Israel's finance minister, Bezalel #Smotrich, announces that the Israeli security and political cabinet has approved the imposition of new #sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, including the legalization of 5 settlement outposts and the convening of the Supreme Planning Council to build thousands of settlement units.
Where the fuck is the "world" reaction to this outrageous act?
WP whitewash Netanyahu again: #Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet but plans to keep far right sidelined
🔶️ #BenGvir and #Smotrich’s continued influence, even from outside the war cabinet, was partly the reason for the resignation of war cabinet members Benny #Gantz and Gadi #Eisenkot last week. The two centrists said they joined the cabinet to ensure the war was conducted responsibly, but have since concluded they couldn’t work with Netanyahu as long as he refused to commit to a day-after strategy for Gaza.
🔶️ The departure came after a string of military leaders made rare public statements airing their grievances with Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza, with many saying that Israel cannot afford to continue it indefinitely, especially with tensions escalating on the Lebanese border.
🔶️ Brig. Gen. Efraim Sneh, a former deputy minister of defense, said that Israel has achieved its military objectives of degrading the majority of Hamas capabilities and can afford to declare an end to the war in Gaza, get back the hostages, and redirect its focus to distancing #Hezbollah forces from its northern border.
🔶️ “Israel is in an unacceptable situation, in which a big part of the country has been deserted,” he said. He added that, while “Israel’s forces are stretched thin between Gaza and the Lebanese border,” Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners are exacerbating the situation by blocking hundreds of thousands of Palestinian day laborers from entering Israel and enacting punitive measures against the #WestBank-based Palestinian Authority.
🔶️ The #IDF is moving closer to a larger war with Hezbollah, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said in a video message Sunday. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified in recent weeks at the Lebanese border. “Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation — one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region,” Hagari said. After an Israeli strike killed a Hezbollah commander last week, a Hezbollah official said the militant group would retaliate with increased operations “in intensity, strength, quantity and quality.”
"Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered the Tax Authority to deduct NIS 130 million from Palestinian Authority (PA) tax funds and transfer them to 28 families of Israelis killed in Palestinian resistance operations"
In other countries, this would be deemed illegal. Not in Israel, where legality is an opinion (of the far right).
Smotrich: bodies of Palestinians 'should be dragged on a cart'
Israeli politicians, not just Smotrich, are a bunch of Neanderthals. In fact, Neanderthals were probably more articulate and principled.
They claim daily that Israel is a democracy. Far from.
Zionist Smotrich: "We should place the bodies on a cart and drag them through the city center as was done in biblical times, so that people can see and be deterred,"
Ma'ariv newspaper describes the situation as: There is a new prime minister in “Israel”.
They add that in practice, Benjamin Netanyahu has become the servant of his master, Itamar #BenGvir, and this raises the obvious question: To what extent has Netanyahu deteriorated?
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appeared in front of the cameras a few days ago while leaving the Prime Minister’s Office, acting Prime Minister, and announced in an unambiguous tone: “I warned the Prime Minister that we will not enter #Rafah, nor will there is an illegal deal.
The Prime Minister heard the words, and promised that "Israel" would enter Rafah, and promised that the war would continue, and promised that there would be no illegal deal.
These words and tone of voice leave no room for doubt in the heart of every listener. There is a new prime minister in the State of #Israel.
This raises the obvious question: To what extent has Netanyahu deteriorated? It has reached the point where even a response from a prime minister, in order to preserve his dignity, is not uttered.
Netanyahu, despite thousands of disagreements, knows what the majority of the people want: the release of detainees, and he also knows what is important and useful to the people.
But he follows Ben Gvir and Bezalel #Smotrich, because that is what is good politically for Netanyahu for obvious reasons.
Israel economic minister #Smotrich threatens to topple #Netanyahu's government if it approves the proposed #hostages deal, according to Channel 12. He knows that Netanyahu will not allow to his government to collapse, so you should not expect much from the current proposal, which #Hamas anyway will probably reject
He also threatens to topple Palestinian Authority if US takes unilateral steps
In a public letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warns that if The #Hague issues arrest warrants against Israelis, or if a Palestinian state is recognized unilaterally, he will halt all funds to the PA
Bidenistas be proud: Bezalel #Smotrich advocates for Israel to undermine the Palestinian Authority (PA) and withhold its funding in response to potential moves where if #UN formally recognizes Palestinian statehood or the International Criminal Court ( #ICC)) issues arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials regarding war crimes in #Gaza.
In a letter to #Netanyahu, Smotrich said the best way to deal with such international moves would be to cut ties with the PA to “bring about its immediate fall”.
Additionally, Smotrich emphasizes his ministry's intention to withhold funding from the PA, noting Israel's full control over its tax revenues.
#Apartheid / What if Israeli TV starts telling its viewers the truth…?
Arad Nir, head of the foreign news desk and international commentator for Channel 12 News tweeted back at (anti democratic) #Smotrich, who demanded of #Schumer that "the great democracy of the world is expected to respect Israeli democracy":
“Even apartheid South Africa was a democracy in its own eyes - of whites who voted and chose racial segregation by majority rule. It had a weapons industry, atomic bombs, a skilled air force, and powerful allies. But the crippling sanctions supported by the United States in order to back the popular uprising crushed the thriving economy and the remarkable military.” https://twitter.com/arad_nir/status/1768549921479708676
68 orphans were evacuated from Gaza to the West Bank, enraging Israel's far right
An international non-profit organization has evacuated 68 children without parental care as well as 11 employees and their families from Rafah, in southern #Gaza, to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The children are between the ages of 2 and 14, and according to the non-profit, were moved with the consent of their legal guardians.
The UN said that the transfer was carried out with the approval of Israeli authorities — a decision that has sparked anger among hardliners inside the Israeli government.
Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the transfer one in a series of "fake 'humane measures,'" saying "the citizens of Israel continue to pay the price." Meanwhile, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded to know who gave the "immoral order" while the children of Israelis are held hostage.
#Palestine / More US Sanctions: Two West Bank Outposts and Three Settlers
The #US has imposed its second round of sanctions on Israeli settlers since President Joe #Biden's executive order, marking the first-ever sanctions on entire Israeli outposts in the West Bank. The sanctioned outposts are Moshe's Farms and Zvi's Farms, and the three settlers targeted are Zvi Bar Yosef, Neriya Ben Pazi, and Moshe Sharvit.
The decision is seen as a significant step by the Biden administration to address the issue of extremist settler violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians in the occupied territories.
[cont'd] #SettlerViolenmce / U.S. Will Reduce Sanctions Against Settlers
According to news site Ynet,
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that following an unequivocal demand he submitted, together with #Netanyahu and the Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, the American administration has sent a letter dramatically reducing, in his words, the sanctions imposed on settlers. According to Smotrich, as a result, banks will be able to release the accounts that were completely frozen.
#Israel / Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells Israelis that returning the captives is "not the most important thing"
In an interview on Kan Bet network, #Smotrich was asked whether returning the captives is the most important thing - and he replied: "No, it's not the most important thing. Why make it a competition? What's important now? #Hamas must be destroyed."
Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel #Smotrich, says allowing humanitarian aid into #Gaza goes against the goals of the Israeli war. "I spoke to Netanyahu in this regard and this is going to change soon."
Western leaders will be like, " it is not a #genocide ", " it is a special military operation against Hamas"and of course " Israel has the right to defend itself ".
It's just wonderful that the Israeli assault on Gaza uncovered the disgusting true face of western hypocrites to the general public.