Shortly after it began, it was dispersed due to Hamas rocket fire from Gaza toward Jerusalem, which lead to an 11-day round of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Nationalistische Israelis: Flaggenmarsch schürt Sorge vor neuer Gewalt
Schon kurz nach ihrer Vereidigung steht Israels neue Regierung vor einer größeren Herausforderung: Vor einem für heute geplanten Flaggenmarsch von etwa 5000 Nationalisten in Jerusalems Altstadt herrscht Sorge vor einer neuen Eskalation der Gewalt. Der Marsch, den Palästinenser als Provokation ansehen, führt auch durch das muslimische Viertel der Altstadt.
The Bennett children making heart shapes as their father speaks and is heckled. Quite a change from the current first son.
Shameful display in Knesset ahead of new gov‘t swearing-in – COMMENT
The shameful scene also revealed that indeed, it was high time for the outgoing members of the government to head to the opposition. As Lapid said, their behavior reminded him why it was so important to replace them. Their concept of democracy and free speech has been distorted beyond recognition by too much time in power.
Honestly, disgusting brats. They won‘t let PM designate Naftali Bennett get a word out of his mouth. #schande
Volatile Days for Netanyahu, Dangerous Days for Israel
When so much is at stake for Netanyahu – who once said he wants to be remembered as Israel‘s defender – an outbreak of violence can‘t be dismissed
Bernie Sanders calls Hamas a ‚terrorist group‘ but says Israeli government has ‚overt racists‘
Pressed on how the U.S. can take an „evenhanded“ approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when the Hamas terrorist group does not recognize Israel‘s right to exist, Sanders slammed the Netanyahu government, saying it is not innocent in the hostilities.
„What you have got to do is also understand that over the years the Netanyahu government has become extremely right-wing. And that there are people in the Israeli government now who are overt racists,“ Sanders told the CBS program. „You have in West Jerusalem people being evicted from their homes. Tremendous pressure on people within Israel, the Arab community, as well as Gaza.“
Gideon Sa‘ar Mulling Power Sharing Deal With Netanyahu, Despite Election Promise
(18.05.2021)
Gideon Sa‘ar, head of the New Hope party, is looking into a power-sharing government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Haaretz has learned.
Sa‘ar has agreed to advance the initiative by the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, Betzalel Smotrich, after Naftali Bennett announced that establishing a „government of change“ headed by him and Yair Lapid was off the table.
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.”