Ma'ariv newspaper describes the situation as: There is a new prime minister in “Israel”.
They add that in practice, Benjamin Netanyahu has become the servant of his master, Itamar #BenGvir, and this raises the obvious question: To what extent has Netanyahu deteriorated?
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeared in front of the cameras a few days ago while leaving the Prime Minister’s Office, acting Prime Minister, and announced in an unambiguous tone: “I warned the Prime Minister that we will not enter #Rafah, nor will there is an illegal deal.
The Prime Minister heard the words, and promised that "Israel" would enter Rafah, and promised that the war would continue, and promised that there would be no illegal deal.
These words and tone of voice leave no room for doubt in the heart of every listener. There is a new prime minister in the State of #Israel.
This raises the obvious question: To what extent has Netanyahu deteriorated? It has reached the point where even a response from a prime minister, in order to preserve his dignity, is not uttered.
Netanyahu, despite thousands of disagreements, knows what the majority of the people want: the release of detainees, and he also knows what is important and useful to the people.
But he follows Ben Gvir and Bezalel #Smotrich, because that is what is good politically for Netanyahu for obvious reasons.
Bidenistaa be proud: Bezalel #Smotrich advocates for Israel to undermine the Palestinian Authority (PA) and withhold its funding in response to potential moves where if #UN formally recognizes Palestinian statehood or the International Criminal Court ( #ICC) issues arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials regarding war crimes in #Gaza.
In a letter to #Netanyahu, Smotrich said the best way to deal with such international moves would be to cut ties with the PA to “bring about its immediate fall”.
Additionally, Smotrich emphasizes his ministry's intention to withhold funding from the PA, noting Israel's full control over its tax revenues.
#Apartheid / What if Israeli TV starts telling its viewers the truth…?
Arad Nir, head of the foreign news desk and international commentator for Channel 12 News tweeted back at (anti democratic) #Smotrich, who demanded of #Schumer that "the great democracy of the world is expected to respect Israeli democracy":
“Even apartheid South Africa was a democracy in its own eyes - of whites who voted and chose racial segregation by majority rule. It had a weapons industry, atomic bombs, a skilled air force, and powerful allies. But the crippling sanctions supported by the United States in order to back the popular uprising crushed the thriving economy and the remarkable military.” https://twitter.com/arad_nir/status/1768549921479708676
#Palestine / More US Sanctions: Two West Bank Outposts and Three Settlers
The #US has imposed its second round of sanctions on Israeli settlers since President Joe #Biden's executive order, marking the first-ever sanctions on entire Israeli outposts in the West Bank. The sanctioned outposts are Moshe's Farms and Zvi's Farms, and the three settlers targeted are Zvi Bar Yosef, Neriya Ben Pazi, and Moshe Sharvit.
The decision is seen as a significant step by the Biden administration to address the issue of extremist settler violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians in the occupied territories.
[cont'd] #SettlerViolenmce / U.S. Will Reduce Sanctions Against Settlers
According to news site Ynet,
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that following an unequivocal demand he submitted, together with #Netanyahu and the Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, the American administration has sent a letter dramatically reducing, in his words, the sanctions imposed on settlers. According to Smotrich, as a result, banks will be able to release the accounts that were completely frozen.
Israel's religious extremist finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, just ramped up his ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. The US immediately condemned the move as illegal.
#Smotrich and #Bibi share the goal of getting Trump elected, and they've seen that atrocities against Palestinians are an easy way to make it happen. Is this a team effort, designed to let Bibi maintain at least token concessions to Biden?
I'm interested in takes from #Israel politics experts.
#Israel / Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells Israelis that returning the captives is "not the most important thing"
In an interview on Kan Bet network, #Smotrich was asked whether returning the captives is the most important thing - and he replied: "No, it's not the most important thing. Why make it a competition? What's important now? #Hamas must be destroyed."
Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel #Smotrich, says allowing humanitarian aid into #Gaza goes against the goals of the Israeli war. "I spoke to Netanyahu in this regard and this is going to change soon."
Western leaders will be like, " it is not a #genocide ", " it is a special military operation against Hamas"and of course " Israel has the right to defend itself ".
It's just wonderful that the Israeli assault on Gaza uncovered the disgusting true face of western hypocrites to the general public.
I think #Portugal as well? Need to confirm, will edit as necessary.
These governments are refusing to take part in the US/Israeli starvation genocide by defunding UNWRA, as the US, Canada, Germany, etc. did, mere hours after the ICJ ruling on Friday Jan.26.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel #Smotrich, during an interview, advocates for the execution of plans to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from #Gaza: "If we strategically execute our plans, there will be emigration, and we will reside in the Gaza Strip. We won't permit a scenario where 2 million people reside there. If there are 100-200 thousand Arabs in Gaza, the entire discourse about the aftermath will be altered. They wish to depart; they have been residing in the enclave for 75 years and are desperate."
And people still attacking us when we say Israel's goal is to make Gaza uninhabitable and free from Palestinians.
"#Netanyahu first came to power in the 1996 election that followed the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by an Israeli extremist opposed to the Oslo Accords."
Ensuing violence helped #Bibi overcome Peres' lead & win the May 29, 1996 election
Nat'l Security Minister #BenGvir was then a young settler extremist. 2 weeks before Rabin's assassination he stole a hood ornament from Rabin's car. "Just like we got to this emblem," he said, "we could get to Rabin."
Supporting the right-wing extremist War Cabinet in Israel - which is using the October 7 attacks as a pretext to silence civilian opposition within Israel, arrest citizens for thought crimes & protests against genocide, to flatten all of Gaza, to terrorize Palestinians in the #WestBank & #Israel, & to extend their illegal settlements in the West Bank (& eventually #Gaza) - means supporting anti-democratic, anti-Arab forces like #Netanyahu, #BenGvir, #Smotrich, & #Shabtai. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67617920
»I welcome the initiative of the voluntary emigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region after 75 years of refugees, poverty and danger. The State of Israel will no longer be able to accept the existence of an independent entity in Gaza.«
March 12, 2019:
"#Netanyahu defended allowing Qatari funds to be transferred into Gaza as a crucial part of a broader strategy to keep Hamas & the [PA] apart, according to a source in Monday’s Likud faction meeting...said that whoever is against a Palestinian state should support transferring the funds to Gaza, “because maintaining a separation between the PA in the West Bank & Hamas in Gaza helps prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state"
"Most of the time, [RW settler-aligned] Israeli policy was to treat the [PA] as a burden & Hamas as an asset. Far-right MK Bezalel #Smotrich, now the finance minister in the hardline government & leader of the Religious Zionism party, said so himself in 2015."
Netanyahu made this point at a Likud faction meeting in early 2019: those who oppose a Palestinian state should support transfer of funds to Gaza, b/c undermining the PA in the West Bank & helping Hamas in Gaza stops a Palestinian state.
A reminder of what's at stake. This is what Bezalel #Smotrich (far-right politician and lawyer, a heavily criticized Minister of Finance since 2022, previously leader of the Religious-Zionist Party), has in mind for foiling Palestinians' national aspirations. Whether the war on #Gaza is the first step of implementing said "decisive plan", or just the same old eruption of violence, only time will tell.
Excerpts from his "The Decisive Victory Plan: The Key to Peace Lies with the Right" (2017)
[...] The continued existence of the two conflicting national aspirations in our small piece of territory will ensure many more years of bloodshed and armed conflict. Only when one of the sides concedes, willingly or by force, and forgoes its national aspirations in the Land of Israel, will the desired peace come about and civilian coexistence become possible.
[...] I hope that readers will agree with the statement that as Jews, we ought not give up our national aspiration for an independent state in the Land of Israel—the only Jewish state in the world. As such, the party that will have to give up its aspiration to realize a national identity in the Land of Israel is the Arab one. The reason we are condemned to a never-ending cycle of bloodshed is that nobody dares voice this simple statement. Nevertheless, only in this declaration lies the key that can unlock the door to real peace.
Why #Nethanyau prefers the #Hamas, which wants to destroy Israel, to the PA/PLO, which opposes violence? Commentary from the Israeli media about Nethanyhu’s strategy and political incentives in doing so.
“It sounds far-fetched, but these words were said openly by people close to him and later also by whoever will be the Minister of Finance in the current government, Bezalel #Smotrich. These saw the Palestinian Authority (which declared its opposition to violence) as an enemy, and Hamas, which always declared its desire to destroy the State of Israel, as a possible ally; As an organization with which you can do business and steal horses. Netanyahu wanted to make an alliance with the devil, mainly because he feared that the strengthening of the #PA and the #PLO would force him to conduct political negotiations and perhaps even go to a political agreement that would drop the support of the “base”.