Israeli opposition leaders unite to drive out Netanyahu

Israeli opposition leaders have formed a coalition to oust Netanyahu’s government.

Ben-Gvir pledges to execute prisoners, expel Palestinians if he returns to Israeli cabinet

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has posted a video of himself threatening a Palestinian detainee and has promised to execute such prisoners if he is appointed defence minister after the upcoming Israeli elections.

In the footage posted on X, Ben-Gvir is seen confronting Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh inside his cell and telling him, “I want to execute you.”

In a statement accompanying the video, Ben-Gvir said that if he takes the office of defence minister, he will ensure that prisoners like Salameh “are put to death” and that he will advance “the immigration policy” or expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Salameh has been held by Israeli authorities since 1996 and is serving multiple life sentences following convictions over deadly bombings in the 1990s. Earlier, Hamas condemned Ben-Gvir’s “death threat” against Salameh in the video.

Israel revokes immigration permits for 2 Jewish men over West Bank activism

Haaretz reports that Israeli authorities have revoked immigration permits for two young men who had worked with campaign groups to protect Palestinians from settler pogroms in the occupied West Bank.

The newspaper said the two men – British and US citizens – were notified that their permits had been revoked after the Jewish Agency for Israel, which processes immigration applications from people of Jewish heritage, had approved their applications.

According to Haaretz, Israel’s Population Authority did not say why it halted the immigration process, but it did not deny that the reason was their activism in protecting Palestinians from pogroms in the West Bank.

It said the Jewish Agency told the men that the Population Authority was “reviewing” their eligibility under the Entry into Israel Law, which regulates the entry of people who are not citizens or new immigrants.

Iceland’s foreign minister hits back at Netanyahu over ‘moral cowards’ remark at UNGA

Two days ago, Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir has hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he called diplomats who walked out of his UN General Assembly address “moral cowards”.

She said the term applies instead to leaders who “repeatedly disrespect international law”.

Iceland doesn't know that the Israeli accusation politics is no other than a confession what the Israeli leaders are themselves, or they saw themselves in the mirror, as an Asian saying goes.

Israel’s Ben-Gvir releases video threatening to kill prisoner in jail

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has released a video in which he is seen threatening to kill senior Hamas figure Hassan Salameh.

Salameh is serving multiple life sentences for his alleged role in a series of Hamas-orchestrated attacks in 1996.

He did not release the video but another Israeli was filming him and may be the first person who posted the video online.

A similar video was found on Facebook with no brand of a news outlet but translation in both English and Israeli language.

Hamas slams Ben-Gvir after threat to kill Palestinian prisoner

Hamas has condemned Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after he posted a video of him threatening to kill Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh.

The Palestinian group called the move “provocative” adding it constitutes a “flagrant violation of all international laws”.

The video “will not weaken his resolve or that of our other prisoners”, it added.

“We have exerted – and will continue to exert – every possible effort at all levels and through all means to secure the release of our prisoners from the occupation’s jails,” Hamas said in a statement.

“We remain committed to this pledge until they attain their freedom. The fate of Ben-Gvir and his ilk – leaders of the fascist entity – will be the same as that of other war criminals throughout history.”

Israel’s Ben-Gvir enters Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Jewish holiday

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s office has released a video showing him entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Footage shows the far-right politician under the protection of Israeli police during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. He also reportedly performed religious rituals at the site under heavy security.

According to Israel’s 1967 “status quo”, the Israeli government allows the Waqf – the Jordanian-appointed body that manages the Al-Aqsa compound – to maintain day-to-day control of the area, and only Muslims are permitted to pray there.

Netanyahu reportedly asks UAE leader to refute October 7 attack warning

The Israeli prime minister held a meeting with the United Arab Emirate’s president on Sunday, The Associated Press reports.

It cited unnamed sources “briefed on Netanyahu’s trip” as saying talks focused on a news report published by Israeli daily Haaretz earlier this month, which said the Emirati leader delivered a warning to Israel’s leader about a looming attack by Hamas just ahead of the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the genocidal war on Gaza.

Netanyahu asked Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to deny the Haaretz report.

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment but said it maintains “open and direct lines of communication” with Israel and shares “all relevant intelligence”. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office on AP’s reporting.

If a Netanyahu felt the need to travel to the UAE to ask the president to refute Haaretz's report, while such can also be done via the phone, both already reveal that Netanyahu felt himself into a corner.

Egypt's intelligence service also warned the Israelis, while Netanyahu himself knew for at least a year that Hamas was planning something, the New York Times reported in December 2023.

UAE confirms MBZ met Netanyahu

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, official news agency WAM has said.

“The two sides discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and develop them,” it added.

The report confirmed Israeli media reports about the leaders’ meeting.

Behind the Dutch ban on goods from illegal Israeli colonies

• The Dutch ban took effect on September 22. It prohibits the import, purchase and sale of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, and applies to companies as well as the “personal baggage of travelers”.
• Local media, citing the government, said individuals or companies face up to six years in prison for violations, and fines may also be imposed. Unintentional violations could result in up to one year in prison.
• Bilateral trade between the two countries totaled about $4.8bn last year, and the Netherlands is a major gateway for Israeli goods entering Europe. One study by the legal group Global Echo said the Netherlands accounted for a third of agricultural exports from the settlements.
• The Dutch government says the settlements are unlawful under international law and that the ban reflects its obligation not to contribute to the situation.
• The Dutch ban followed coordinated action by 12 countries, including the UK and France, to sanction goods from illegal Israeli settlements at the start of the month.

Netherlands says it regrets Israel’s decision to revoke diplomats’ accreditation

The Netherlands has criticised Israel’s decision to revoke the diplomatic accreditation of Dutch officials based in the occupied West Bank over the country’s ban on goods from Israeli settlements.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said he regretted the “unnecessary” decision and said the Netherlands was weighing its response.

“Our temporary sanctions are not targeted against Israel, but stem from our obligation to not contribute to the unlawful situation ‌of the illegal settlements,” he said in a statement.

Israeli settlements and outposts on occupied Palestinian land are illegal under international law.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on Sunday that Dutch diplomats working at the Netherlands ‌‌Representative Office in Ramallah must return their diplomatic documents issued by Israel within seven days.

Dutch protesters demand tougher action against Israel

Thousands of protesters across the Netherlands have rallied to demand tougher action against Israel.

The demonstrations come after Dutch authorities began implementing a ban on imports of any products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel reprimands Spain’s charge d’affaires over minister’s comments

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has summoned and reprimanded Francisca Pedros, the charge d’affaires at the Spanish embassy in Israel, over “from the river to the sea” comments by Sira Rego, Spain’s youth minister, deemed by Israel as “anti-Israeli”.

Rego’s comments are “part of a systematic anti-Israeli policy pursued by the Spanish government and its prime minister, Pedro Sanchez”, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Spanish Youth Ministry and the Spanish Foreign Ministry have yet to comment.