Members phkrause Posted May 10 Author Members Share Posted May 10 Biden says US won’t supply weapons for Israel to attack Rafah, in warning to ally WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah — the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza — over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there. https://apnews.com/article/israel-weapons-shipment-us-eed365ebef0477ba74bf9848cacae4f4? Biden's red line President Biden told CNN's Erin Burnett in Racine, Wis., that the U.S. will stop sending Israel offensive weapons if it invades the Gaza city of Rafah, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: Biden drew a red line of restraint for Israel, a red line of differentiation with Republicans and a red line of split with hawkish Democrats. 🖼️ The big picture: More than a million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah in recent months. The Biden administration opposes a broad Israel Defense Forces ground operation in Rafah that would not include a credible plan to protect civilians. The administration has already put on hold a weapons shipment to Israel that included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, a senior U.S. official told Axios. State of play: Israeli forces took control of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and began evacuating the population from several neighborhoods in the area. But the IDF didn't enter the city itself. Biden told CNN the IDF's actions so far haven't crossed the red line he set. The president noted that civilians in Gaza were killed as a result of Israel's use of U.S.-made bombs in populated areas. "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven't gone into Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities," Biden said. "We're not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells," Biden said, adding later: "We're not walking away from Israel's security. We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas." Full interview: 17-min. YouTube. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 12 Author Members Share Posted May 12 Netanyahu on US threat to withhold arms: Israel will fight with its ‘fingernails’ if needed JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a U.S. threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally. https://apnews.com/article/cyprus-aid-shipment-gaza-c2f2545739b7c9499476e6b4cfa9b5df? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 12 Author Members Share Posted May 12 The Biden-Netanyahu relationship is strained like never before President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have long managed a complicated relationship, but they are quickly running out of space to maneuver as both men balance an explosive Mideast situation against their own domestic political problems. Read more. Recent developments: Netanyahu has grown increasingly resistant to Biden’s public charm and private pleading, prompting the president’s recent assertive pushback. Netanyahu, for his part, is brushing off Biden’s warnings and vowing to press ahead with a Rafah offensive. Netanyahu’s political survival may depend on the offensive. If he reaches a hostage deal that stops short of conquering Rafah, hard-liners in his coalition have threatened to topple the government and trigger new elections at a time when opinion polls forecast he would lose. Biden aides nonetheless insist the president is unwilling to allow the U.S.-Israel relationship to truly rupture on his watch. They cite not only the political imperative — a majority of Americans support Israel — but also Biden’s personal history with the country. Meanwhile, he faces mounting protests from young Americans, a segment of the electorate critical to his reelection. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US says Rafah offensive would jeopardize cease-fire talks as Biden threatens to halt more Israel aid Israeli settlers attacked this West Bank village in a spasm of violence after a boy’s death Bernie Sanders says Gaza may be Joe Biden’s Vietnam Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 15 Author Members Share Posted May 15 In hundreds of deadly police encounters, officers broke multiple safety guidelines In hundreds of deaths where police used force meant to stop someone without killing them, officers violated well-known guidelines for safely restraining and subduing people — not simply once or twice, but multiple times. For its investigation, the AP cataloged 1,036 deaths over the course of a decade that happened after officers used force without using their guns. In about half, medical officials ruled that law enforcement caused or contributed to the deaths, but they usually didn’t mention whether policing best practices were followed. Read more. Key points: Most violations involved pinning people face down in ways that could restrict their breathing or stunning them repeatedly with Tasers, the investigation found. Some officers had little choice but to break policing best practices — safety guidelines that are recommended by government agencies, law enforcement groups and training experts — to save a life or protect someone. Because of how policing is set up in the United States, there are no national rules for how officers apply force. Best practices provide some direction but aren’t mandatory. In the end, individual departments or states set their own policies and training. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Risks of handcuffing someone face down long known; people die when police training fails to keep up Why did more than 1,000 people die after police subdued them with force that isn’t meant to kill? Lethal Restraint: An investigation documenting police use of force Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 15 Author Members Share Posted May 15 Bibi's Biden rant Photo illustration: Aïda Amer. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AFP via Getty Images A day after President Biden warned Israel that a major attack on Rafah would cross a "red line" for U.S. support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on a rant during a meeting with his security cabinet, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. "We are not a vassal state of the United States!" he declared, according to three people with knowledge of his remarks, including one of Netanyahu's aides. Why it matters: Netanyahu's hot reaction last Thursday reflected his combative mood at a time when Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has strained its relationship with the U.S. Between the lines: Bibi has long fought with Democratic U.S. presidents to mobilize his base at home — and doesn't want to be seen as Biden's puppet. The tension began escalating two weeks ago, after Biden put a hold on 3,500 U.S. bombs that were on a ship about to depart for Israel. It signaled how concerned Biden remains about Netanyahu continuing to say he's planning to order an invasion of Rafah, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have taken shelter. 🔎 Behind the scenes: Netanyahu and his close confidant Ron Dermer, Israel's minister for strategic affairs, were surprised by Biden's decision on the weapons shipment and his public ultimatum, two Israeli sources with knowledge of the issue told Axios. Biden and other senior U.S. officials privately told Netanyahu and Dermer several times recently that such a move could happen if they continued pushing toward an invasion of Rafah, a senior U.S. official said. But Dermer, who was Israel's ambassador to Washington for eight years during the Obama and Trump administrations, told Netanyahu that Biden wouldn't dare take such a step, one Israeli source said. The bottom line: So far, Israel's military is operating in Rafah in a targeted way without a massive ground invasion, U.S. officials say. Go deeper: Democrats rage at GOP over "tough vote" on Israel arms sales ... Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 17 Author Members Share Posted May 17 🇮🇱 Bibi's war cabinet breakdown Smoke plume from an explosion yesterday in the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images Israel's defense chief warned in a dramatic speech yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inaction on a post-war plan for Gaza is pushing Israel toward having to impose military and civilian rule over the enclave, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's remarks were a public indictment of Netanyahu's war policy, exposing some officials' frustration that he hasn't set a clear strategy for Gaza's future. The comments shed light on the deepening political divisions in Israel's war cabinet, where relations between officials are disintegrating after more than seven months of fighting Hamas. "Indecision is, in essence, a decision," Gallant said. "This leads to a dangerous course, which promotes the idea of Israeli military and civilian governance in Gaza." Netanyahu has rejected such calls for action, saying there's no point in drafting a post-war plan before Hamas is defeated. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 20 Author Members Share Posted May 20 Bibi blocks meetings with U.S. officials Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: Noam Moskowitz/picture alliance via Getty Images Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has banned Israel's intelligence and security chiefs from meeting with U.S. officials and lawmakers multiple times since the war in Gaza began, U.S. and Israeli officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: Netanyahu seems to be trying to control what American politicians and diplomats hear from Israel — at a time when his government is deeply divided over his war strategy, and relations with the U.S. are growing more tense, the officials said. 👂 What we're hearing: For decades, congressional delegations and senior White House and State Department officials who've visited Israel routinely have met with the heads of its military and security services. But over the past few months, Netanyahu — who is directly in charge of the Mossad intelligence agency and Shin Bet security agency, and must approve their meetings with U.S. politicians and officials — has tried to prevent several such meetings. Three weeks ago, Netanyahu banned the directors of Mossad and Shin Bet from meeting with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the U.S. officials said. Rubio, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, requested the meetings during his visit to Israel last month. Netanyahu met with Rubio himself. 🔎 Between the lines: The leaders of those agencies think Israel needs to craft a clearer strategy for post-war Gaza. In the past few days, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and cabinet Minister Benny Gantz have publicly demanded that Netanyahu draft a post-war strategy. Netanyahu rejects the need for a strategy until Hamas is defeated. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 20 Author Members Share Posted May 20 Member of Israel’s War Cabinet says he’ll quit the government June 8 unless there’s a new war plan Benny Gantz, a popular centrist member of Israel’s three-member War Cabinet, threatened Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn’t adopt a new plan in three weeks’ time for the war in Gaza, a decision that would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more reliant on far-right allies. Read more. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted May 29 Author Members Share Posted May 29 Benjamin Netanyahu frequently makes claims of antisemitism. Critics say he’s deflecting from his own problems Israel’s prime minister has long used the travails of the Jewish people to color his political rhetoric. His supporters say he is honestly worried for the safety of Jews around the world. But his detractors say he is overusing the label to further his political agenda and try to stifle even legitimate criticism. Read more. Why this matters: The Israeli leader accused the International Criminal Court's top prosecutor of being one of “the great antisemites in modern times,” after he sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his defense minister and top Hamas officials.” As protests roiled college campuses across the U.S. over the war in Gaza, he said they were awash with “antisemitic mobs.” These are just two of many instances in which he has accused critics of antisemitism. “Not every criticism against Israel is antisemitic,” said Tom Segev, an Israeli historian. “The moment you say it is antisemitic hate ... you take away all legitimacy from the criticism and try to crush the debate.” The prime minister’s critics say that his actions risk diluting the term’s meaning at a time when antisemitism is surging worldwide. The war in Gaza has reignited a debate about the definition of antisemitism and whether any criticism of Israel — from its military’s killing of thousands of Palestinian children to questions over Israel’s very right to exist — amounts to anti-Jewish hate speech. Many Israelis view the war in Gaza as a just act of self-defense and are befuddled by what many think should be criticism directed at Hamas. Related coverage ➤ US-built pier on Gaza coast suffers damage from rough seas Algeria proposes UN resolution demanding Israel halt offensive in Rafah Palestinian prime minister visits Madrid after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognize Palestinian state Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted June 7 Author Members Share Posted June 7 Israeli settlers in the West Bank were hit with international sanctions. It only emboldened them More than a dozen Israeli settlers – as well as two affiliated farms and four groups – have been targeted by international sanctions over accusations of attacks and harassment against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. But three sanctioned settlers – Yinon Levi; his father-in-law, Noam Federman; and Elisha Yered – told The Associated Press the measures against them were, at most, an annoyance. Read more. Why this matters: Sanctions are meant as a deterrent, and they expose people to asset freezes and bans on visas and travel. In some cases, property is seized. For sanctioned settlers, the implications didn’t last long, with communities donating money and holding fundraisers. The measures have had minimal impact, instead emboldening settlers as attacks and land-grabs escalate, according to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, local rights groups and sanctioned Israelis who spoke to the AP. Palestinians say expanding Israeli outposts are shrinking their access to land, and settler violence against them has soared since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Land seized through unauthorized outposts has more than doubled since the war started, according to settlement watchdog Kerem Navot. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A strike on a Gaza school that the military claims was being used by Hamas kills 33 ‘All Eyes on Rafah,’ a social media effort to draw attention to the city, surges Pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested at Stanford University after occupying president’s office Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted June 12 Author Members Share Posted June 12 Centrist Benny Gantz is quitting Israel’s war Cabinet, citing frustrations with Netanyahu JERUSALEM (AP) — Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation Sunday, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of mismanaging the war effort and putting his own “political survival” over the country’s security needs. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-netanyahu-gantz-48a4a60ccccdb7f74b4bf7816f9a7c67? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted June 12 Author Members Share Posted June 12 🇮🇱 Netanyahu rival quits Benny Gantz announces his resignation from Israel's war cabinet during a press conference in Tel Aviv yesterday. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images Centrist Israeli minister Benny Gantz announced in a speech yesterday that his party is withdrawing from the emergency government formed after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition won't fall apart. But it will likely be destabilized. Gantz — who was once the IDF's top general — said Netanyahu's promise of total victory against Hamas was empty and that Israelis deserve "a real victory" that "puts the release of the hostages above political survival." He's seen by the Biden administration and many other Western and Arab governments as a moderate. The departure is likely to increase U.S. and international pressure on Netanyahu. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted June 18 Author Members Share Posted June 18 Netanyahu dissolved his war Cabinet. How will that affect cease-fire efforts? JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded his war Cabinet Monday, a move that consolidates his influence over the Israel-Hamas war and likely diminishes the odds of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip anytime soon. https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-war-cabinet-hamas-netanyahu-b50f7fe8913b06aaba377ae6b37c3fed? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted June 29 Author Members Share Posted June 29 Ultra-Orthodox Jews block highway to protest Israel’s new mandatory military service ruling BNEI BRAK, Israel (AP) — Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocked a major highway in central Israel for two hours on Thursday to protest a recent Supreme Court decision ordering young religious men to enlist for military service. https://apnews.com/article/israel-ultraorthodox-gaza-war-military-draft-netanyahu-172a2f6378abbd1cb8e278f8d1e930c4? Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 14 Author Members Share Posted July 14 🇮🇱 Hostages' families request Bibi meeting Leebie Goldberg Polin (C) holds photos of her brother Hersh Goldberg Polin, a U.S. citizen held in Gaza, along with families and supporters of other hostages during a protest in Tel Aviv. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images The families of U.S. hostages held in Gaza asked to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming trip to Washington, Axios' Barak Ravid scoops. The families want to push Netanyahu to move forward with the hostage-release and ceasefire deal that is on the table. "We believe the time is ripe to discuss the Israeli government's strategy for securing the release of our loved ones and how the Prime Minister intends to implement that strategy," the families wrote in a letter requesting the meeting. Netanyahu hardened his demands yesterday for a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, even as the White House expressed optimism that a deal was getting closer. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted July 17 Author Members Share Posted July 17 🇮🇱 Scoop: Bibi tries to win Trump back Years of efforts by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to mend relations with former President Trump may have shown some progress following the assassination attempt against Trump, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: Netanyahu aides worry relations won't be as close if Trump wins in November as they were during his first term. Relations deteriorated after he congratulated Biden for his victory in the 2020 election. They were encouraged, however, that after Netanyahu sent Trump a video condemning Saturday's assassination attempt, Trump posted it on Truth Social. 🖼️ The big picture: Netanyahu allies have met with Trump on at least four occasions over the past three years to try to repair ties. One went so far as to bring a copy of Netanyahu's book to Mar-a-Lago and read passages praising Trump, according to a Netanyahu aide. "But every time we thought we managed to put this behind us, we discovered that it didn't work and that Trump was still angry," the aide told Axios. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted Sunday at 07:53 PM Author Members Share Posted Sunday at 07:53 PM U.S. discussed sanctioning Israeli ministers Sanctions against two hard-line Israeli Cabinet ministers were among the potential steps discussed at a White House National Security Council meeting this week on how to respond to the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank, U.S. officials tell Axios' Barak Ravid. Why it matters: The Biden administration is deeply frustrated that the Israeli government has pursued a policy of expanding settlements and weakening the Palestinian Authority — and that more extreme members of the government are openly allied with extremist settler groups. The White House meeting was convened after another surge in violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians, and an Israeli government decision to plan and build another 5,000 housing units in the settlements and legalize five outposts. ⚡ Catch up quick: Earlier this year, President Biden signed an unprecedented executive order allowing sanctions on Israeli settlers. When Biden signed that order, senior White House officials recommended the president sanction Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir — the ultranationalist ministers of finance and national security respectively. The idea was discussed again this week in the NSC meeting but no decision was made. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted Tuesday at 08:12 PM Author Members Share Posted Tuesday at 08:12 PM Netanyahu Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, DC, as a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas war remains stalled. Netanyahu is expected to meet with President Joe Biden on Thursday, a US official said, though the date of the meeting remains fluid as Biden recovers from Covid-19. Netanyahu's visit comes as tensions between the two leaders have escalated as the US has grown increasingly frustrated with the way Israel has executed the war in Gaza, including the lack of protections for civilians. Vice President Harris plans to skip Netanyahu's speech to Congress this week, a source told CNN, underscoring the tense relationship between the Biden administration and the Israeli Prime Minister. Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members phkrause Posted Thursday at 10:27 PM Author Members Share Posted Thursday at 10:27 PM A look at Netanyahu’s claims about Israel, Hamas and Iran during his speech to Congress Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended his country’s conduct in the Gaza war, urged the U.S. to support the fight against Hamas and ridiculed protesters during a scathing address to Congress. But he also cited an unverified intelligence report and ignored much of the criticism in a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza. Read more. A look at the claims: The Israeli leader spoke of the bravery of soldiers on Oct. 7. But he did not delve into the massive intelligence and security blunders under his watch that allowed Hamas to breach Israel’s vaunted defenses that day. Netanyahu also said he was speaking on behalf of the people of Israel. It’s true that Israelis largely believe in the justness of the war, but support has grown for a cease-fire, including one that would end the war entirely. In fact, public support for Netanyahu has plummeted since Oct. 7, with many blaming Netanyahu for the Hamas attacks. Netanyahu boasted about the 135 hostages that have been freed, seven of them in rescue missions. But he left out that the vast majority of those hostages were freed during a cease-fire in late November, that Israeli forces mistakenly killed three hostages in December, and that roughly 120 hostages have languished in captivity for nearly 10 months. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Netanyahu to meet with Harris and Biden at crucial moment for US and Israel Demonstrators stage mass protest against Netanyahu visit and US military aid to Israel In fiery speech to Congress, Netanyahu vows 'total victory' in Gaza and denounces US protesters Quote phkrause Obstinacy is a barrier to all improvement. - ChL 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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