Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel’s Netanyahu hints at unilateral military action against Iran amid regional de-escalation efforts

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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage, in the central city of Rehovot on June 20, 2025. [Photo by Jack GUEZ / POOL / AFP / Getty Images]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday hinted that Israel could take unilateral military action against Iran as diplomatic efforts continued to secure an agreement aimed at ending the conflict between Tehran and Washington, Anadolu reports.

“We heard today the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ahmad Vahidi, declare that Iran intends to continue developing a nuclear weapon,” Netanyahu said.

“As Israel’s prime minister, I am determined to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he added.

Describing the US as “Israel’s greatest ally,” the Israeli premier said, however, that he was “determined to do whatever is necessary to ensure” Israel’s security.

On Tuesday, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said mediation efforts between the US and Iran had reached “advanced stages,” with the two sides exchanging draft proposals.

READ: Netanyahu: US sent Israel draft Gaza Agreement but ‘we have not approved it’

Speaking at the ministry’s weekly press briefing, Al-Ansari said efforts remained underway with all parties to reach a diplomatic solution.

On Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran that, according to Iranian authorities, killed more than 3,000 people.

Iran responded with attacks on regional countries hosting US assets.

In June, Qatar joined Pakistan as part of a mediation team between Washington and Tehran, leading to the signing of a memorandum of understanding on June 18 and the start of negotiations toward a final agreement.

The talks later stalled over disagreements related to maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Between July 8 and July 24, tensions escalated again as the US carried out attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to target what it said were US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, particularly Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

READ: Iran, Oman reached ‘preliminary understandings’ on Hormuz transit, says Iranian official

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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 ReadingIsrael’s Netanyahu hints at unilateral military action against Iran amid regional de-escalation efforts

‘Bibi, You Can’t Hide!’: Protests Follow Netanyahu Everywhere as He Visits Trump in DC

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Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Dozens of protesters gathered near the White House on July 28, 2026, in Washington, DC. They gathered in opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

Israel’s prime minister has been met with relentless chants and jeers of “war criminal” and “genocide” around the US capital.

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has traversed Washington, DC this week amid talks with US President Donald Trump, scores of angry protesters have rarely been far behind.

Across the nation’s capital, relentless chants and jeers have followed Israel’s leader, who has been accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and whom numerous human rights organizations say has committed genocide in Gaza.

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American support for Israel has only continued to curdle as Trump has plunged deeper into a war with Iran that Netanyahu has goaded him to escalate; Israeli settlers have rampaged across the West Bank committing what have been described as “pogroms” against Palestinians; and the Israel Defense Forces have flattened entire neighborhoods in Lebanon, displacing over a million people.

Polls from YouGov earlier this week found that Americans believe Israel is committing genocide by a 19-point margin. By a margin of 22 points, they said they wanted to see American authorities arrest Netanyahu in accordance with the ICC warrant.

As Netanyahu’s motorcade arrived near the White House on Monday, protesters were there to let him know, waving Palestinian flags and pepper him with expletives.

‘War criminal’: Protesters confront Netanyahu motorcade in Washington DC

‘F*** you Bibi.’ ‘War criminal!’

Al Jazeera·Jul 28

“That’s our tax dollars going right there, to protect a fucking war criminal!” shouted one man as a squadron of black SUVs escorted Netanyahu, one video from Al Jazeera shows.

Outside his government-provided residence, Blair House, more protesters gathered, pounding drums, blowing whistles, and holding signs calling to “expose Israel’s control of Washington” and “stop the US/Israel war machine.”

One keffiyeh-clad protester, identified as Joey, said he was taking part because “the only place [Netanyahu] belongs is locked up at the ICC.” He said he did not want his tax dollars being used by the US government “to defend someone like that.”

The Trump administration has not only refused to enforce the warrant, but aggressively sanctioned the ICC and those who cooperate with it as part of what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as an effort to “dismantle” the court.

While he appears immune from legal justice on US soil, protesters have taken it upon themselves to remind him that he’s still on trial in the court of public opinion.

As the prime minister joined members of Congress for a dinner at the Four Seasons hotel honoring the late war hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Monday night, more protesters stormed the hotel lobby.

“Bibi, Bibi, you can’t hide! You’re committing genocide!” they chanted before they were escorted out by armed security.

The protests continued the next day as Netanyahu met with Trump at the White House, where they reportedly discussed negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program and its control over the Strait of Hormuz, US attempts to increase economic pressure on Iran, and the possibility of Israel once again joining US attacks.

At the height of rush hour, a group of protesters braved the pouring rain to occupy a roadway in an attempt to block Netanyahu’s motorcade.

According to Bloomberg reporter Emily Birnbaum, the “unreal scene” occurred “because the White House erected extra black fencing that prevented the protest from setting up where they usually do, in front of Lafayette Square.”

Video posted by the social media account Eye on Palestine shows police forming a barricade and forcibly dispersing the protesters.

“Despite an ICC war crimes warrant,” the account said, “the Trump administration and local authorities allowed his free movement, fencing off a sprawling section of the city to shield him from demonstrators’ arrest demands.”

Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel's genocide.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. New Labour UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham continues Labour party policy of active support and complicity in Israel’s genocide.
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 Reading‘Bibi, You Can’t Hide!’: Protests Follow Netanyahu Everywhere as He Visits Trump in DC

By 22-Point Margin, Americans Think Netanyahu Should Be Arrested on US Soil

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Article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

US President Donald Trump meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at White House in Washington DC on July 28, 2026. (Photo by Maâayan Toaf GPO/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Prime Minister Netanyahu has a warrant out for his arrest for committing war crimes,” said one Democratic senator. “He should be nowhere close to the Oval Office of the president of the United States.”

As with his proposals for government-run grocery stores and a tax on the second homes owned by rich New Yorkers, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an accused war criminal, to be arrested on US soil sparked outrage among Trump administration officials and others on the right.

And just like his other proposals, despite the claims that the mayor’s comments displayed “extreme views” and were dangerous and divisive, Mamdani’s demand that the US execute the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu is broadly supported by the public.

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A poll taken by The Economist/YouGov between July 25-27 found that 49% of Americans believe the US should arrest Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington, DC on Monday to meet with President Donald Trump and attend the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) funeral.

Just 27% of respondents said the US should not execute the warrant, while 23% were unsure, according to the poll released Tuesday.

Nearly a quarter of people who voted for Trump in 2024 agreed with Mamdani, as well as 21% of people who identified themselves as supporters of Trump’s MAGA political movement. The view was also held by 68% of Democrats and 55% of Independents, as well as 24% of Republican voters.

Forty-seven percent of respondents also said they believed Netanyahu was guilty of war crimes.

With Americans increasingly disapproving of Israel and the powerful pro-Israel lobby, sympathizing with Palestinians, and now backing the arrest of Netanyahu by an “overwhelming margin,” said the Institute for Middle East Understanding, Trump is nevertheless “welcoming him back into the White House to lobby for more impunity, more war, and more of our tax dollars going to Israel.”

Columbia University professor Anthony Zenkus wrote that while nearly half of Americans believe the US should execute the ICC warrant, “we’ve got prominent Democrats and Republicans and their online supporters calling Mamdani a terrorist for wanting to do that very thing.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, are among those who have condemned Mamdani’s demand for Netanyahu’s arrest. Waltz said the US would not execute the warrant because the country, like Israel, is not party to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, and does not recognize the court’s authority. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened to “dismantle” the court.

On Tuesday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) denounced the White House for hosting the Israeli prime minister while Israel is “wrongfully detaining an American citizen,” 20-year-old student Sama Safi, who was detained in the West Bank on June 2.

“As I speak, we’ve not been able to get justice for American citizens killed by violent Israeli settlers or by the IDF,” Van Hollen continued, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. “As I speak, Palestinians in the West Bank are under violent assault by Israeli terrorists who are terrorizing Palestinian villages, lighting mosques on fire, torching cars, pushing Palestinians off their lands, killing innocent Palestinians.”

“When Donald Trump meets with Bibi Netanyahu, things don’t go well for the United States of America,” said the senator, noting that five months after Israel convinced the administration to launch an “illegal war against Iran,” American soldiers are being killed and injured in the region.

“On top of all that,” said Van Hollen, “Prime Minister Netanyahu has a warrant out for his arrest for committing war crimes. He should be nowhere close to the Oval Office of the president of the United States.”

Article by Julia Conley republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

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.
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 ReadingBy 22-Point Margin, Americans Think Netanyahu Should Be Arrested on US Soil

Mamdani says ICC warrant against Netanyahu should be ‘taken seriously’

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks to members of the press during his during his visit to a childcare center in Manhattan, New York, U.S., on December 11, 2025. [Mostafa Bassim – Anadolu Agency]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be “taken seriously,” hours US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not face arrest in the US, Anadolu reports.

Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani said Netanyahu is “the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant” over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.

“We’re speaking about someone who’s the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. And he’s the subject of this arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, for war crimes, and he’s the architect of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as Israel’s prime minister,” Mamdani said.

He added that his remarks were based on “facts of public record,” not personal opinion.

“I believe that when someone is charged with an International Criminal Court warrant, it’s something that should be taken seriously—whether it’s Benjamin Netanyahu or it’s Vladimir Putin or whomever else. What I’ve also made clear is that my administration will follow all applicable local laws,” he said.

READ: Mamdani says New York City reviews authority to arrest Netanyahu during UN visit: Report

Mamdani reiterated that position, saying: “If someone is charged with a warrant by the International Criminal Court for these kinds of crimes, that’s something I believe should be honored. And I’ve also said that we will follow our local laws.”

His comments came after US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not face arrest in the United States.

In a Truth Social post earlier Monday, Trump said the Israeli leader “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”

Earlier, Mamdani told The New York Times that his administration’s legal department was discussing the possibility of Netanyahu’s arrest if he visited New York, saying he believes the Israeli premier “belongs in The Hague.”

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

READ: Netanyahu seeks extended security protection for his family beyond potential end of premiership

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

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.

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 ReadingMamdani says ICC warrant against Netanyahu should be ‘taken seriously’

Morning Star Editorial: Burnham’s apology vindicates the Palestine movement. But will he stop the repression?

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This is an excerpt of the Morning Star editorial which can be found at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/burnhams-apology-vindicates-palestine-movement-will-he-stop-repression

 HEAVY HANDED: A police officer detains Reverend Sue Parfitt who declared her support for Palestine Action

… The strongest sign of a new direction on Palestine would be to end the repression.

Reverse the outrageous ban on Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group. Stop the legislation placing further restrictions on protests. Apologise to the thousands rounded up by police for sitting down holding placards. Burnham mentions none of this.

On genocide, he hints it’s for the courts to decide. So address Britain’s appeal to the International Court of Justice to refuse to hear the genocide charges against Israel brought by South Africa, and state that we will no longer obstruct these cases. Call out the US bids to undermine international courts for daring to hold Israel accountable, and its sanctions on UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

Burnham rightly observes that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to make a two-state solution impossible. But pretending that Netanyahu’s excesses have nothing to do with what went before will not wash.

The occupation and colonisation of Palestinian land has proceeded over decades and a fundamental break with Tel Aviv on this, tied to sanctions and a total ban on arms sales, is urgent.

Ultimately that means a fundamental break with Washington. Burnham will hardly say so, but our movement must raise the stakes.

Britain supports the illegal occupation of Palestine because we are tied into a wider network of imperialist alliances led by the United States.

It is inconsistent to demand justice for Palestine while backing Trump’s rearmament drive and remaining a junior military and intelligence partner to the United States. We need an independent foreign policy.

This is an excerpt of the Morning Star editorial which can be found at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/burnhams-apology-vindicates-palestine-movement-will-he-stop-repression

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
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/
Genocide denying former UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government's support for Israel's Gaza genocide and the UK government and military's active participation in genocide.
Genocide denying UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.

Continue ReadingMorning Star Editorial: Burnham’s apology vindicates the Palestine movement. But will he stop the repression?