Israeli Security Officials Believe Netanyahu Trying to Shift Blame onto Them: Report

 August 15, 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) holding a security assessment with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (photo from archive).

The Israeli security establishment believes that by allowing repeated attacks on top military brass, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to shift responsibility onto them over the current harm to the state of military readiness caused by some reservists’ refusals to carry out their duties in protest of the coalition’s controversial judicial overhaul legislation, Hebrew media reported Monday.

According to Channel 12, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi urged Netanyahu at a briefing on military readiness on Sunday to release a statement condemning recent attacks by coalition members and others on military chiefs over the damage to national security caused by the overhaul push, and was surprised when the premier did not do so, the network reported, citing unnamed security officials.

“Netanyahu’s attacks on the heads of the army and the retreat of those surrounding him are an attempt to put the responsibility for what is happening on the shoulders of the Israel Defense Forces,” Channel 12 quoted an official as saying.

Earlier Monday, the prime minister’s son, Yair Netanyahu, shared a Facebook post that said Halevi “will be remembered as the most failed and destructive chief of staff in the history” of the Israeli army for not cracking down on the reservists. The post was deleted from Netanyahu’s page around half an hour after it was shared.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant swiftly defended Halevi in a tweet, praising him as “one of the most excellent officers that I’ve met in all my years” in the Israeli military and security establishment.

Without explicitly condemning the post shared by his son, Netanyahu tweeted that the country faced “big challenges,” and that he was “working day and night together” with the defense minister, the chief of staff, senior military officers and security forces to “jointly guarantee Israel’s security under all circumstances.”

On Sunday, military heads were said to have warned Netanyahu that the army would really begin to feel the negative impact of the reservists’ protest in another two weeks, according to the Kan public broadcaster. The meeting with military generals Sunday also included Gallant and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.

Source: Israeli media

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“Israel’s” Sinkhole Widening: [Sayyed] Nasrallah Observing Our Disintegration with A Big Smile!

JULY 26, 2023

By Staff

After the adoption by the “Israeli” Knesset of the so-called “reasonableness clause”, several thousand “Israeli” reservists threatened to no longer serve in their operational posts or not to show up to training of their units until further notice.

According to “Israeli” reports, “It doesn’t matter if and when they will carry out this threat. And it doesn’t matter in how many days or weeks their fighting ability will decrease. The damage done is already enormous and will take, in the opinion of the generals themselves, years to repair.”

On the “Israeli” internal font, the alarm sounded by the chiefs of the “Israeli” army, but also of the Mossad spy agency and the ‘Shin Bet’ security service, have not been heard by the current “Israeli” government.

At the latest security cabinet meeting, also on Monday, the director of military intelligence and the “Israeli” operations commander warned of an alarming drop in the level of deterrence and the risk of a decrease in combat capability in the short and medium term.

“Worse still, the image of the ‘Israeli’ army has been damaged by insults from the Knesset members, but also by mockery from the prime minister. The most serious and the most difficult to repair is first of all the loss of cohesion. The crack in what binds the troops together, that is to say the team spirit, the confidence and the fraternal unity of the fighters. And then, the drop in the level of motivation. Neither the most advanced technology nor the most intense workouts are enough, if the motivation is lacking,” the i24 warned.

For his part, Amos Harel warned in Harretz that “All these things are being observed, with a big smile, by Hezbollah Secretary General [Sayyed] Hassan Nasrallah, father of the ‘Israel is weaker than a spider web’ theory.”

“He can now say that he was right: ‘Israeli’ society is disintegrating without his help,” he mentioned.

Harel concluded: “The fact that the sky didn’t fall doesn’t mean that ‘Israel’ isn’t being threatened by a lethal sinkhole, which is constantly widening.”

Israeli division deepens, protesters block road to Knesset

July 24, 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen

Israeli settlers protest against Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in occupied Al-Quds, Monday, July 24, 2023. (AP)

By Al Mayadeen English

Demonstrators from the “Brothers in Arms” movement tie themselves up and block the road to the Knesset to prevent access to it, in conjunction with the continuation of contacts to achieve a settlement in the judicial overhaul.

Israeli media reported that demonstrators from the “Brothers in Arms” movement bound themselves together and blocked the road to the Knesset in an effort to prevent Israeli occupation MKs from reaching it.

Simultaneously, dozens of demonstrators reaffirmed their opposition to the “judicial amendment” and blocked the road towards the house of the Minister of Economy in the occupation government, Nir Barakat. Israeli Occupation Police arrested protesters in front of Barakat’s house, and arrested dozens of others on suspicion of obstructing them in the Knesset area.

Israeli newspaper Maariv stated that the discussions to achieve a settlement in the judicial amendments, as well as resolve the dispute between Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid are ongoing. Primarily, discussions revolved around how long the rest of the judicial reform amendment would remain frozen, especially after it seems that the softened version of the “reduction law” has been approved by justifying its reasonableness.

Maariv further added, “The justification for reasonableness, in a watered-down form, is the proposal made by President Isaac Herzog, which does not apply to government policy and the appointment of ministers and deputy ministers.”

Read more: Judicial overhaul bill will undermine vital US interests: NYT

Israeli media underscored that the current government coalition is willing to halt the judicial reform for half a year, including the Knesset’s summer vacation, holidays and part of the winter session. However, Lapid has requested a more extended freezing period of about a year or more.

In parallel, Gantz has been pushing his own proposal, which he dubbed to be a “consensus in exchange for consensus.” The proposal offered to endorse the justification for reasonableness in a watered-down form, in return for negotiations to achieve consensus on the rest of the amendments’ laws without time restrictions.

According to Gantz’s proposal, only that which achieves broad consensus could be approved, but Israeli media have indicated that until now, the opposition is not very optimistic.

An Israeli official cited by Israeli media said on Sunday, that “the only way to reach consensus with the opponents of the amendments is to start secret negotiations on an agreed-upon scheme for the composition of the judges’ selection committee.”

It is worth noting that the occupation government had postponed its session, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, following the medical procedure that Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent.

Earlier today, the former chief economist in the occupation’s Ministry of Finance, Yoel Naveh, confirmed in statements reported by Israeli media that Netanyahu’s insistence on passing the judicial amendments “will severely harm the Israeli economy.”

“A unilateral formula to change the regime in a way that does not enjoy wide consensus can cause very serious economic damage,” Naveh explained.

Read more: Overhaul supporters vs. opponents take to streets, deepening division

‘Israel’ Eroding From Within

For months, upheaval and chaos took the Israeli occupation entity by storm. Violent clashes erupted between the opposition and police, as Israeli settlers protest against the government’s judicial reforms. Appeals for civil disobedience and riots have been met with stern warnings from both sides, as political rifts are widening and warning against the outbreak of a “civil war”.

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Israel’s Netanyahu to Undergo Heart Surgery -Iran mocks ‘Israel’: Crisis at Zionist Regime’s Heart Deeper than Crisis in PM’s Heart – Israel’s Netanyahu to Undergo Heart Surgery

Israel’s Netanyahu to Undergo Heart Surgery

July 23, 2023

Rightwing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: via Wikimedia Commons)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to undergo heart surgery overnight to be fitted with a pacemaker, he said in a brief statement on Twitter early Sunday morning.

“A week ago, I was fitted with a monitoring device. That device beeped this evening and said I must have a pacemaker and that I must do this already tonight,” Netanyahu said in a 36-second video clip.

“I feel great, but I need to listen to my doctors,” he added.

First Time in 15 Years for Israeli Leader, Netanyahu to Meet Erdogan in Türkiye

While Netanyahu is incapacitated, Justice Minister Yariv Levin will serve as acting prime minister, the Times of Israel reports.

Netanyahu hopes to be released from Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan in time to take part in votes on the coalition’s controversial judicial reform on Monday or even earlier.

Last Saturday, Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital after reportedly fainting at home. His office made no reference to a loss of consciousness, stating only that the prime minister had felt dizzy.

The rightwing veteran politician said he had spent the afternoon in the hot Sun at the Sea of Galilee “without a hat, without water,” and advised people to stay out of the Sun and stay hydrated.

Doctors, however, fitted Netanyahu with a heart implant for monitoring cardiac arrhythmia before releasing him from the hospital after undergoing a series of tests.

The 73-year-old is not known to have any chronic health conditions, and his doctors insist that his heart is in “excellent condition.”

However, his office has not released its required annual update on his health since 2016, and the Kan public broadcaster reported that a number of Israeli officials have complained regarding the lack of transparency.

Iran mocks ‘Israel’: Crisis at Zionist Regime’s Heart Deeper than Crisis in PM’s Heart

July 23, 2023

Nasser Kanaani, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman.

Iran on Sunday mocked the Zionist entity over the judicial overhaul protests.

“It is reported in the news that doctors have used a battery for the heart of the prime minister of the Zionist occupation regime,” the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, tweeted in Farsi, referring to the revelation that a pacemaker had been implanted in the premier following a potentially life-threatening cardiac event.

“But it is clear that the crisis in the heart of the Zionist regime is deeper than the crisis in the heart of its prime minister,” Kanaani added.

در خبرها آمده که پزشکان برای قلب نخست‌وزیر رژیم اشغالگر صهیونیستی باطری کار گذاشته‌اند.
اما واضح است که بحران در قلب رژیم صهیونیستی عمیقتر از بحران در قلب نخست وزیر آنست. pic.twitter.com/EJk1yYSPTe

— Nasser Kanaani (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 23, 2023

Source: Websites

Overhaul Debate Proceeds as Officials Warn “Israel’s Existence” at Stake

 July 23, 2023

Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi (photo from archive)

Israeli parliament, Knesset, has entered two crucial days to determine the Zionist entity’s future, as several officials are warning that “Israel’s existence” is at stake.

On Sunday, the Knesset debates were held on a judicial reform bill submitted by the coalition and aimed at limiting the Israeli courts’ ability to rule on the “reasonableness” of the government’s decisions.

Likud Rejects Histadrut Proposal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party come out against the Histadrut labor federation’s proposal for changing the “reasonableness” bill and resuming talks on the coalition’s judicial overhaul plans.

The party claimed that the bill amounts to a “unilateral acceptance” of the opposition’s stance.

“The proposal completely neuters the amendment on the issue of reasonableness and requires total concession on all the other elements of the reform,” the party said in a statement, as its lawmakers voice rejection to the bill.

The framework put forward by the Histadrut and a group of businesses calls for curtailing the scope of the “reasonableness” bill in its current form, and for an 18-month pause on advancing judicial legislation without broad agreement to allow for compromise talks.

Netanyahu Appears after Getting Pacemaker

In his first remarks since having a pacemaker fitted overnight and after doctors revealed he’d had a potentially life-threatening “transient heart block,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a statement on Sunday.

“As you can see, I’m doing great,” he said in a video from the hospital.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video from hospital after having a pacemaker installed (July 23, 2023).

He referred to the deliberations on the coalition’s contentious “reasonableness” bill, ahead of the expected final votes in the next day.

“We are continuing with the efforts to complete the legislation — and the effort to do so with agreement,” he said.

“In any case, I want you to know that tomorrow morning I’ll join my friends at the Knesset,” Netanyahu added.

Lapid: Gov’t Decided to Push ‘Israel’ into Abyss

For his part, Opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed the ruling Likud party for rejecting the Histadrut’s proposal.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid while addressing a protest on Saturday (July 22, 2023).

“The opposition was prepared to deliberate [the proposal] but the coalition immediately rejected it out of hand,” Lapid says in a statement.

“It’s not clear who decided to say ‘no’ in their name, but it’s clearer than ever that the extremists in the government decided to push the State of Israel into the abyss.”

Gantz: Rift Seeping into Military

Earlier on Sunday, National Unity party leader Benny Gantz said urged the coalition to halt Sunday’s legislation, warning that the rift is seeping into the Israeli military.

Pleading for a return to negotiations on consensual judicial reform, Gantz told the Knesset: “Partial agreement on ‘reasonableness’” would not solve the crisis if this bill is only the first stage of a wider revolution in the way Israel is governed.

“We must stop, agree, and continue together. I again call on the prime minister and the coalition members who have a sense of responsibility. This framework [of consensus] is right for the State of Israel.”

Beny Gantz addressing the Knesset on Sunday (July 23, 2023).

The Israeli opposition leader warned that the social divisions tied to the coalition’s plan to sap the judiciary of power are spilling over into the Israeli military, as 10,000 reservists say they will not show up for voluntary duty in protest.

While Israeli politics generally endeavors to “keep the IDF outside of disagreements,” Gantz said that “my fear is that’s not the case today.”

“Part of the damage is already irreparable,” Gantz said, insisting on urgency.

Halevi: ‘Israel’ Won’t Exist

On the other hand, Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi warned in a letter published Sunday that if the army won’t be “strong and cohesive” then the Zionist entity “won’t exist as a nation in the region.”

The Israeli Chief of Staff opened his letter with the army’s mission, “to defend the country, to win the war, to ensure its existence.” He defined the strength as coming from “the high readiness for war and the internal and external cohesion.”

“The IDF was born in a time of crisis, out of the need to ensure the existence of the State of Israel. This purpose has not changed even today,” Halevi explained.

In regards to “the assessment of the situation;” the top Israeli commander brought up the recent security incidents, saying that “the urgent outweighs the important.” He added, “we worked to stay out of the controversy, but given its intensity in Israeli society, we got caught up in it and cohesion was damaged. It is our duty to prevent the cracks from expanding.”

Halevi then called “the essence of the dispute” as legitimate, though that was not what he wanted to address, detailing those dangerous cracks as a soldier “thinking that an Air Force pilot will not help him because of that dispute.”

Mass Rallies 

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, opposed to the reform, gathered Saturday evening outside the Knesset and the Supreme Court in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem), after having marched from Tel Aviv in order to put pressure on the lawmakers.

Tens of thousands reach Jerusalem on foot, just 2 days before the Knesset vote marking the introduction of Netanyahu's judicial coup. The countdown has started with mass protests across the country and more reserve army and airforce vowing to quit service. pic.twitter.com/1mssnCuxdL

— Louis Fishman لوي فيشمان לואי פישמן (@Istanbultelaviv) July 22, 2023

Similar rallies are planned on Sunday night, Israeli media reported.

The bill, approved in the first reading two weeks ago, will then be voted on in the second and third reading, which will take place on Monday. If passed, it will be the first major component of the proposed judicial reform to become law.

The reasonableness clause forced Netanyahu in January to dismiss the government’s number two, Aryeh Deri, convicted for tax evasion, following the intervention of the Supreme Court.

Source: Israeli media

Hundreds of Israeli Air Force Officers Stop Reserves Service in Judicial Reform Protest

 July 19, 2023

Israeli reservists take part in a protest against government’s judicial overhaul (photo from February 2023).

One hundred and sixty-one Israeli Air Force control officer reservists announced on Tuesday evening that they were stopping their volunteer reserve service, effective immediately, due to the Israeli government’s planned judicial reform.

“We are a group of reservists who are at the forefront of thinking, planning, and control of Air Force operations in times of calm and combat for decades,” wrote the reservists, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.

“We serve at the Air Force headquarters and outside it, among us are aircrew members, controllers, drone operators, intelligence officers, and other positions.”

The reservists pointed to the reasonableness standard bill set to pass into law on Sunday and the judicial selection committee bill which was approved in a first reading in March, stating “the final approval of either of these laws and their entry into the statute book of the State of Israel is a formal and short process, but one that will drastically change the essence and face of the state and turn it from a democracy into a dictatorship.”

The Israeli Air Force personnel stressed that they were not prepared to carry out missions “under a regime in which the foundations of democracy are trampled one after the other.”

Israeli military’s Air Force chief Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar late Tuesday night responded to notices of air force reservists that 161 would immediately cease their service to protest the government’s judicial overhaul policy, saying, “This is a complex time period with lots of announcements tonight.”

“I assume we will experience an intense period of media coverage this coming week,” continued Bar.

He said, “We will clarify the exact details surrounding the letter and its implications. However, the responsibility which remains with us has not changed – to continue the command dialogue with our reservists and mandatory service officers,” regarding the tensions over the overhaul debate.

Source: Israeli media

“Israel” Torn Apart: Gallant Decries Dangerous Reservists’ Steps as A Reward for The Enemy

July 12, 2023

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” War Minister Yoav Gallant warned Tuesday night that calls by the entity’s military reservists to refuse to show up for duty over the government’s plans to overhaul the “judiciary” were “a reward for our enemy.”

“The strength of the ‘Israeli’ army rested then and rests today on the unity of its ranks… from the tank loader to the signal operator to the division commander,” Gallant said at an event at the 146th Reserve Armored Division, “Even today, the key to success in our missions lies in the unity of our ranks.”

Gallant further states the “calls that are being heard these days encouraging refusal and halting the volunteering of reservists threaten the unity of the ranks, are dangerous, and are a reward for our enemy.”

“I call on public figures from the right and the left, leave politics out of the army,” he continued.

“Refusal harms the army. Refusal harms the ‘defense’ establishment. Refusal harms ‘Israel’s’ security,” Gallant told the troops at the event. “We must all condemn refusal or calls for refusal, and remember very well that we all have one destiny…”

“We have no other army to rely on and we have to take care to keep it united and leave it out of any dispute,” he added.

The calls to refuse reserve duty spread through the apartheid entity’s military earlier in the year when the overhaul was first proposed and advanced, proliferating even as they were denounced by senior politicians in the opposition and government. Threats again surfaced in recent weeks as the government renewed its legislative push, after pausing it in March following pressure by reservists on Gallant.

In response to Gallant’s Tuesday speech, the anti-overhaul protest group, representing reservists, called on the war minister to halt the so-called “overhaul legislation”.

“You admitted in your own words that the dictatorial legislation is tearing ‘Israel’ apart. If you want to stop the ‘civil’ war, stop the legislation…” the group said in a statement.

For his part, former war minister Benny Gantz also criticized Gallant, saying he has a responsibility as minister to prevent the advancement of the “overhaul legislation”, which is tearing “Israel” apart.

Earlier on Tuesday, a series of letters by military reservists saying they were halting or threatening to halt their volunteer reserve duty were published, hours after the Knesset okayed the first reading of a bill to eliminate courts’ ability to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions.

Some 300 reservists in cyberwarfare units said they would no longer “develop capabilities for a criminal regime”; several reserve members of the elite Flotilla 13 Navy unit said they were halting their volunteer service until further notice; and around 120 reservists in the Military Intelligence Directorate’s research department threatened to stop volunteering should the government continue to advance the overhaul plans.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, some 350 “Israeli” Air Force reservists held a meeting to discuss the potential dangers of the “judicial overhaul” to “Israel”.

A separate meeting of around 500 reservist pilots and navigators was held on Tuesday night, during which they discussed their next steps in protest of the judicial overhaul, Kan reported. The report said the pilots intended to make a joint decision on whether to stop volunteering for service at this stage.

• “Israeli” Knesset Passes First Reading of Bibi’s Divisive Plan, Despite Months-Long Protests
• “Israeli” MKs to Vote on Bill Barring Judges from Reviewing “Reasonableness” of Gov’t Decisions

Israeli Task Force to Probe Ex-PM Barak, Ex-lawmaker for Incitement over Judicial Overhaul

June 28, 2023

Former Israeli PM Ehud Barak (photo from archive).

An official task force will investigate former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, and another past lawmaker Yair Golan, for alleged incitement through calls for anti-government protest, Israeli media reported.

The former left-wing parliament members “have used their status to urge aggressive uprising against the right-wing government’s judicial reform,” according to i24NEWS. Golan went so far as to openly call for illegal actions to be used, saying it will save Israel’s democracy.

So-called National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will reportedly set up the task force, according to Ynet, there will be representatives of the police, the Shin Bet security agency, the military and the National Cyber Directorate. Based on its investigation, Channel 12 said prosecutors will be instructed to either pursue or drop the case.

Speaking on Channel 12, Golan said “let them investigate whoever they want to investigate.” He stated “civil revolt is not an exaggeration,” and added, “we have to fight for democracy.”

Before that, he spoke on Kan “calling here, within a reasonable framework and without resorting to violence – to do illegal things as well,” citing that “in the fight for democracy, you have to do non-violent things that are on the fringes of the law – there is no choice but to do it.”

Source: Israeli media

الجيش للمستوطنين في الشمال: خزّنوا الغذاء والدواء… لن نستطيع الوصول إليكم!

إسرائيل توسّع التهويل: أعداؤنا متوثّبون

 الخميس 1 حزيران 2023

الأخبار  

وزّع الجيش الإسرائيلي أمس، على سكّان المستوطنات الحدودية مع لبنان، رسالة تحمل مجموعة من التوصيات في حال «فتح جبهة الشمال». وطالب الجيش، في الرسالة، المستوطنين بإخلاء منازلهم فوراً في حال اندلاع تصعيد، مشيراً إلى أنها «إذا اندلعت حرب إقليمية في القطاع الشمالي، فستكون أقوى بكثير من الحملة التي عشناها في حرب لبنان الثانية». كما من المحتمل – بحسب الرسالة – أن «يتسبّب القتال في انهيار البنية التحتية والكهرباء والمياه والإنترنت (…) وستكون قوة الصواريخ كبيرة جداً». كما حذّر الجيش من أن المستوطنين في المنطقة الشمالية، لن يستطيعوا الحصول على «مساعدة من قوات الأمن والإنقاذ». كما حملت الرسالة توصيات بشراء «صناديق من المياه المعدنية، وطعام جافّ، ومصباح يدوي مع بطّاريات (…) وكذلك الأدوية المزمنة، وخافضات الحرارة ومسكّنات الآلام»، ونحو ذلك.

من ملف : إسرائيل توسّع التهويل: أعداؤنا متوثّبون

إسرائيل تُوسّع حملة التهويل: «الأعداء» يتلمّسون فرصهم

 الخميس 1 حزيران 2023

(هيثم الموسوي)

الأخبار  

غزة | ارتفعت أخيراً، في إسرائيل، وتيرة التهديدات والتحذيرات الموجّهة إلى «حزب الله» وإيران، ومختلف قوى «محور المقاومة»، إلى مستوى ربّما يكون غير مسبوق في السنوات الأخيرة، حتى ساد شعور في الكيان بأن الحرب وراء الباب. ودفع ذلك المتحدّث باسم الجيش الإسرائيلي لاحقاً، إلى التوضيح أن «كلام رئيس هيئة الأركان العامة في الجيش، هرتسي هاليفي، ورئيس شعبة الاستخبارات العسكرية، أهارون حليفا، لا يعني أن الحرب على الأبواب». كما تغيّرت نبرة المحلّلين والمعلّقين الذين صاروا أكثر ميْلاً إلى اعتبار التهديدات الصادرة عن قياداتهم الأمنية، محاولات للردع، وليست إيذاناً بالمبادرة. وعلى رغم أن رسائل التهديد الإسرائيلية، جاءت بنتائج عكسيّة على الكيان والمستوطنين، حيث ارتفع سعر الدولار أمام الشيكل مثلاً، وساد توتّر شديد في أوساط الجمهور، إلا أن ذلك لا يعني أن هذه التهديدات أتت من فراغ.

ترى المنظومتان الأمنية والسياسية في تل أبيب، أن الأزمة المتفاقمة في الكيان، والتي يبدو إلى الآن أن لا أفق إيجابيّاً لها، بالنظر إلى فشل جولات الحوار بين الحكومة والمعارضة في التوصّل إلى أي حلول، شكّلت منعطفاً في طريقة تفكير قوى «محور المقاومة». إذ وجدت هذه القوى، وعلى رأسها «حزب الله»، في الأزمة نقطة ضعف جوهرية، يجدر استغلالها والبناء عليها. ولعلّ نجاح الائتلاف الداعم للحكومة في «الكنيست»، خلال الأيام الماضية، في إقرار موازنة عامّة ترفضها المعارضة بشدّة، سيزيد من التوتّر السياسي، ما يفاقم المشكلة ويطيل أمدها، خصوصاً أنه لا يبدو خيار التراجع عن إقرار قوانين «الخطة القضائية» وارداً لدى رئيس الحكومة، بنيامين نتنياهو، وحلفائه، في المدى المنظور.
ويبدو واضحاً أن عملية مجدّو، التي يزعم العدو أن «حزب الله» مسؤول عنها، لا تزال حاضرة بشكل كبير في ذهن القادة العسكريين والأمنيين في الكيان، والذين يرون فيها بدايةً عمليّةً لمسار مختلف يدشّنه الحزب، عنوانه تنفيذ عمليات داخل الأراضي المحتلّة، أو على السياج، ما يرفع التحدّي أمام العدو إلى مستوى غير مسبوق منذ عملية الأسر في تموز 2006. وخلال المؤتمر النسوي الذي ينظّمه «معهد هرتسيليا»، حذّر رئيس شعبة الاستخبارات العسكرية في الجيش (أمان)، أهارون حليفا، من أن فرص اندلاع تصعيد مع «حزب الله»، هي «أكثر ارتفاعاً مما مضى»، وقال إن الحزب «يقترب من خطأ قد يؤدّي من جديد إلى حرب، كما حدث عام 2006». وفي حين لم يذكر حليفا ماهيّة «الخطأ» المزعوم، إلّا أن السياق يوضح اعتقاد قادة العدو بأن المقاومة في لبنان قد تكون في صدد تنفيذ عمليات أخرى، تشبه عملية مجدّو.
كما يتساوق مع المسار الجديد المفترض لدى «حزب الله»، مسار آخر على مستوى «محور المقاومة»، يشكّل بنظر العدو هو الآخر تحدّياً جوهرياً جديداً، وهو مسار «توحيد الساحات»، في الشمال والجنوب، وساحات أخرى أبعد. وهذا ما أشار إليه وزير الجيش، يوآف غالانت، في المؤتمر، حين قال إن لدى أعداء إسرائيل «توجّهاً واضحاً لتوحيد الساحات (…) في غزة والضفة ولبنان وسوريا، والرابط الوثيق بينها هو إيران».

البحث عن «الفرصة»

خلال مؤتمر «هرتسيليا»، الأسبوع الفائت، حذّر رئيس الأركان في الجيش الإسرائيلي، هرتسي هاليفي، من أن «تعزّز حزب الله بشكل كبير في لبنان يشكّل تحدّياً هائلاً». واعتبر أن على إسرائيل أن تعمل في اتجاهين: توسيع الفجوة بين قدراتها وقدرات عدوّها، وأن تدرس دوماً التوقيت المناسب لمبادرة يمكن أن تحقّق «التفوّق». وهذا «المنطق» في التفكير لدى هاليفي وقادة الجيش، تعزّز بشكل كبير بعد عملية «درع وسهم» التي نفّذها العدو في قطاع غزة الشهر الماضي، والتي اقتضت خطتها المبادرة إلى تنفيذ اغتيالات دموية ومركزية، تمسّ مفاصل الجسم العسكري لحركة «الجهاد الإسلامي»، بالتوازي مع استعداد إسرائيلي على طول خطّ الجبهة، وكذلك في الجبهة الداخلية، لاستيعاب ردّ الفعل، والتدرّج في التصعيد في مقابل ردّ المقاومة الفلسطينية، وصولاً إلى تحقيق وقف إطلاق النار، مع أقلّ قدر من الخسائر. وقد نقلت وسائل الإعلام الإسرائيلية، حينها، عن مسؤولين كبار في الكيان، قولهم إن هذا السيناريو (درع وسهم) يمكن «استنساخه» في ساحات أخرى، ما دفع سريعاً إلى الواجهة تفسيرات أجمعت إلى حدٍّ ما، على أن التهديد موجّه إلى لبنان، سواءً عبر تنفيذ اغتيالات لقادة «حزب الله»، أو لمسؤولي المقاومة الفلسطينية على الأراضي اللبنانية، ما يعني بالتالي كسر خطّ أحمر تجنّبه العدو طوال السنوات الماضية، بفعل معادلات الردع التي تفرضها المقاومة في لبنان. وعاد غالانت إلى تأكيد التوجّه المتقدّم في كلمته في «هرتسيليا»، حيث أعلن «أن ما فعلته إسرائيل في قطاع غزة ضدّ الجهاد الإسلامي، قادرة على أن تكرّره ضدّ آخرين في غزة وفي كلّ ساحة أخرى».

هذه أول مناورة كبرى تحاكي خوض حرب كاملة على عدّة جبهات في وقت واحد

الردعُ نسبيّ

خلال المؤتمر نفسه، تحدث هاليفي عن ما سماه «الردع النسبي»، واعتبر أن حزب الله «مردوعٌ جداً عن حرب شاملة ضد إسرائيل، وهو يعتقد أنه يفهم كيف نحن نفكّر، وهذا يقوده إلى الجرأة في تحدّينا بأمور يثق هو أنها لن تؤدّي إلى حرب». وبناء على ذلك، يعتقد العدو أن هامش التحدّيات، وكذلك الفرص، بالنسبة له، آخذ في الارتفاع. وفي هذا الإطار، يقول هاليفي إنه يرى هنا «سكّة جيّدة لخلق مفاجآت عند الحاجة»، و«المفاجآت» المفترضة، والتي يريد التلميح إليها، قد تكون عبارة عن ردود أفعال غير متناسبة على عمل ما ضدّ إسرائيل، تنفّذه المقاومة، أو تشارك فيه، أو تغضّ النظر عنه، كما قضية إطلاق الصواريخ من جنوب لبنان، بحسب ما خلص إليه المراقبون الإسرائيليون.

الميدان والمناورات

في الميدان، حافظت قوات العدو في المنطقة الشمالية على جاهزية عالية، ولكن غير استثنائية. كما رفعت من وتيرة الإجراءات الميدانية الحدودية، والتي تعتقد أنها كفيلة بعرقلة عمليات مفترضة للمقاومة على الحدود أو خلفها. وبعدما شرعت خلال الشهور الماضية في استكمال إغلاق الثغرات في السياج التقني ومواقع كثيرة، ذهبت خلال الأيام الفائتة إلى حفر خندق طويل، وبعمق مترين، في الأراضي اللبنانية المحتلة في كفرشوبا، أمام السياج مباشرة، وذلك في سياق أعمال هندسية يعتقد العدو أنها تقيّد إمكانية تسلّل مقاومين لتنفيذ عمليات خاطفة وسريعة. كذلك، يُجري الاحتلال حالياً مناورة غير استثنائية أيضاً، أسماها «القبضة الساحقة»، وتحاكي المناورة، التي من المتوقّع أن تمتدّ على أسبوعين، وتتركّز في المنطقة الشمالية، خوض حرب ضد «حزب الله» في لبنان بشكل أساسي، مع إمكانية أن يتوسّع القتال إلى عدة ساحات أخرى، كسوريا وقطاع غزة، وحتى الضفة الغربية، وفي سيناريو متطرّف إيران. والواقع أن هذه هي أول مناورة كبرى تحاكي خوض حرب كاملة على عدّة جبهات في وقت واحد، وهو أحد التحدّيين الأساسيين اللذين يرسمان معالم التقدير لدى قيادة العدو، إضافة إلى تحدّي العمليات الأكثر جرأة وخطورة، والتي من الممكن أن ينفّذها «حزب الله». وعلى رغم أن توقيت التدريبات خدم بطريقة جيّدة التهديدات التي سبقتها ببضعة أيام فقط، إلا أنها لم تُقرّ بسبب مستجدّات عاجلة، بل تمّ التخطيط لها قبل عدة أشهر.

رسائل ردعية

تأتي التهديدات الإسرائيلية القديمة – الجديدة للجمهورية الإسلامية، في سياق ردعي أيضاً، يهدف إلى دفع إيران إلى التخلّي عن طموحات مُفترضة، للوصول إلى القنبلة النووية. وتسجَّل زيادة لافتة في جرعة التهديد، بأن لدى إسرائيل القدرة الكافية، منفردة، على توجيه ضربة عسكرية ثقيلة لبرنامج إيران النووي، من دون الحاجة إلى الدعم الأميركي على المستويين السياسي والعسكري. والظاهر أن العدو يحاول توجيه رسائل ردعية مباشرة وواضحة إلى قادة قوى «محور المقاومة»، وقد وجد قادته الأمنيون والعسكريون في «مؤتمر هرتسيليا»، فرصة مناسبة لتوجيه هذه الرسائل، على اعتبار أن المؤتمر عادة بتغطية إعلامية استثنائية. وساند المستوى السياسي، نظيره الأمني، عبر الإعلان عن دعوة وُجّهت إلى وزراء الحكومة، لعقد جلسة تتعلّق بالجبهة الشمالية، أي في مقابل لبنان وسوريا، لإطلاعهم على آخر المستجدّات الأمنية، وعلى التهديدات والمخاطر المحدقة، وكذلك على الإجراءات الإسرائيلية. وإذ انعقدت هذه الجلسة أول من أمس من دون أن ترشَح عنها أي معلومات أو مواقف لافتة، فإن حملة التهويل الإسرائيلية تبدو في معظمها هادفة إلى ردع «العدو» عن خطوات يَفترض العقل الإسرائيلي أن إيران أو «حزب الله» بشكل خاص، في صددها. كما يبدو احتمال أن تكون هذه التهديدات تمهيداً لعمل عدائي ما، منخفضاً، خصوصاً أنه ليس من الحكمة في شيء، تحذير العدوّ بشكل فاقع، قبيْل مهاجمته، تحت طائلة خسارة عنصر المفاجأة، أو «التفوّق» بحسب تعبير هاليفي.

من ملف : إسرائيل توسّع التهويل: أعداؤنا متوثّبون

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The Middle East Stabilises, Against the Backdrop of a Great Unravelling

May 28, 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen English

In his speech, President Al-Assad spoke of the opportunity this wave of discontent and anger has provided to the Region to revise its dispositions – away from Western dominance and intervention

By Alastair Crooke 

America’s own structural contradictions of a hyper-financialised economy, sucking the substance from its real-economy host — of a society living in trembling fear of a hospital bill.

The US stands aloof and disconsolate in the wake of the diplomatic revolution in the Middle East. First, China mediated (and guaranteed) a settlement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and then last week, President Bashar al-Assad strode confidently into the Arab League summit – to greetings and kisses all around. President Assad, after 12 long years of struggle, has been legitimised within the Arab sphere, and is returned as a normal, sovereign state for most of the world.

But a new mood has arisen: Anger is building across the world. To those that have been vilified, sanctioned and attacked in the name of the ‘Rules-based Order’ the message is clear: You are not alone; many peoples are voicing their anger and discontent. The divisive ‘with us’, or (be treated as extremist threat), if ‘against us’ dogma is being overthrown. US foreign policy is crumbling across the Middle East, and in Asia, Africa and South America.

In his speech, President Al-Assad spoke of the opportunity this wave of discontent and anger has provided to the Region to revise its dispositions – away from Western dominance and intervention:

“Today we are facing an opportunity to change the international situation that appears in the form of a unipolar world, a result of the dominance of the West, who lacks all ethics and principles … This historic opportunity requires the Arab World to reposition itself and invest in the positive atmosphere of reconciliation that preceded today’s summit”, Al-Assad added, referring to recent diplomatic initiatives which resulted in Saudi Arabia’s resumption of diplomatic ties with Tehran and Damascus.

President Al-Assad also stressed the need to consolidate Arab culture in the face of “modern liberalism, which targets the innate affiliations of man and strips him of his morals and identity”.

This latter point by Al-Assad — ‘the cultural danger’ associated with contemporary woke liberalism — is noticeably becoming a global theme, as states emphasise the wish to manage lives in their own way of being.

Of course, Syria is not yet sovereign. US and Turkish forces, together with foreign-backed militia, occupy significant portions of Syrian land. Nonetheless, the Arab League’s position on rejecting foreign intervention and their de-facto legitimisation of the Syrian government will assist Damascus in finding a negotiated outcome.

For “Israel”, the prospect ahead is one of radical change, amidst fears of “being left in the dust”. Prime Minister Netanyahu, amidst domestic schisms and continuing protests, has been seeking to downplay these tectonic shifts, and to project an image of ‘business as usual’ to counter the foreign media focus on protests and political turmoil within “Israel”.  

Attacking the Palestinians in Gaza helps keep Netanyahu’s Right-leaning coalition intact — as one Israeli commentator wrote: “Killing children brings Israelis together”. However, Netanyahu’s two Israeli-unity mainstays for ‘gathering Israelis around the flag’: hyping the Iranian nuclear ‘threat’, and lauding his achievement of the so-called Abrahams Accord, have both lost their shine.

Firstly, the reconciliation between Iran and Gulf States voids much of the original justification — Arab fear of Iran — for US’ Iran policy. The two former antagonists presently are resolving their differences diplomatically (under Chinese guidance), and exchanging mutual security assurances between them.  In any event, Team Biden does not want war with Iran. It has enough on its plate already.

And secondly, Jake Sullivan, on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, failed to persuade the Kingdom to normalise with “Israel”. Arab States at the summit rather, are emphasising the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative which precludes normalisation with “Israel”, until a Palestinian State has come into existence. The States which have ‘normalised’ will continue in the same mode, but the conceptual structure of the Abraham Accords (from the Israeli perspective) is entirely hollowed out. Arab States are busy opening diplomatic and trade channels with Iran; they are no longer manning an anti-Iran axis on behalf of Washington and “Tel Aviv”.

Were we to stand-back and see Regional events in a wider arc, we might notice two things about the global situation: The first is that “Israel’s” present travails, and signs of a putative unravelling of the project, spring not, as its leaders and external allies incessantly have prognosticated, from outside forces, but from “Israel’s” own internal unresolved contradictions.

“Israel’s” structural problem is underscored by the current, bitter stand-off over Netanyahu’s plan for Judicial Reform. The Israeli Jewish population is split down the middle: Ashkenazi vs Mizrahi; secular ‘balancers’ vs ‘Jewishness’ exclusivists — with neither side willing to back down and each claiming to be the ‘more democratic’; and each with a vision of “Israel” that is wholly incompatible with that of the ‘other’. “Israel” rests at the cusp of low-intensity civil conflict.

Similarly, America’s polarisation and deepening political divide, which for some Americans also portends some form of internal secession as the only solution to America’s own putative unravelling, spring not – as its political leaders insist – from outside forces (from Russia, China or Iran), but from its own unresolved contradictions.

America’s own structural contradictions of a hyper-financialised economy, sucking the substance from its real-economy host — of a society living in trembling fear of a hospital bill; of despairing to put their children through college with its exorbitant fees; and a political system in near constant paralysis, a zero-sum confrontation — are self-generated and are not external ‘demons’ (except perhaps, in the depths of the unconscious psyche).

Here is the contrast:  The Region is shaking itself free from the divisions and schisms of the past. Western ‘great powers’, however, are sinking deeper into theirs. This confluence is systemically unstable: it represents an imbalance, and likely will lead to a period of sustained turmoil.

The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.

Thousands protest Netanyahu ‘reforms’ for 18th week straight

6 May 2023

Source: News websites

By Al Mayadeen English 

Despite Netanyahu’s announcement of a suspension in legislation for the reforms more than a month ago, following weeks of enormous protests and a countrywide strike, Saturday’s marches took place as the settler population remains wary of Netanyahu’s intentions.

• Israeli protesters hold a poster depicting their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gagged by a surgical protection mask in front of Netanyahu’s residence, occupied Al-Quds, Sept. 12, 2020. (AFP)

For the 18th week in a row, thousands of Israelis have marched in the streets in the occupied Palestinian territories to protest the Israeli hardline cabinet’s contentious “judicial reforms.” 

For months now, upheaval and chaos took the Israeli occupation entity by storm. Violent clashes have erupted between the Israeli opposition and police, as Israeli settlers continue to protest against the occupation government’s planned judicial overhaul.

Calls for civil disobedience and riots have been met with stern warnings from both sides, as political rifts are widening and warning against the outbreak of a “civil war”.

Protesters gathered in “Tel Aviv”‘s Habima Square on Saturday, waving flags and screaming anti- Netanyahu chants as they prepared to march along Kaplan Street, a key artery in the city’s center.

A protester displayed a photo of far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir with the phrase “the minister of national failure.”

Protest organizers claimed earlier in a statement that Netanyahu’s cabinet is preparing to convert “Israel” into a “messianic and dangerous dictatorship.”

Read more: Israeli reservists warn of collapse if judicial reform law is passed

The protests have been a weekly occurrence since January, when the regime unveiled revisions that aim to give Netanyahu’s hardline cabinet significant control over Supreme Court nominees.

Netanyahu’s coalition, formed by his Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox political partners, contends that adjustments are required to equalize power between the regime’s executive and judicial branches.

Despite Netanyahu’s announcement of a suspension in legislation for the reforms more than a month ago, following weeks of enormous protests and a countrywide strike, Saturday’s marches took place.

The broader population, on the other hand, remains wary of the premier’s intentions, as seen by massive marches across the occupied territories since January, when the Israeli regime’s cabinet began laying the groundwork for the revisions’ implementation.

Earlier this month, Israeli President Isaac Herzog convened cross-party discussions to seek an agreement on the reform package. 

NETANYAHU’S POWER GRAB IS SHATTERING THE MYTH OF A UNITED, DEMOCRATIC ISRAEL

APRIL 3RD, 2023

Source

By Miko Peled

A few observations on things surrounding the issue of Israel. For reasons that are hard to understand at this point, the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia has had very little mention in the Israeli press. Considering its importance and potential impact on the region, it is difficult to see how Israel is hardly moved by this development. There was an expectation that Saudi Arabia would normalize relations with Israel. However, now the kingdom not only has not done so, but they are also building bridges with Iran, Israel’s biggest nemesis. It is a slap in the face of the U.S. and Israel and may soon be seen as diplomatic and intelligence failures of epic proportions.

The American attitude towards Israel has been consistently supportive, and of course, it is expected that it will continue to be supportive in the foreseeable future. $3.8 billion goes to Israel uninterrupted, even though Amnesty International has labeled it an apartheid regime. In fact, the U.S. support for Israel is not just “aid”; it is complicity in crimes against humanity as Israel continues to oppress the Palestinians.

Governments around the world discuss recognizing Palestine within the borders of 1967 – and some have already done so. However, the borders were created by Israel and have nothing to do with Palestine. Recognizing Palestine within these borders only legitimizes the Israeli crimes of 1948. There is one Palestine, and its borders are clear: the Jordan River in the east and the Mediterranean in the west. Palestine borders Syria and Lebanon in the north and the Gulf of Aqaba in the South.

Any recognition of a part of Palestine is really a recognition and legitimization of the apartheid state of Israel. If the U.K. – or any other government – was serious about supporting the Palestinian cause, they would recognize Palestine in all of historic Palestine and would support the fight to bring down the apartheid regime.

JUDICIAL REFORMS

The reforms that the Netanyahu government wants to pass touch on issues that relate only to the privileged class of Israeli Jews within the apartheid regime. They take away the ability of the high court to strike down undemocratic laws and allow politicians to have more control over the selection of judges. It is an undemocratic reform, to be sure, but we have to remember that “Israel” was never a democratic state. It was always – as we are told by the Amnesty report – a regime of apartheid, committing a crime against humanity towards the Palestinian people.

The hundreds of thousands of Israelis protesting in the streets are blind to the Palestinian issue. They have the power to end the apartheid regime, free the Palestinian political prisoners and stop destroying Palestinian homes and lives. Hundreds of fighter pilots are refusing to serve now, but they never refused to bomb Gaza (or Lebanon and Syria) and kill civilians.

There are two causes behind the protests. First, Israelis who did not vote for Netanyahu and his government hate him and the racist gangsters in the cabinet. They want bigoted thugs like Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich and their allies to stay in the West Bank and terrorize Palestinians. They don’t want to see these faces as members of the “legitimate” Israeli government. This is also why the Biden administration and the British prime minister are criticizing Netanyahu. They are also embarrassed to support an Israel that is being governed by these figures.

FRAGMENTED ISRAELI SOCIETY

There have always been inequalities among Israeli Jews of different backgrounds. In fact, one may argue that there was never a cohesive Israeli society. Israel is made up of a fragmented group of people who have very little in common. I grew up in a very white, European-centric suburb outside Jerusalem. I used to take the bus to go to school in Jerusalem and back. Just a few stops after mine, it was an entirely different world. There was another neighborhood, rather large, that was made up of Jews from Iraq and Kurdistan. We all used the same bus but went to separate schools. We never met or spoke to each other. We did not understand them, and they did not understand us. I came from “civilized” Europeans, and they were “Orientals,” – which means less privileged and beneath us. That is how I was raised; this is one small example of how fragmented Israeli society has always been.

One time I was in an Israeli jail after I was arrested at a protest in the West Bank. I was the only white guy in the jail cell with about ten or twelve other inmates. They were all Israeli Jews from Arab countries. Not only did we have nothing in common, they thought I was “worse than an Arab” because I was an Ashkenazi’ and an Arab lover – a leftist.

While there, I told my fellow cellmates a story from my childhood growing up in Jerusalem –

I went to a school that was only for Ashkenazi European Israelis. Then, one day, someone decided to initiate what they called “integration.” Not integration between Jews and Arabs who all lived in Jerusalem, but between Jewish Israelis of different social and economic classes. The authorities brought the children of the Arab Jews – who were of a lower social class and went to a school a few blocks away from my school – to the same school as me.

These kids were as different as could be. We never spoke to one another and never played with one another during recess. In fact, they placed them, the “other” kids, in different classes and with different teachers. When I told this to the other inmates in my cell, they knew what I was talking about. They all remembered how Israelis who are white or European treat them like dirt. They still thought I was a lefty enemy and worse than an Arab.

The illusion of a cohesive Israel, an Israel that is a miraculous success, exists only in the minds of privileged Israeli and some diaspora Jews. Some European politicians may also believe this to be the case, having been convinced by Jews in their countries. But it was never the case. And now, if Israel indeed does implode, if it really disintegrates, there will be no reason to mourn.

Israel Still Pursues its Old Policy

APRIL 3, 2023

INTERNATIONALIST 360° 

Viktor Mikhin

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in his third term, and he has yet to get an invitation to visit Washington. Despite the fact that there are numerous subjects for discussion. Consider, for example, how strongly everyone around the world, including Americans, condemned the far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call for the Palestinian town of Huwara to be “wiped out.”  Smotrich, the head of Netanyahu’s hardline coalition’s pro-settler party, made harsh public comments amid a succession of deadly punitive operations against Palestinians and Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The White House and Joe Biden “got nervous” over other similarly harsh statements made by Israeli ministers in light of the complex situation that is currently playing out not only in Israel but also throughout the Middle East. And not at all in favor of the USA.

According to World Israel News, if Israeli officials had made the same claims in private, Netanyahu would already be meeting with Biden in the Oval Office. But Joe Biden doesn’t want to endanger his campaign for a second term as president as the presidential election draws near. Yet, this year, three to four billion dollars in military aid from American taxpayers will continue to go to Israel. This is the same military aid that Israel uses in its crimes against Palestinians.

While the White House declined to clarify whether Netanyahu would still be invited, a State Department official directed reporters to the Cabinet of Israel for information on the prime minister’s intentions for such a trip. David Makowski of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy believes that “the message the US clearly wants to send is: If you follow unwanted policies, you have no right to sit in the Oval Office.” A senior Israeli official, who wished to remain unnamed, was quoted in US media reports on the matter as stating that the US position was not unexpected given that the two sides had been at odds on a number of topics for decades. Nonetheless, the official stated that “the solid relationship between Israel and the United States has not and will not be damaged as a result of these disputes.”

Two major crises that Israel is currently experiencing are affecting Netanyahu’s cabinet. Since the beginning of the year, protesters have crowded the streets of major cities to voice their opposition to the government’s proposal to curtail the authority of the so-called Supreme Court, which detractors claim will force Israelis to live under a dictatorship. Footage from Tel Aviv, where police actively used tasers and fought with Israeli protesters, was widely circulated.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet warned last month of a “civil war in Israel” and called for talks on Netanyahu’s amendments. “There may be a settlement on judicial amendments,” Bennett said. “There are things that need to be fixed and changed, but we shouldn’t go from one extreme to the other.” At the same time, Bennett added that “the majority wants adjustments, not system changes,” warning against a civil war “over nothing.”

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit believes the current security crisis has only just begun, and he predicts “bloodshed.” According to Israeli media, Mandelblit said, “We are only at the beginning of the conflict. The situation will continue to worsen, and there will be bloodshed inside Israel.”

The Knesset (Israeli parliament) is trying to overthrow the so-called judicial system. On first reading, the law received 63 votes in favor, which is more than the quorum’s required threshold. The goal of the action is to make the Knesset stronger so that Netanyahu’s hardline alliance can maintain its majority and overturn Supreme Court rulings. Members of the Knesset will have more influence in the selection of judges as a result of Netanyahu’s actions.

Netanyahu is allegedly attempting to utilize the reforms to remove a lot of accusations against himself that are related to 2019 according to the protest organizers. Fraud, bribery, and breach of trust are among the charges and scandals. According to Israeli media, hundreds of thousands of settlers protested in Tel Aviv and other settlements in the occupied areas, including Jerusalem, as well as outside President Isaac Herzog’s residence. The president urged Netanyahu’s cabinet to halt reforms and speak with the opposition in order to reach a consensus. Despite not ruling out conversation, the ruling cabinet refused to defer or postpone the reform vote. The president of Israel warned that the situation was going to erupt.

Netanyahu’s political opponents slammed the moves as an attempt to “abolish the courts.” The suggested measures, according to Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, are an attempt by the prime minister to avert continuous corruption cases. “Just because they have a majority in parliament does not mean… that they can demolish the Supreme Court simply because the prime minister has been indicted,” Lapid stated.

The so-called reforms open the path for additional issues that the regime will be concerned about. Analysts worry that Netanyahu’s policies will have a long-term negative impact on Israel’s economic growth and the living standards of Israeli settlers. Although the judicial reform has not yet taken effect, it has already had an impact on the Israeli shekel. The planned reforms, in the opinion of businesspeople and economists, would jeopardize Israel’s investment interests in the occupied territories. According to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu’s obsession with supposed reforms has brought the government to the “depths of a serious crisis,” with the threat of civil war looming.

The Supreme Court justified all crimes and atrocities committed against Palestinians, so this has nothing to do with them. This includes the ongoing expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law yet are approved by the US.

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also expressed “grave concern” about the proposal, the US supposedly opposes allowing Israel to establish Jewish settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank. This action came less than two weeks after he expressed the opposition of the United States to such measures during his visit to the region. According to the Tehran Times, it is probable that the Secretary of State covertly supported this type of conduct, despite his words of “condemnation” by Washington. As usual, there is a game going on here that is costing the Palestinians dearly.

Simultaneously, the United States continues to utilize its veto power in the UN Security Council to allow illegal Israeli settlements to thrive. Other than public words to calm the international community, Blinken has exhibited no significant resistance to settlement expansion. The hypocrisy of the Secretary of State is astounding: “We strongly oppose such unilateral measures, which exacerbate tensions and undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.” Ned Price, the spokesman for the US State Department, went even further in his euphemisms, asserting that Blinken had made it clear during his visit to the occupied territories that he opposed the legalization of settlements.

The increase of violence in the occupied West Bank is Israel’s second crisis. Punitive actions have intensified since young Palestinians started using armed resistance earlier this year, including numerous Israeli crimes against humanity.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the current actions of the Israeli authorities as “an incomprehensible declaration of incitement to violence and hostility.” According to this international organization, at least 65 Palestinian adults and children have been killed by Israeli Security Forces since the beginning of the year. “Settlements in the occupied territories must be stopped soon; the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is tragic. A catastrophe, first and foremost, for the Palestinian people,” both Türk and the entire world agree.

FOR ISRAELIS, ETHNIC CLEANSING PALESTINIANS IS FINE, BUT JUDICIAL REFORM IS A RED LINE

MARCH 27TH, 2023

Source

By Miko Peled

The successful mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Israelis to stand up against the Netanyahu government is proof of one thing: Israelis do not want to end the oppression and killing of Palestinian people.

Israeli society has never seen such ongoing massive anti-government protests. So it is clear that had Israelis wanted to, they could have mobilized around lifting the brutal and inhumane blockade Israel has imposed on Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, or the release of political prisoners or any of the myriad mechanisms Israel uses to oppress and terrorize Palestinians.

However, rather than stand up against any of the sadistic measures their government takes against the Palestinians, Israelis who consider themselves liberal (or even progressive) seem quite content to let the torture of Palestinians go uninterrupted as long as their privileges are not compromised.

THE ARMY WEIGHS IN

According to a report in The Times of Israel, as well as many other Israeli news outlets, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has warned the Israeli government that the army is on the verge of reducing the scope of operations due to a large number of reservists refusing to report for duty in protest over their efforts to weaken Israel’s justice system. General Halevi emphasized that “the judicial overhaul is leading to deep and dangerous divisions within the military, as growing numbers of reservists warn they will not serve.”

In addition to the relatively large numbers of reservists refusing to show up, IDF pilots (the most sacred and admired of all) have also spoken out on the issue. Israeli press reports indicate that “Roughly 200 Israeli Air Force reserve pilots reportedly notified their units that they would not be reporting for their weekly flying session.”

This announcement has serious implications for the military because, without weekly training sessions, pilots cannot be certified to fly operational missions. The pilots’ announcement came following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that the government will disregard the calls to halt the reform and plans to move forward with its plan to overhaul the judiciary.

NETANYAHU’S VEILED THREAT

Netanyahu’s response to the growing numbers of reservists refusing to show up for duty was to say that, “The phenomenon of soldiers and reservists refusing to obey orders as a protest move against the judicial overhaul plan could destroy the state.”  Furthermore, he added, “Surrendering to such a threat is an existential threat to the state of Israel.”

According to The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu passed the buck, stating at the opening of a recent cabinet meeting that he wants the Army Chief of Staff and other heads of the security apparatus to fight this phenomenon. “I expect the Chief of General Staff and the heads of the security forces to fight firmly the [service] refusal [of reservist fighter pilots],” he said.

He thus conveniently ignored the fact that these pilots are volunteers who give the Air Force one day of their working week, year after year.” This piece makes the pilots seem so selfless, when in fact, their entire career – glamorous as it seems in the eyes of Israelis – was built on killing people who have no way to defend themselves. And they love every minute of it. Still, when pilots speak, Israelis listen.

Netanyahu then added a veiled threat; “The use of a refusal to obey orders as a political tool starts on the Left but can move to the Right.” In other words, the message that the prime minister is sending those who use the tool of refusal to serve in the military is that if and when the day comes when settlers need to be removed, or some other political decision is made that favors the Israeli “Left,” then the other side, the Israeli Right, will do the same. In Netanyahu’s cabinet, there is at least one member who not only promoted the refusal of the Right to obey orders but was caught with 185 gallons of gasoline, planning to bomb one of the country’s main highways. This is none other than the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

ISRAELI SOLDIERS AND SOLDIERS ARE HAPPY TO SERVE

Still, what is clear from the message sent by these refusers is that they can mobilize and stand up to what they feel is wrong. In response to criticism, one pilot said he was, in fact, doing his duty by refusing to serve and participating in the protest to curb the judicial reform. So, clearly, one can claim that they see no reason to demand an end to the apartheid regime, no reason to demand an end to the bombing of Palestinians in Gaza, and no need to stop bombing targets in Syria. If they did see any of these issues as a problem, they could bring these criminal acts to a halt. But, sadly, they are happy to serve the brutal regime called Israel.

Israelis on the street are calling for democracy. Privileged citizens of a nation that denied democracy to Palestinians are protesting for fear that their democracy is in danger. This is not a new phenomenon; we have seen this in the United States, in Australia, and other settler colonial states.

Internationally, the Biden administration and the British prime minister have stated that they are concerned about the judicial reforms because they fear for Israeli democracy. The debate on this issue is expanding, and while their support for democracy is heartfelt, pretending that there is a democracy called Israel and that it is in danger only diminishes the chances of democracy becoming a reality in Palestine.

We may expect that Netanyahu will find a way to appease the protesters. It is likely that a compromise is reached on the judicial reform, and the protests will quiet down until they are completely gone and Israelis all return to Netanyahu’s warm embrace.

First Temple Era’s Yehuda vs Israel: Partition Endangers Zionists

 April 1, 2023

Protests in ‘Israel against the judicial overhaul

Amid the ongoing ideological and political conflict in the Zionist entity over the judicial overhaul, the notion partitioning ‘Israel’ has started to be raised.

The Leftist Secularists can no longer coexist with the Eastern Religious Rightists, according to Al-Manar TV report.

Divisions have started threatening the historical ties established among the Israelis since 1948 and recalling the black experiences of the Jews throughout history the report added.

The dispute between the Leftists and Rightists metaphorically recalls the two kingdoms of Yehuda and Israel during the first Temple Era in accordance with the Zionist myths, Al-Manar report noted.

Zionist Channel 11 conducted a survey, concluding that more than half of the Israelis reject partition, but that around of half them do not refuse it.

The Zionist media highlighted the socioeconomic rifts among the two camps in the occupation entity, stressing that the division is hitting even the Israeli families.

Source: Al-Manar English Website

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Israeli Overhaul: It’s Not About a Legislation But Rather a Society Doomed to Infighting

 March 29, 2023

Mass protests swept across the Zionist entity over the Israeli governmnet’s plan to overhaul the justice system.

Yahya Dbouk*

Translated by Areej Fatima Husseini

The zionist entity is experiencing an unprecedented internal crisis, which has prompted Israeli President Isaac Herzog to caution that it could lead to a civil war that would leave no trace of the “Israeli state.”

The first side of the conflict is the government coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, which comprises the “Likud” party, religious groups from the “Haredi” movement, and so-called ultranationalist Jews. On the opposite side, there are opponents from predominantly secular (centrist and leftist) parties, as well as right-wing parties, who are at odds with Netanyahu.

Shortly after it was formed in January, the government submitted draft legislation aimed at overhauling the Israeli judicial system, to be followed by other projects, in preparation for amendments that were supposed to affect other state institutions. These draft amendments were met with significant opposition from Israel’s political community, including ex-officials, elites, and specialists, who were joined by the majority of the Hebrew media.

Therefore, those opponents staged protests in Tel Aviv and other areas in response to the government’s overhauls which they called a “coup against the system of government and democracy.”

With the date for approval of the overhaul in the “Knesset” approaching, the protests grew, as did the list of those who opposed them. They were joined by members of the “Knesset” from the “Likud,” led by the Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, who was later dismissed due to his opposition.

What exactly are these overhauls? Do they merit all of this opposition or all of that backing in return? Is it worth sparking political and social discord as well as threatening to demolish institutions such as the army?

The amendments seek to restrict the judiciary’s powers by preventing it from invalidating laws enacted by the “Knesset.” This appears against the backdrop of the Knesset’s opposition to fundamental laws or those with constitutional standing, or legal principles that the Supreme Court has used to reject certain bills, most of which depend on human rights and freedom of speech… and others.

In addition, the changes seek to alter the process of selecting and appointing judges, particularly Supreme Court judges. This happens by changing the structure of the appointment committee, with the governing coalition having the ultimate say in the decision. Opponents argue that such a committee would be affiliated with politicians, effectively ending the judicial system’s most important fortification, independence, and non-reliance on the political establishment.

But does this plan presage civil war?

The effort to introduce, as well as the attempt to avoid, the aforementioned amendments is a manifestation of the reality of a sharp split within Israel’s “community of societies,” so to speak. The Supreme Court plays a significant role in managing the divide by balancing the public interest and societal harmony as well as preventing any component from violating the rights of the other components or forcing its will on them.

According to the opponents of the overhaul, described by them as the “coup,” restricting the judiciary’s ability to consider laws and decisions issued by the government and the “Knesset” means introducing laws into political settlements as preconditions for the joining of this or that party to a coalition, even if this harms the so-called ‘state of Israel’.

It is worth noting here that the extremists’ agenda is very broad, and if it is translated into legislation in the “Knesset” without the chance of nullification, the identity of the Zionist entity will change.

For many secular Israelis, if talks to establish a government coalition are successful, the “Haredi” religious parties will be forced to demand the passage of Talmudic-style legislation. These parties deny the rights of the Israeli majority and compel them to do or not do things based on Talmudic law, something which cannot be applied without “violating human rights.”

Similarly, agendas of fascist parties, such as “religious Zionism”, rely on harming others just because they are “others”. Such parties view the involvement of the Israeli regime in conflicts and wars for territorial gains as a supreme value, resulting in wars for which ‘Israel’ itself pays the price, and to no avail.

The two samples referred to here are just part of what would transform ‘Israel’ into a different entity, not only by abolishing the so-called ‘democracy’ and allowing a group of Israelis to impose their will on others but also by exposing ethnic and social divisions and differences. This makes handling the divide and mitigating its consequences difficult.

Given this setting, it is easy to see how a shift in the court’s and judiciary’s powers could lead to a civil conflict. This is because Israel’s dilemma is insoluble. Even if a solution to the overhaul is found – in which the amendments would be paused or totally withdrawn, any solution will not fully fix things.

Thus, if prudence, based on concerns and the growth of opposition, can halt the legislation, the issue is likely to reoccur later, possibly with greater gravity.

In a society that defies itself internally in almost everything, Nazi and radical right-wing groups, as well as followers of Talmudic laws, are growing in power, status, and number. As a result, if the combat is not taking place right now, it is expected to take place shortly.

* Yahya Dbouk is a Lebanese journalist who writes for Al-Akhbar Newspaper. This article was published on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.

Source: Al-Akhbar newspaper (translated by Al-Manar English Website)

Netanyahu, Israeli officials take a swing at the US over Biden remarks

 March 29, 2023 

Source: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English 

The Israeli occupation Prime Minister and his ministers respond to the US President’s remarks on the judicial overhaul legislation.

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony in occupied Al-Quds on June 6, 2021 (Reuters)

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday responded to US President Joe Biden’s remarks on the government’s judicial overhaul plan, claiming that “Israel” does not take decisions “based on pressures from abroad.”

“I have known President Biden for over 40 years, and I appreciate his longstanding commitment to Israel. The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us,” Netanyahu tweeted.

I have known President Biden for over 40 years, and I appreciate his longstanding commitment to Israel.  The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 28, 2023

The occupation Prime Minister claimed that “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.”

Biden urges Netanyahu to ‘walk away’ from judicial overhaul

On Tuesday night, Biden urged Netanyahu to “walk away” from the judicial overhaul legislation, warning that “Israel” “cannot continue down this road.”

“Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned. And I’m concerned that they get this straight,” Biden told reporters before he boarded Air Force One at the Raleigh-Durham airport.

“They cannot continue down this road. And I’ve sort of made that clear,” the US President pointed out.

Biden: "Like many strong supporters of Israel I'm very concerned. I'm concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. Netanyahu won't be invited to the White House in the near term" pic.twitter.com/YeuH6QbT3c

— Yosef Yisrael (@yosefyisrael25) March 28, 2023

“Hopefully the prime minister [Netanyau] will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen,” Biden said.

When asked whether he would be inviting Netanyahu to the White House, the US President said, “Not in the near term.”

He also noted that he had not spoken to Netanyahu by phone “in the middle of all this” — in reference to mass protests against the Israeli government — adding, “I delivered a message through our ambassador.”

Landing back in Washington, DC, when Biden was asked by Reuters’ White House correspondent what he wanted from Netanyahu, the US President said, “I hope he walks away from it.”

‘Israel’ not another star on US flag: Ben-Gvir responds to Biden

On his part, Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that the United States needs to understand that “Israel” is “an independent country” and “not another star on the US flag.”

Speaking to the Israeli Army Radio, Ben-Gvir said that while “Israel” appreciates the democratic regime in the US, “it is precisely for this region that they need to understand that Israel is an independent country and no longer a star on the US flag.”

The occupation Police Minister added that “it should be clear all over the world – the people here went to elections and they have their own desires.”

It is noteworthy that Netanyahu on Monday decided to suspend his cabinet’s plans to reform the judiciary amid widespread protests against his government and his decision to dismiss Security Minister Yoav Gallant, though he stressed that “we will never give it up.”

The Israeli KAN public broadcaster reported that Ben-Gvir told Netanyahu earlier in the day that he would “resign from the government if the legislation is postponed” and that he would continue pushing for the judicial overhaul from outside the PM’s coalition.

Read more: Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir reach deal on judicial reform postponement

‘Biden has fallen for all the fake news’

In the same context, other members of the Israeli Knesset also criticized Biden’s remarks, such as Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar, who tweeted: “It’s sad that Biden has fallen for all the fake news.”

He later deleted the tweet and posted another one saying, “Out of respect for our important relationship with our greatest ally, the United States, I have deleted the tweet.”

“It breaks my heart to see how much damage has been done to Israel from all the fake news that has been spread in connection to our justified legal reform,” Zohar added.

Israeli opposition blames Netanyahu’s government

On the other hand, Israeli opposition leaders blamed Netanyahu’s government for the US President’s statements, with former Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid saying that “for decades, Israel was the USA’s closest ally, and the most extremist government in the country’s history has spoiled that in three months.”

Former Israeli occupation Security Minister and National Unity Party chair Benny Gantz considered Biden’s remarks “an urgent wake-up call for the Israeli government.”

“Damaging relations with the USA, our best friend and most important ally is a strategic attack,” Gantz pointed out.

Amid mass protests witnessed in “Israel” against the Netanyahu government’s postponed judicial overhaul that would undermine the power of the Israeli Supreme Court, the White House underlined on Sunday that the US is deeply concerned by events in “Israel” and “strongly urges” Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible.

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked Security Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday. This prompted Israeli officials to condemn the step.

According to Israeli media, former officials in the Israeli security establishment said that Gallatn's dismissal is "a big… pic.twitter.com/W8nXRmpzuO

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 27, 2023

“We continue to strongly urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible. We believe that is the best path forward for Israel,” White House National Security Council Spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement.

In the same context, Israeli media cited senior officials in the US administration as saying that they are very concerned about the situation in “Israel” and Gallant’s dismissal.

Read more: US involvement in sparking Israeli protests ‘false’: State Dept.

‘No less than a diplomatic attack’

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that in “Israel” they were very surprised by Biden’s words, considering that it was the most dangerous statement on the part of the US administration regarding judicial reforms.

The newspaper cited a senior political source as saying that Biden’s statement is nothing less than a “diplomatic attack” or a “resounding slap”.

According to the source, Biden’s remarks reflect Washington’s anger and frustration with Netanyahu and his government and indicate that the Americans do not believe that pausing the legislation is sufficient.

The source added that Biden wants to make clear that the crisis in “Israel” has not really ended.

Elsewhere, the source considered that Biden’s strong announcement that Netanyahu will not be invited soon to Washington is the most severe for “Israel” and aims to pass a message to the government.

‘Israel’ Eroding From Within

Over the past month, upheaval and chaos took the Israeli occupation entity by storm. Violent clashes erupted between the opposition and police, as Israeli settlers protest against the government’s judicial reforms. Appeals for civil disobedience and riots have been met with stern warnings from both sides, as political rifts are widening and warning against the outbreak of a “civil war”.

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الكيان الصهيوني بين تفاقم أزمته الداخلية وانتقالها إلى الجيش… ومأزق نتنياهو

الأربعاء 29 آذار 2023

حسن حردان

نتقلت الأزمة الداخلية العاصفة بكيان الاحتلال الصهيوني، والتي أحدثت شرخاً عميقاً سياسياً ومجتمعياً. انتقلت الى داخل الجيش «الاسرائيلي» وباتت تهدّد قدرته على مواصلة عملياته القتالية.. مما شكل حسب الكثير من المسؤولين السابقين والخبراء والمحللين الصهاينة خطراً داهماً، يهدّد وحدة وتماسك الجيش الذي طالما اعتبر الأساس الصلب الذي يرتكز اليه كيان الاحتلال في استمرار وجوده المصطنع والمؤقت، وفي مواصلة احتلاله لأرض فلسطين، والجولان السوري وأجزاء من الأراضي اللبنانية.. على انّ المؤشرات على هذا التهديد لوحدة وتماسك جيش الاحتلال تجسّدت بالوقائع التالية:

أولاً، فشل جهود رئيس الأركان في جيش الاحتلال «الاسرائيلي»، هرتسي هليفي، للحيلولة دون وصول الأزمة الى الجيش، بعد انضمام المئات من نخبة الجيش من الطيارين والضباط وجنود الاحتياط الى الاحتجاجات ورفضهم الخدمة في الجيش.

ثانياً، ظهور احتمال تمرّد جنود عاملين في الخدمة، مما قد يؤثر على مهام وعمليات جيش الاحتلال في الضفة الغربية والقدس المحتلتين.

ثالثاً، دعوة وزير الحرب يواف غالانت، وهو نائب في الكنيست عن حزب ليكود، إلى تعليق إقرار التعديلات القضائية لمدة شهر، محذراً من أنّ الاحتجاجات ضدّ التعديلات وانضمام عدد متزايد من جنود الاحتياط إلى الاحتجاجات «يؤثر على عمل القوات النظامية ويهدّد الأمن القومي»، وأكد أنه «لن يجعل ذلك يسيراً»، في إشارة إلى احتمال امتناعه عن التصويت على التصديق على مشروع القانون في الكنيست.

رابعاً، ردّ رئيس الحكومة بنيامين نتنياهو على دعوة غالانت بإقالته، مما دفع وزير الحرب السابق بيني غانتس إلى القول: «نواجه تهديداً حقيقياً ونتنياهو وضع نفسه قبل أمن إسرائيل».

هذه الوقائع والتطورات تؤشر الى عمق الأزمة التي امتدّت إلى الجيش الذي طالما كان في السابق بمنأى عن الصراعات السياسية، ويوصف بـ «جيش الشعب وحامي الكيان»، ويُقال عنه بأنه «أساس وجود الكيان»، ولهذا عندما تبلغ الأزمة حد إحداث الشرخ والتمرّد داخل الجيش فهذا إنما يدلل على حجم الخطر الذي بات يتهدّد وجود الكيان وأمنه واستقراره الداخلي، لأنّ الشرخ الحاصل في المجتمع الصهيوني بين متديّنين وعلمانيّين، وبين يهود اشكيناز غربيّين، ويهود سفرديم شرقيّين، ينعكس على المؤسسة العسكرية، وهو ما دفع قادتها الى التحذير من مخاطر استمرار الازمة على الجيش، الأـمر الذي حذر منه أيضاً العديد من الصهاينة الذين باتوا يعبّرون عن خوفهم من اندلاع حرب أهلية إذا ما واصل نتنياهو عناده ورفض التخلي عن مشروعه إدخال تعديلات على القضاء لحماية نفسه وحليفيه بن غفير وسموتيريتش من ملاحقات قضائية بتهم الفساد.

انطلاقاً من هذه المعطيات، يبدو أنّ الأزمة تسير نحو مزيد من التفاقم استنادا إلى ثلاثة عوامل:
العامل الأول، عدم وجود أيّ استعداد لدى نتنياهو وحليفيه بن غفير وسموتيريتش، على التراجع عن مشروعهم بإقرار إصلاحات قضائية، تجعلهم قادرين على التحكم بالقضاء، لا سيما المحكمة العليا، لحماية أنفسهم من الملاحقات بتهم الفساد.

العامل الثاني، ارتهان نتنياهو للتحالف مع بن غفير وسموتيريتش، لإبقاء حكومته، مما يجعله مكبّل اليدين لا يستطيع الإقدام على قبول حلول وسط مع المعارضة للخروج من الأزمة، من دون موافقة حليفيه اللذين يرفضان ايّ حلول وسطية ويصرّان على السير بالتعديلات القضائية مهما كانت التداعيات، بل ويهدّدان المعارضة باستخدام القوة لقمع الاحتجاجات… فنتنياهو يدرك انه في حال تراجع ووافق على تعليق التعديلات، فإنّ عقد الائتلاف الحكومي سوف ينفرط…

العامل الثالث، عدم قدرة نتنياهو على تصدير الأزمة الداخلية من خلال قيامه بشنّ حرب ضدّ المقاومة في لبنان، او ضدّ المقاومة في قطاع غزة، أو ضرب البرنامج النووي الإيراني، لأنّ اتخاذ مثل هذا القرار يحتاج إلى موافقة المؤسّستين الأمنية والعسكرية في كيان الاحتلال، وهو أمر لا توافق عليه هاتان المؤسستان، بسبب عدم ضمان تحقيق النصر من ناحية، والخوف من تدحرج الأمور نحو حرب واسعة تهدّد بالخطر وجود الكيان من ناحية ثانية، كما أنّ قرار شنّ الحرب يتطلب الحصول على ضوء أخضر أميركي، وهو أمر غير وارد لدى إدارة بايدن، إما لأنها لا تريد إبعاد الأنظار والانشغال بعيداً عن الحرب الأساسية ضدّ روسيا في أوكرانيا، أو بسبب المخاطر الكبيرة للحرب على النفوذ الأميركي وأمن ووجود الكيان الصهيوني..

واذا افترضنا أنّ نتنياهو مستعدّ للمغامرة وتجاوز موقف واشنطن، فإنه لا يستطيع تجاوز اعتراض المؤسّستين الأمنية والعسكرية في الكيان الصهيوني..
لكن هل يعني ذلك أنّ نتنياهو وحليفيه باتوا في طريق مسدود؟

من الواضح أنهم فعلاً أصبحوا في طريق مسدود، بسبب ما يلي:

أولا ـ اشتداد وتوسّع دائرة المعارضة للتعديلات القضائية، لتشمل إلى جانب تزايد حجم المشاركة في التظاهرات والاحتجاجات في معظم المدن، وإقفال مطار بن غوريون، والشلل الحاصل في الاقتصاد والبورصة، واحتمالات اندفاع الوضع إلى الفوضى.
ثانيا ـ مخاطر انتقال تمرّد ضباط وجنود الاحتياط، إلى داخل الوحدات النظامية في الجيش الإسرائيلي مما يهدّد بانتقال الانقسام السياسي والحزبي والمجتمعي إلى صفوف الجيش الذي يشكل حصن الكيان وحاميه…

ثالثا ـ أمام مخاطر تصاعد وتفاقم الأزمة، من المحتمل ان تنتقل الأزمة إلى داخل حكومة نتنياهو بانضمام وزراء آخرين إلى جانب وزير الحرب بالدعوة إلى تعليق إقرار التعديلات القضائية، مما قد يقود إلى انفراط عقد الائتلاف الحكومي وفقدانه الأغلبية في الكنيست إذا لم يرضخ نتنياهو وحليفاه إلى دعواتهم ويقبلوا بحلول وسطية للأزمة،

ولهذا من المرجح أن يسلك نتنياهو سبيل تأجيل إقرار التعديلات لتجنّب اتساع الأزمة واحتواء غضب المعارضة في الشارع.

هذه الأزمة العنيفة التي تعصف بكيان الاحتلال ويهدّد استمرارها وحدة وتماسك جيشه، ووجود الكيان برمّته، دفعت وزير الخارجية السابق أفيغدور ليبرمان إلى وصف نتنياهو بأنه «الخطر الاكبر على إسرائيل، أكثر من إيران وحزب الله»… فيما بات ينعت من قبل المحتجّين بالديكتاتور الذي أدخل الكيان الصهيوني في صراع داخلي حادّ أدّى إلى انقسام سياسي، وشرخ مجتمعي لم يسبق أن شهده منذ اغتصابه أرض فلسطين واعلان قيامه عام 1948…

Israeli PM Netanyahu postpones judicial reform law

27 Mar 2023

Source: Israeli Media

By Al Mayadeen English 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspends his cabinet’s bid to overhaul the judiciary in light of stark tensions in “Israel”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second right, stands on the floor of the Knesset, during a vote as people mass outside to protest his government’s plan to overhaul the judicial system, in occupied Al-Quds, occupied Palestine, March 27, 2023 (AP)

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided Monday to suspend his cabinet’s plans to reform the judiciary, though he stressed that “we will never give it up.”

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided Monday to suspend his cabinet’s plans to reform the judiciary, though he stressed that “we will never give it up.”

“There is a minority that is ready to use violence, commit arson, and call for refusing to be drafted into the army,” said Netanyahu. “Israel would not exist without the army.”

“We stand before our brothers, and civil war between brothers is not allowed,” he added during a press conference, stressing the need for dialogue and consultation on the issue of judicial reform.

The decision to suspend the judicial amendments and give dialogue a chance is “at the height of a serious crisis that endangers Israeli unity,” the occupation premier said. “I decided to postpone the second and third readings in the current Knesset session.”

“We have the majority in the street and in the Knesset, and we will not allow the election results to be stolen, and there is a minority ready to tear Israel into pieces,” Netanyahu added.

“Israel cannot exist without the army, and the latter cannot tolerate disobedience,” Netanyahu underlined.

Israeli media reported earlier in the day that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have agreed to postpone the judicial reform law until the Knesset’s summer session.

“Netanyahu is now holding a meeting with Ben-Gvir and ministers from his Likud party, to discuss developments,” Israeli media added, highlighting that “Netanyahu pledged to Ben-Gvir that the cabinet would approve the establishment of a National Guard as a subordinate to the Police Ministry.”

Ben-Gvir commented on the decision to postpone the decision to reform the judiciary, saying: “Netanyahu pledged that the reform will be proposed in the Knesset in its summer session, even if no agreement was reached about it.”

Furthermore, in response to Netanyahu taking a U-turn, mass demonstrations took place in “Tel Aviv”, and the Histadrut trade union decided to stop the strike it had in place.

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin said, “suspending the judicial reform puts them to bed.”

Former Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz called on Netanyahu to keep Security Minister Yoav Gallant in his post, while opposition leader Yair Lapid said: “This crisis is the biggest in Israeli history, and we share the responsibility to solve it together.

The Israeli KAN public broadcaster reported that Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir clashed verbally with Netanyahu, and shouted at him during a meeting between the coalition heads.

Ben-Gvir told Netanyahu earlier in the day, as reported by the Israeli KAN public broadcaster, that he would “resign from the government if the legislation is postponed.” The far-right minister also underlined that he would continue pushing for the judicial overhaul from outside his coalition with Netanyahu.

Israeli media said earlier in the day that Benjamin Netanyahu had “overcome” the obstacles to announcing the freezing of controversial judicial amendments through an agreement he concluded with ministers Ben-Gvir and Levin.

After hours-long deliberations with the government’s coalition parties, Netanyahu left his office to the Knesset in occupied Al-Quds, where thousands are protesting the government’s judicial amendments.

The Israeli Maariv newspaper said Netanyahu would announce a temporary suspension of the judicial reform later in the day.

The Israeli KAN broadcaster highlighted that Lapid told Netanyahu that he was ready to guarantee a safety net for the current government, noting that if one of the government’s parties refuse to postpone legislation and withdraw from the coalition, he would guarantee votes that ensure that the coalition government does not fall for such a reason.

Furthermore, the broadcaster said Gallant would remain in his post if Netanyahu goes back on his decision to sack him.

Netanyahu’s office announced in a brief statement that the Prime Minister has decided to sack Gallant. However, the Times of Israel noted that “it is unclear what new position he will be given, if any.” As per Maariv, Netanyahu now has 48 hours to appoint a new security minister.

According to The Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu told Gallant that he lost his trust in him after he “went behind the government’s back” on Saturday while the occupation Prime Minister was visiting London.

‘Israel’ Eroding From Within

Over the past month, upheaval and chaos took the Israeli occupation entity by storm. Violent clashes erupted between the opposition and police, as Israeli settlers protest against the government’s judicial reforms. Appeals for civil disobedience and riots have been met with stern warnings from both sides, as political rifts are widening and warning against the outbreak of a “civil war”.

Netanyahu delays announcement of latest stance on judicial reform

March 27, 2023

Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net

By Al Mayadeen English 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postpones his press conference due to disputes within the ruling coalition amid violent protests.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the swearing-in ceremony for the new Israeli Knesset in Al-Quds, November 15, 2022. (Reuters).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could announce on Monday the suspension of judicial reforms after widespread violent protests.

Israeli media cited a source in Netanyahu’s office stating that “the prime minister intends to announce the suspension of judicial reforms.”

To this time, no statement was issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. However, Netanyahu postponed his previously scheduled press conference, while Israeli media confirmed that the postponement of the conference was due to “disputes within the ruling coalition.”

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked Security Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday. This prompted Israeli officials to condemn the step.

According to Israeli media, former officials in the Israeli security establishment said that Gallatn's dismissal is "a big… pic.twitter.com/W8nXRmpzuO

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 27, 2023

Israeli Channel 12 noted that the disputes during the ruling coalition heads’ meeting were full of “drama”, adding that “National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned of the collapse of the government.”

In turn, Israeli channel Kan TV reported from a source in Netanyahu’s office that Justice Minister Yarev Levin “will not remain in the Ministry of Justice.”

Moreover, Israeli media pointed out that if the Minister of Justice resigns, the situation will escalate prompting further violence among settlers which will lead to the weakening and potential collapse of the government.

Ben-Gvir claimed, “Something happened today in ‘Israel’, the votes of fighter pilots are worth more than those of Golani and the Border Guards”, further saying, “the votes of Tzahala are worth more than those of Dimona and Beersheba, and the votes of high-tech workers are worth more than manual workers.”

Ben-Gvir concluded, “it is forbidden to halt the reform of the judiciary and to be subjected to chaos.”

The Religious Zionism Party considered that “halting the legislation will mean giving in to violence, chaos, evasion of military service, and the tyranny of the minority.”

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told Netanyahu that the occupation’s “military and security are in danger, we have hit bottom.” Lapid further demanded that Netanyahu “stop this madness.”

Israeli President urges immediate halt of judicial reforms

Israeli media reported last night that over 600,000 Israeli settlers took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the judicial reforms introduced by the government of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after Netanyahu dismissed Security Minister Yoav Gallant.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged the government to halt the adoption of judicial reform immediately.
 
Herzog said “We have seen very difficult scenes tonight. I appeal to the Prime Minister, the members of the government, and members of the coalition … For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the responsibility we are obliged to, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately.

Read more: Resistance Axis ‘watching Israeli crisis with joy’: Israeli media

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