politics

Ex-Israeli premier warns Netanyahu could try to ‘steal’ next elections

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Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. [Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images]

Former Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert warned Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies could attempt to manipulate the next general elections, accusing them of using intimidation and coercion in the Knesset vote that elected a new state comptroller, Anadolu reports.

His warning came a day after the Knesset’s election of Michael Rabello, the Netanyahu family’s lawyer, as Israel’s new state comptroller.

Rabello, backed by the governing coalition, narrowly defeated opposition-backed retired Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron, amid warnings of potential conflicts of interest.

The opposition has alleged that the vote was marred by irregularities, including warnings for lawmakers against supporting the opposition candidate.

“What happened yesterday is a preview of what will happen in the next Knesset elections,” Olmert told Israel’s 103FM radio.

The current Knesset’s term expires in October, although legislation to dissolve parliament and potentially bring forward elections has been proposed.

“They are trying to rig the elections and steal them,” Olmert said. “They will try to do at polling stations what they did yesterday at the Knesset voting station, in front of television cameras and the entire world.

READ: “My plan”: Netanyahu letter reveals Israel’s bid to replace US aid with military fusion

“They used mechanisms of blackmail and threats in violation of the law. This criminal gang is led by the prime minister and his aides,” Olmert said.

“I am issuing a warning,” he continued. “The prime minister and the gang of thugs governing the country with him will try to steal the elections.

“They believe they can prevent voters from going to the polls and influence the results,” he said.

“What happened yesterday involved blackmail through threats, vote theft, and the use of organized-crime methods to elect the candidate the prime minister wanted.”

No strategic benefit

Turning to Lebanon, Olmert said there is a framework that could eventually lead to peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

“There are some minor territorial issues that can undoubtedly be resolved,” he said.

Early Thursday, a joint Lebanese-US-Israeli statement announced that Beirut and Tel Aviv had agreed during talks in Washington to implement a ceasefire based on a complete halt to Hezbollah fire and the withdrawal of all Hezbollah members from the area south of the Litani River.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the US would determine the timing and mechanism for implementing the ceasefire, which could begin within 24 hours of receiving approval.

“Our problem is that we (Israelis) have a government that wants war in Lebanon, a government that wants to stay there,” Olmert said.

“It is a government under pressure from a group of lunatics who believe that southern Lebanon, eastern Syria, Gaza, and perhaps Yemen in the future are all lands given to them by God.”

READ: Israeli businessman claims Trump threatened Netanyahu through his wife over Lebanon plans

He argued that part of any agreement with Lebanon should involve coordinated cooperation between Israel and the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government is already pursuing a plan to place all weapons under state control, including Hezbollah’s arms, but the group insists it is a resistance movement against Israeli occupation and has rejected disarmament.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has described direct negotiations with Israel as “absurd, humiliating and disgraceful,” saying any outcome would be “completely unacceptable” to broad segments of Lebanese society.

Olmert also said that if US President Donald Trump reaches an agreement with Iran to end the war between Washington and Tehran, it could create a framework for cooperation on the Hezbollah weapons issue.

“Our ground operations in southern Lebanon continue without practical value,” he said. “Israel should not have entered there. Our ground presence has brought no strategic benefit.”

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023–2024 conflict. During the current offensive, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, marking their deepest incursion since 2000.

READ: Islamic Jihad accuses Israel of continued violations of Gaza ceasefire

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingEx-Israeli premier warns Netanyahu could try to ‘steal’ next elections

Italian activists from Gaza humanitarian aid flotilla say Israel tortured them

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Italian activist Antonio La Piccirella speaks in a press conference in Rome, on 3 June 2026 [Screengrab/Anadolu Agency]

Italians who took part in a humanitarian aid flotilla for Gaza said Wednesday that when the Israeli army attacked them last month in the Mediterranean in violation of international law, they abducted some activists, and subjected them to ill-treatment amounting to torture, Anadolu reports.

“This time, the Israeli army responded to the flotilla much more violently” than in past humanitarian efforts, Antonio La Piccirella, who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla’s 2026 Spring Mission, told a press conference in Rome.

“There were two attacks, one of them off the coast of Europe. In the attack between Italy and Greece, they abducted two of our members, further violating international law. The other intervention was carried out in broad daylight and lasted for one-and-a-half days.”

La Piccirella said Israel last year allocated $180 million to anti-flotilla propaganda in order to fight them and build up a sense of “impunity,” and that this year they spent far more, some $760 million.

This propaganda was carried out through disinformation and aimed to create communities sympathetic to Israel in Europe and the US, he said.

Emphasizing that they would continue to take action in the future, La Piccirella said: “We are concerned with actions against the naval blockade of Palestine (and promoting) humanitarian aid, and international law.

“The international situation is constantly changing, and so is our strategy. So we repeat that we will definitely continue to do something,” he said.

Watch: Israeli diplomat forced to cut short address at UN Labour Conference in Geneva

– Forced to kneel and be humiliated

Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani, who also took part in the spring mission, stressed that after being detained he was not even allowed to say that he was a journalist.

“From the very beginning, we were beaten and forced into humiliating positions. When we were taken to their military ships, we were pushed down face-first onto the deck, tied up, then forced to kneel and kept in the same extremely uncomfortable position for hours. When we were brought to the ship that we all called the prison ship, we were systematically beaten,” he said.

The face-down positions he described fit video footage posted online by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in which the activists were forced to kneel and were subjected to abusive language, mistreatment which drew fierce criticism from numerous countries.

Mantovani said he still has problems with his jaw because of the blows he received and that his jaw may have been dislocated.

The Italian journalist said the Israeli army treated Turkish activists especially badly.

“I think I can say that the Turks were treated even worse than the others; torture also has a geopolitical dimension,” he said.

Turkish leaders have been at the international forefront of condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza as well as the famine and near-starvation of its populace due to a long-standing blockade of food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies. The blockade was due to be relaxed in recent months, but many rights groups and international observers say the situation has improved little if at all.

Mantovani pointed out that the Global Sumud Flotilla was detained at night during its first voyage last year, while during this latest voyage it was detained in broad daylight.

He stressed that the Israeli army was not ashamed to show that it attacked unarmed people with weapons.

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingItalian activists from Gaza humanitarian aid flotilla say Israel tortured them

Farage, Harborne, £5 million and Reform UK’s cryptocurrency bill

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https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/politics/farage-harborne-5mn-and-reforms-cryptocurrency-bill/

Within a year of receiving £5mn from a crypto billionaire, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK published a draft crypto bill

[which has since been withdrawn (unpublished) form Reform’s website]

The previously undisclosed £5mn ‘gift’ that Nigel Farage received from the British-born, Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne in mid-2024, shortly before reversing his decision not to stand as an MP in the coming general election, has certainly raised a few questions. Farage claims he was under no obligation to declare it since he wasn’t an MP at the time and, anyway, it was simply a no-strings-attached gift.

I’m sure we are all very pleased for him. Parliamentary authorities, however, are sceptical and have launched an investigation. Farage may eventually face a recall petition and a by-election if the standards commissioner hands out a lengthy suspension.

Not being a details man, he probably didn’t realise the rules require new members, within one month of their election, to declare “any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election”. Personal gifts can be ignored, but only if they are from family members and even then, “the possible motive of the giver and the use to which the gift is to be put should be considered. If there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered”.

Registrable means anything that “might reasonably be thought by others to influence his or her actions, speeches or votes in Parliament, or actions taken in his or her capacity as a Member of Parliament”.

The money is reported to have been accompanied by a legal document declaring it to be “unconditional and irrevocable”. The Reform UK leader also suggested it was for his personal security, saying: “This money is the only way I can look after myself, and protect myself for the rest of my life”. That explanation barely survived the week with Farage later telling The Sun instead that it was “a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years”.

Was the £5mn really just a gift?

Some, including Farage’s former colleague Ben Habib, suggest the purpose of the £5mn was to persuade Farage to stand as MP for Clacton. Farage formally announced on 23 May 2024 that he would not be a candidate in the general election that PM Rishi Sunak had announced the previous day. By 3 June, Farage had changed his mind. He would stand after all, and he was elected on 5 July with a 45% swing, the largest for any seat at a UK general election.

…

Article by Anthony Robinson continues at https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/politics/farage-harborne-5mn-and-reforms-cryptocurrency-bill/. There is more to the story of Nigel Farage, Reform UK and cryptocurrency …

Nigel Farage reminds you that he's the man that brought you Brexit and asks what could possibly go wrong.
Nigel Farage reminds you that he’s the man that brought you Brexit and asks what could possibly go wrong.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Continue ReadingFarage, Harborne, £5 million and Reform UK’s cryptocurrency bill

Trump says talks with Iran ‘going on continuously,’ adds, ‘where they lead, one never knows’

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US President Donald Trump gives a speech at the White House in Washington, DC on May 22, 2026. [Kyle Mazza – Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that diplomatic exchanges with Tehran are proceeding without interruption, contradicting reports of halted communications, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The conversations between us have been going on continuously,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, noting that dialogue has occurred daily throughout the week.

He said reports of stopped communications are “false and erroneous.”

Regarding the outcome of the efforts, the US president remarked, “Where they lead, one never knows.”

Trump insisted that Tehran must reach a settlement after nearly five decades of friction, asserting that the situation “cannot be allowed to go on any longer.”

His comments follow reports from the semi-official Tasnim agency that Iran suspended talks via mediators to protest Israeli military actions.

Trump said Monday that he would welcome a period of silence if Iran suspends indirect peace talks with Washington. He also said that talks with Tehran are continuing “at a rapid pace.”

READ: Iran says its armed forces ready ‘more than in the past’ if war renews with US

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Continue ReadingTrump says talks with Iran ‘going on continuously,’ adds, ‘where they lead, one never knows’

Israel orders seizure of 30 hectares of Palestinian land in southern West Bank: Official

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Israeli army demolishes a three-story building belonging to Palestinians, claiming it is “unlicensed” in the village of al-Kidhr, Bethlehem, West Bank on February 17, 2026. [Wisam Hashlamoun – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli authorities have issued a military order to seize 30 hectares (74 acres) of Palestinian land near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank under the pretext of expropriation for public purposes, a Palestinian official said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

Moayad Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said the order targets land in the Jabal Al-Fureidis area near Bethlehem and is intended to facilitate the development of what Israel describes as an archaeological site.

In a statement, Shaaban said the measure was the third expropriation order issued by Israeli authorities since the beginning of 2026.

He warned that the decision forms part of a broader policy aimed at imposing legal and administrative control over Palestinian land and redirecting it to serve housing projects for occupiers.

According to Shaaban, Israeli authorities had already declared 17.1 hectares (42 acres) of land surrounding the site as state land in 2024.

READ: Israeli forces arrest 4 students in West Bank raids, hold 89 women in detention: Rights group

He said targeting Palestinian archaeological and heritage sites goes beyond land control and is part of efforts to reshape the historical and cultural landscape in support of the settlement enterprise.

Shaaban described the policy as one of the most dangerous tools used to impose de facto annexation of Palestinian territory through unilateral measures that violate international law.

The announcement comes amid increased Israeli measures involving archaeological sites in the West Bank, which Palestinian officials say are being used to expand control over land and strengthen settlement activity in Area C.

Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, Area C, which comprises about 61% of the occupied West Bank, remains under full Israeli control.

In February, the Israeli government approved a measure allowing authorities to register large areas of West Bank land as state property for the first time since 1967, according to Israel’s public broadcaster.

Israeli violence has surged across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, with Palestinian officials reporting 1,168 deaths, 12,666 injuries, nearly 23,000 arrests and the displacement of around 33,000 people as of May 26.

READ: Settler council advances plan for 18 settlements in the northern West Bank

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Continue ReadingIsrael orders seizure of 30 hectares of Palestinian land in southern West Bank: Official