Israel

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What you need to know as Israel’s Supreme Court begins debating law limiting its power

(JTA) — For almost nine months, Israelis have been fighting over the future of their Supreme Court. Today, that battle has moved into the Supreme Court itself.

https://www.jta.org/2023/09/12/default/what-you-need-to-know-as-israels-supreme-court-begins-debating-law-limiting-its-power?

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Biden's Israel optics

Biden has decided to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly — not at the White House — after a long internal debate over political optics and foreign policy considerations, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

Why it matters: The expected meeting in New York next week will be the first between Netanyahu and Biden since the prime minister returned to office nearly nine months ago — a highly unusual delay considering the close alliance between the U.S. and Israel.

• But it's a disappointment for Netanyahu, who was seeking a coveted White House photo op.

The big picture: Netanyahu has been pushing through a judicial overhaul opposed by many Israelis, American Jews, Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration, who fear it will undermine Israel's democracy.

• Netanyahu is also heading what Biden himself has called "the most extreme" Israeli government he has seen since he began working with Israeli prime ministers 50 years ago.

Between the lines: The White House has not officially confirmed the meeting in New York. But three U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the issue say several factors other than Biden's schedule have played a role in the decision.

• One senior U.S. official said that many in the White House thought an Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu now would harm Biden's standing among Democrats.
• A second U.S. official said several of the president's aides were concerned about a scenario in which thousands of Israelis and American Jews descended on the White House to protest the meeting.
• The official said the White House didn't want to "import" Israel's domestic political debate to Washington.

Keep reading

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Netanyahu touts prospects for an agreement with Saudi Arabia — and possibly the Palestinians — in UN speech

(JTA) — Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations to tout the prospect of a diplomatic agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and to broach a topic that he has previously downplayed: Israeli-Palestinian peace.

https://www.jta.org/2023/09/22/israel/netanyahu-touts-an-agreement-with-saudi-arabia-and-possibly-the-palestinians-in-un-speech?

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Meeting between Jewish leaders and Benjamin Netanyahu broaches judicial overhaul — and gets personal

(JTA) — As they prepared to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, leaders of U.S. Jewish organizations expected to ask him about his contentious effort to weaken the Israeli judiciary. 

https://www.jta.org/2023/09/24/politics/meeting-between-jewish-leaders-and-benjamin-netanyahu-broaches-judicial-overhaul-and-gets-personal?

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Bibi's blame game

The unwillingness of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take any responsibility for Israel's massive security failures in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack is fueling calls for him to resign after the war, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• Why it matters: Netanyahu is the only senior Israeli official who hasn't admitted any fault — a strategy that's sparking a fierce public backlash, and sending the prime minister's already tenuous support into free fall.

In the weeks after the Hamas attack, Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, military intelligence chief Aharon Haliva and other senior IDF commanders publicly acknowledged the security failures and took responsibility.

• Ronen Bar, director of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, did the same. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also took responsibility, as did his predecessor, Benny Gantz, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, who served for just one year.

Netanyahu has said several times since Oct. 7 that there'll be an investigation after the war. He stressed that all of Israel's top leaders, including him, will have to answer tough questions.

• But at a news conference last week, Netanyahu was asked three times by reporters whether he shared responsibility for the failures of Israeli intelligence and defense agencies to prevent or quickly stop the attack. He dodged the questions, refusing to take responsibility.
• Netanyahu said he's responsible for one thing now: winning the war.

State of play: Netanyahu's political situation appears dire. In recent polls, 70% to 80% of Israelis said they expect him to step down after the war.

• Polls also indicate his Likud party has been significantly weakened.

🖼️ The big picture: The Hamas attack followed 10 months of political crisis in Israel over Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan, which tore apart Israeli society and weakened its economy and military.

• Netanyahu was warned several times by Gallant and by the heads of the nation's intelligence services that Israel's enemies saw the internal crisis as an opportunity to attack Israel.
• Netanyahu saw these warnings as politically motivated.

When Netanyahu was asked about the warnings during last week's news conference, he rejected the premise and declined to answer.

• Several hours later, at 1 a.m. local time, he said on social media that he didn't receive any early warning of the Oct. 7 attack, and blamed the heads of the security services for the failures.

🐦 "All the security chiefs, including the heads of military intelligence and Shin Bet, estimated that Hamas is deterred and wants to reach understandings. This was told several times to me by all the intelligence community up until the war broke out," Netanyahu posted on X.

• After intense pressure — including from within his own government — Netanyahu deleted the post later that morning, apologized for it, and said he backed the heads of the security services.

Continues in next item.

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🇮🇱 Part 2: Bibi behind the scenes

According to several Israeli press reports, the social media post was a result of pressure from Netanyahu's wife, Sara, and his son, Yair, who resides in Miami and hasn't returned to Israel since the war broke out, Axios' Barak Ravid writes.

• Israeli news outlet Walla said Sara Netanyahu ordered the prime minister's aides to scan the transcripts of past Security Cabinet meetings and prepare a list of quotes from the heads of the security services who said Hamas wasn't interested in a war.
• The prime minister's office denied any involvement by Sara and Yair Netanyahu in Netanyahu's decisions or actions.

Flashback: Netanyahu, 74, is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history, serving six terms that total more than 16 years. For years, he took pride in his security credentials and said he wanted history to remember him as a protector of Israel.

• Several months after a war in Gaza ended in 2009, Netanyahu returned to power for his second term, promising to topple Hamas' rule in the enclave.
• But he quickly abandoned that promise and, instead, led a policy of trying to contain Hamas through deterrence and temporary ceasefire understandings between rounds of fighting.

🔮 What to watch: Netanyahu's rivals and allies expect him to announce a commission to investigate the security failures immediately after the war ends.

• An inquiry could buy time for Netanyahu to mobilize his allies for a long and messy blame game — which could allow him to hold onto power.

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🇮🇱 Israel's looming political crisis

Israel's Supreme Court narrowly struck down part of the Netanyahu government's controversial judicial overhaul plan that destabilized the country's economy, military and foreign relations, Axios' Barak Ravid writes.

• Why it matters: The dramatic 8-7 ruling could thrust Israel back into a constitutional and political crisis amid the war in Gaza and concerns about a potential war with Lebanon.

⚖️ Zoom in: The legislation that was struck down, passed in July, would limit the high court's oversight of government actions and end its ability to strike down government decisions based on "reasonability."

• Before the Oct. 7 attack, Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition had faced mass anti-government protests over the plan for months.

Keep reading.

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Israel Supreme Court strikes down judicial reforms

Israel's Supreme Court has struck down a controversial judicial reform that triggered nationwide protests last year against the Netanyahu government.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67859177

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📞 Scoop: Bibi's chutzpah

Netanyahu speaks yesterday during his weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a strange ask for the UAE president, Axios' Barak Ravid scoops: Bibi wanted Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) to pay "unemployment" stipends to Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank. Israel had barred the workers from its territory after the terrorist attack by Hamas. The stunned ruler rebuffed Bibi with a sarcastic: "Ask Zelensky for money!" MBZ said Zelensky gets lots of money from many countries — so maybe he could help, sources tell Barak. Why it matters: MBZ's refusal underscores the insistence by many Arab countries that they won't foot the bill to maintain the status quo in the West Bank and Gaza after the war. "The notion that Arab countries will come in to rebuild and pay the bill for what's currently happening is wishful thinking," an Emirati official told Axios. 💭 MBZ said he was ready to help on the broad issue of Palestinians. But when Netanyahu asked if the UAE would pay the Palestinian workers, the Emirati president was stunned, a knowledgeable source said. MBZ couldn't believe the Israeli prime minister thought he would be willing to pay for a problem that was created due to Israel's decision not to allow the workers. 🖼️ The big picture: Rebuilding Gaza will be a massive undertaking. Israel's bombardment has caused such mass destruction that the UN aid office estimates at least a half million Palestinians won't have a home to return to. Keep reading.

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🔎 David Remnick: The fury at Netanyahu

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AFP via Getty Images

In a deeply reported piece, based on numerous interviews and trips to Israel, David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, paints a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's shaky hold on power. 🖼️ The big picture: Netanyahu has led Israel for more than 16 years, across his various terms — even longer than David Ben-Gurion, the founder of the state. Now, Netanyahu's polling is dismal, Remnick reports. "He always campaigned on security, presenting himself as the one statesman and patriot who saw through the malign intentions of Israel's enemies," Remnick writes. "Yet with the Hamas massacre of some twelve hundred people in southern Israel, on October 7th, he had presided over an unprecedented collapse of state security." "Among the many accusations being leveled at Netanyahu is that he failed a test of basic humanity when he did not immediately and publicly connect with the families of the hostages. ... His more recent attempts at empathy have proved, to many, utterly unconvincing." 🥊 "Historically, Netanyahu will go down in history as the worst Jewish leader ever," Avraham Burg, a former speaker of Israel's parliament who long ago left the Labor Party and joined the leftist Hadash Party, told Remnick. "The fury at Netanyahu among centrists and many conservatives is scarcely less intense. Galit Distel Atbaryan, a hard-line minister in Netanyahu's government, resigned after October 7th; she later talked of her 'burning anger' toward him," Remnick writes.

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Netanyahu says he told the US that he opposes a Palestinian state in any postwar scenario

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected calls from the United States to scale back Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip or take steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state after the war, drawing an immediate scolding from the White House.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-18-2024-73d552c6e73e0dc3783a0a11b2b5f67d?

ps:There was a time that Netanyahu stood for something!! Not anymore!!!!

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Netanyahu’s War on Truth

Israel’s Ruthless Propaganda Campaign to Dehumanize Palestinians

https://theintercept.com/2024/02/07/gaza-israel-netanyahu-propaganda-lies-palestinians/?

ps:It's sad what has happen to Netanyahu, but this happens to all that come in contact with the cult leader!!

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How Israel’s Black Panthers radicalized its Mizrahi Jews, and changed the country

(JTA) — In Jerusalem’s rapidly gentrifying Musrara neighborhood, there’s a street sign reading “Black Panthers Way.” 

https://www.jta.org/2024/03/17/ideas/how-israels-black-panthers-radicalized-its-mizrahi-jews-and-changed-the-country?

ps:A very interesting read!!

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🇮🇱 Netanyahu slams "inappropriate" Schumer speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to commit to holding new elections once the war in Gaza winds down, rebuking the call from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) last week.

What they're saying: "It's inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there," Netanyahu told CNN's "State of the Union," responding to Schumer's bombshell speech on the Senate floor.

• "That's something the Israeli public does on its own — we're not a banana republic," the embattled prime minister said.
• "I think the only government we should be working on to bring down now is the terrorist tyranny, the Hamas tyranny."

Keep reading

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Israel is fighting a battle at home over drafting the ultra-Orthodox As Israel battles a prolonged war in Gaza, exemptions from mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men reopen a deep divide in the country. Israel’s government must soon present legislation aimed at increasing recruitment among the religious community, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's War Cabinet members are staunchly opposed to the new conscription law. Read more.

Why this matters: Among Israel’s Jewish majority, mandatory military service is largely seen as a rite of passage. The ultra-Orthodox say that integrating into the army will threaten their devout lifestyle and that dedication to upholding the Jewish commandments protects Israel as much as a strong army. But the exemptions have infuriated the wider general public — a departure from demonstrations of unity early in the war.   Netanyahu’s government so far has survived the public angst sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war, but the draft issue has put him in a bind. The collapse of the War Cabinet would undermine the country’s stability at a sensitive time, but a loss of the ultra-Orthodox parties would bring down his broader governing coalition and plunge the country into new elections as he and his Likud party are badly trailing in opinion polls.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ 7 Lebanese and an Israeli killed in an exchange of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border   UN demand for Gaza cease-fire provokes strongest clash between US and Israel since war began   Israel and Hamas dig in as pressure builds for a cease-fire in Gaza

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Bibi backs down

In a sharp reversal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to send two top Israeli officials to D.C. for talks about a possible military operation in Rafah, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

Why it matters: Two days ago, Netanyahu canceled the same trip by the same people in protest over the U.S. not vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

• A U.S. official told Axios canceling the trip and the rhetoric around it was "an unnecessary drama on Netanyahu's part."
• A senior Israeli official agreed and said: "Bibi made a mistake."

Behind the scenes: Two U.S. and Israeli officials said that Dermer called President Biden's top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk before the UN vote and expressed alarm over the U.S. intention not to veto the resolution.

• According to the U.S. official, the call got extremely heated with Dermer accusing the Biden administration of betraying Israel and threatening that Israel would "fight" the U.S. over the vote.
• A second U.S. official said that description of the call wasn't accurate.

Go deeper.

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Tide turns on Bibi

Seven aid workers for World Central Kitchen who were killed in Gaza on Monday. Photo: World Central Kitchen via AP Israel's killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers has the makings of a watershed moment — rapidly accelerating a decline in U.S. support for the war in Gaza, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. ⚡️ The big picture: Frustration with the Israeli government has been building inside the White House for months as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened. It's now boiling over. 📞 President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today that it's time for an "immediate ceasefire" — without explicitly tying a ceasefire to the release of Israeli hostages, as he has done in the past. The call between the two leaders was "tense and challenging," a source told Axios' Barak Ravid. 🔎 Zoom out: Criticism of Israel is no longer confined to the Democratic party's left wing. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Biden's closest ally in the Senate, said the U.S. should condition its aid if Israel invades Rafah without a humanitarian plan. Richard Haass, a pillar of the foreign policy establishment, called Thursday for the U.S. to consider "sanctions" on Israel: "I'm sorry it's come to this," the former diplomat said. "If we don't see changes from their side, there will have to be changes from our side," White House spokesperson John Kirby warned. Go deeper .... Read World Central Kitchen's tribute to the aid workers killed in Gaza

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Aid worker deaths have appalled Israel’s European allies. Some are considering a halt to arms sales

LONDON (AP) — The words coming from some of Israel’s closest allies have been startling in their vehemence: “appalled,” “outraged,” “no more excuses.”

https://apnews.com/article/israel-europe-allies-gaza-criticism-arms-5df91e8c4755823ae041175ca4b7aba2?

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The US is expected to block aid to an Israeli military unit. What is Leahy law that it would cite?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel expects its top ally, the United States, to announce as soon as Monday that it’s blocking military aid to an Israeli army unit over gross human rights abuses in the Israeli-occupied West Bank before the war in Gaza began six months ago.

https://apnews.com/article/lsrael-us-military-aid-leahy-law-e11fafa09029262a89aa8f8c5b6deae7?

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Pelosi calls for Netanyahu’s resignation

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign, calling him an obstacle to a two-state solution.

https://www.axios.com/2024/04/23/nancy-pelosi-netanyahu-resign-israel-gaza?

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Israel orders Al Jazeera to close its local operation and seizes some of its equipment

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar’s Al Jazeera satellite news network to close Sunday, escalating a long-running feud between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government as Doha-mediated cease-fire negotiations with Hamas hang in the balance.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-aljazeera-hamas-gaza-war-eba9416aea82f505ab908ee60d1de5e4?

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The US has paused a bomb shipment to Israel, official says Last week’s pause follows concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S., a senior administration official said Tuesday. Read more.

Why this matters: The pause is the most striking manifestation of the growing tensions between Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the administration of President Joe Biden, which has called on Israel to do far more to protect the lives of innocent civilians in Gaza.   Privately, concern has mounted inside the White House about what’s unfolding in Rafah, but publicly administration officials have stressed that they did not think the operations had defied Biden’s warnings against a widescale operation in the city.   The decision comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on aid deliveries have violated international and U.S. laws. A decision against Israel would further add to pressure on Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel’s military.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Has Israel followed the law in its war in Gaza? The US will deliver a verdict   Activist says US congressman knocked cellphone from her hand as she asked about Israel-Hamas war   Israel reopens key crossing for aid to enter Gaza that was closed over weekend rocket attack

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🇮🇱 Why U.S. blocked bombs

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on buildings near the border wall between Egypt and Rafah yesterday. Photo: Ramez Habboub/AP A weapons shipment to Israel that the Biden administration decided to put on hold last week included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, a senior U.S. official told Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: The unprecedented move by the Biden administration was a way for the U.S. to signal concern over a possible ground operation in Rafah, the senior U.S. official said. The U.S. official said the Biden administration is especially focused on the end use of the 2,000-pound bombs in Rafah because of the devastating impact they could have in dense urban settings, as seen in other parts of Gaza. White House spokesperson John Kirby said Israel told the U.S. the operation in the Rafah crossing is limited in scope and time, and is aimed at preventing Hamas from smuggling weapons through the border with Egypt.

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Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after days of closure, but the U.N. said no humanitarian aid has yet entered and there is no one to receive it on the Palestinian side after workers fled during Israel’s military incursion in the area.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-05-08-2024-495e6dabfdddc5587bd20e71b6ad421d?

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Netanyahu Resists U.S. Plan to Cut Off Aid to Israeli Military Unit

After months of inaction, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is poised to bar U.S. aid to an Israeli unit accused of human rights abuses.

https://www.propublica.org/article/netanyahu-resists-blinken-plan-sanction-against-israeli-military-unit?