Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel warns US: Deterrence against Hezbollah is eroding

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US President Donald Trump (R) meets with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at the White House on February 11, in Washington DC, United States. [Avi Ohayon – GPO – Anadolu Agency]

Israel has told the US administration that its current policy of restraint in Lebanon is undermining its deterrent capability and serving Hezbollah’s interests.

Channel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump in a phone call. It said Netanyahu warned that relying only on reactive responses, without taking the initiative, gives Hezbollah an opportunity to recover and strengthen its ideological position, while exposing Israeli forces on the ground to growing risks.

According to the Israeli position, the continued use of limited operations is gradually eroding deterrence and negatively affecting the security of residents in the north, as well as the army’s operational readiness.

READ: Netanyahu orders ‘special project’ to counter Hezbollah drones

In this context, Netanyahu has asked Trump to urgently limit the duration of the diplomatic track with the Lebanese government to no more than mid-May, meaning around two to three weeks.

This comes after Trump rejected an Iranian proposal that included a ceasefire and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz before discussions on the nuclear file. 

Tel Aviv believes that continued Hezbollah attacks on northern forces and communities are undermining the chances of any successful negotiations. It is calling on Washington to set a clear timeframe, and if talks fail within that period, to allow it to “return to the original plan”, a reference to wider military escalation, according to Channel 12.

Israel views US restrictions as limiting its freedom of military action and giving Hezbollah space to reorganise. With no clear timeline for how long this policy will continue, the decision is largely linked to Washington’s desire to maintain a broader negotiating track with Iran, placing Tel Aviv in a complex position between US strategic calculations and its own immediate security needs.

READ: Report: Hezbollah drone tactics expose Israeli gaps despite advanced systems

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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/

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue ReadingIsrael warns US: Deterrence against Hezbollah is eroding

Bennett and Lapid merge parties to unseat Netanyahu

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(R to L) Israel’s caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid speaks with former prime minister Naftali Bennett during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, on September 18, 2022 [Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]

Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, both advocates of settlement expansion and Greater Israel,  announced on Sunday the merger of their parties into a single electoral list, named Beyahad — Hebrew for “together” — to be led by Bennett at the 2026 election.

The move is being presented as the consolidation of an opposition “reform bloc” capable of unseating Israel’s longest serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a lengthy post on X, Bennett framed the merger as “the most Zionist and patriotic action we’ve ever taken” and declared: “The era of division is over. The era of repair has arrived.”

“Yair and I have different views on a range of issues—and we’re not hiding it; on the contrary, we’re proud of it”, Bennett went on to say adding: “I’m proud that two leaders with different views can fight together for the good of the people of Israel, just as our sons, our soldiers, fight shoulder to shoulder”.

Bennet included the creation of “a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre to bring truth to the families” as one of his key pledges.

Speaking at a press conference Bennet said they’d push for ultra-Orthodox conscription, set limit on the term of a prime minister and maintain Jewish control of historic Palestine. A government under the new bloc would lead a “service-for-all law” and will give “not a single shekel” of state funding to those evading IDF conscription, said Bennett.

“We will set an eight-year term limit for serving as prime minister, and this will apply first and foremost to me,” Bennett continued. “We will protect the lands of our country and not give up an inch to the enemy. We will strengthen a close-knit, good and inclusive Judaism, without coercion.”

The government “will only rely on the Zionist parties,” Bennett added. “The Arab parties are not Zionist and therefore we will not rely on them.”

Despite the attempt to present the merger as a liberal or reformist alternative to Netanyahu, neither Bennett nor Lapid supports ending Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

Read: Lapid is not serious about a Palestinian state

Bennett’s own language at the launch underlined this position. His pledge that the new bloc would “not give up an inch” reflects the core logic of the Greater Israel project: permanent Jewish-Israeli control over historic Palestine, continued settlement expansion and the exclusion of Palestinian political rights.

Lapid, though often described internationally as a centrist, has also opposed measures that would dismantle Israel’s occupation or reverse the settlement project and supports the Greater Israel Project.

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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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingBennett and Lapid merge parties to unseat Netanyahu

In visit to Tel Aviv, Milei affirms support to Israel and declares Marx was “satanic”

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Article by Pablo Meriguet republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Argentine President Javier Milei and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Netanyahu / X

On his third trip to Israel, Milei signed security agreements, sang, and gave speeches accusing Marx of being satanic. Taken together, his activities in West Asia amount to more than just an official visit.

Argentine President Javier Milei made a three-day visit to Israel to mark Independence Day. During his trip, Israeli President Isaac Herzog awarded Milei in Jerusalem with the highest honor his country bestows on a civilian: the Presidential Medal of Honor.

“Your message crossed borders and resonated across generations: a message of morality, of humanity, of aligning one’s moral compass, of recognizing the depth of pain, and of offering comfort,” Herzog told Milei.

Such an “honor” comes as no surprise. Milei has not only publicly expressed his support for Israel in its regional and global conflicts, but has likely become Israel’s most important Western ally after the United States.

The Isaac Agreements

During his recent visit, Milei signed the so-called “Isaac Agreements” alongside his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, which outline a set of bilateral commitments in the areas of security (including intelligence cooperation), diplomacy, trade, culture, and even education.

The multidimensional agreement also includes a section on technological cooperation, which covers collaboration on artificial intelligence, model development, and the training of specialists. A common stance was also agreed upon for international forums, as well as the promotion of a neoliberal policy of economic openness.

According to Milei, the Isaac Agreements, inspired by the Abraham Agreements (signed in 2020 by Israel and several Arab countries), seek to “unite efforts in the fight against terrorism, anti-Semitism, and drug trafficking, with an open invitation to all nations that share these values and wish to join.”

During his visit, Milei also demonstrated his support for Tel Aviv amid the war against Iran by designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Quds Force as terrorist organizations. These measures come on top of those already taken, such as his expulsion on April 2 of Iran’s top diplomat, Mohsen Soltani Tehrani, from Argentina.

In addition, Milei has promised to open a direct air route between the two nations, which, he said, he hopes will promote closer relations between them: “Starting in November, the first-ever direct air route between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv will begin operating, and our nations will be closer than ever, deepening an unbreakable bond between two countries that were there for one another when fate demanded it.”

From singer to speaker

Milei also drew attention at the official ceremony marking Israel’s 78th Independence Day when, in front of the nation’s top officials, he sang Nino Bravo’s song “Libre” alongside several other artists.

In addition, Milei lit one of the 12 torches representing the 12 tribes of Israel. There, Milei reaffirmed his intention to move the Argentine embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, something Argentine diplomacy has historically resisted, despite Israel’s requests.

While asserting that “Argentina and Israel are not only partners, but friendly nations,” Milei, in a clearly theological and mystical tone, stated that the Maccabees taught him the importance of God’s favor: “From them we learned that victory on the battlefield does not come from the number of soldiers, but from the forces that come from heaven,” the president stated, adding categorically: “Light always triumphs over darkness.” This quote has been interpreted as a reference to the current war in which Israel is engaged.

It appears that the Argentine president’s newfound interest in religious matters continued during his trip. Bar-Ilan University awarded him an honorary doctorate. In his keynote address, Milei went so far as to claim that Marxism is a “satanic theory” opposed to “Judeo-Christian values”. Amid applause, Milei claimed that Marx was a “Satanist”, a statement that has been strongly criticized by scholars worldwide, who have emphasized that Marx was an atheist, meaning that Milei’s claims (as someone who served as a professor before entering politics) lack any historical or intellectual rigor.

Finally, Milei visited the Western Wall, where he prayed before heading to Ben Gurion Airport to return to Argentina. Taken as a whole, Milei’s activities in Israel demonstrate not only a clear alignment with Israel’s foreign policy but also an attempt to ideologically justify, in every possible way he can (whether by singing or giving lectures), the supremacy of the geopolitical sector behind which he has positioned the Argentine executive branch.

This political spirit was likely expressed most clearly by the Argentine president himself:

“We will not be able to coexist with certain cultures,” a statement that has sparked controversial reactions in his country over what right-wing libertarian Javier Milei actually meant.

Article by Pablo Meriguet republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

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/

dizzy: Mad Neo-Liberal chainsawist Argentine President Javier ” Israel’s most important Western ally after the United States” Milei meets Benjamin Netanyahu -> Donald Trump ‘reviews’ UK claim to the Falkland Islands.

Continue ReadingIn visit to Tel Aviv, Milei affirms support to Israel and declares Marx was “satanic”

Druze leader in Israel criticizes government over treatment of community

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with ISA Director Ronen Bar, met with Shaykh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel [@IsraeliPM/Twitter]

The spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Mowafaq Tarif, on Tuesday criticized the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over unfair policies toward the community, Anadolu reports.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that Tarif pointed to housing shortages and the government’s refusal to connect thousands of Druze homes to the electricity grid, citing issues including a lack of building permits and planning constraints.

“The sacrifices of members of the community for Israel’s security are met with unjust government policies,” Tarif said.

He made the remarks during a memorial ceremony for soldiers killed in action held at a military cemetery in Isfiya in northern Israel, which was marked by tension and sharp criticism of the government.

The annual memorial precedes Israel’s Independence Day, which marks the establishment of the state on occupied Palestinian land and is observed on Wednesday according to the Hebrew calendar.

“Hundreds of gravestones in military cemeteries are the clearest evidence of the central role and deep contribution of the Druze community in protecting the state’s security,” Tarif said.

He added: “But these great sacrifices have not changed the difficult reality in Druze villages.”

“Thousands of homes remain unconnected to the electricity grid, reflecting a significant gap between the duties of military service and the basic civil rights the community has demanded for years without success,” he said.

READ: Jerusalem Latin cleric condemns destruction of Jesus statue by Israeli soldier

Tarif has previously called for international intervention in Syria, claiming that Druze in Suwayda province in southern Syria face “terrorist attacks.”

Syrian authorities have repeatedly said they guarantee equal rights for all groups and accused Israel of using the Druze as a pretext to interfere in Syrian affairs.

The broadcaster said the criticism extended beyond official remarks, with some attendees loudly interrupting a speech by Energy Minister Eli Cohen in protest over policies including home demolitions in Druze towns.

Protesters conveyed a direct message to the government that “the threat to demolish our homes comes from within, not from external rockets,” referring to planning and construction regulations affecting Druze communities.

They said the government sends members of the community to serve in the military reserves to protect Israel while issuing demolition orders against their homes.

Protesters called for an end to the policy and urged comprehensive solutions to planning, housing, and electricity issues affecting Druze villages.

Thousands of Druze citizens serve in the Israeli army, and some have been killed in Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere. Community leaders have repeatedly criticized successive governments over their treatment.

READ: Former senior Israeli officials say Netanyahu government ‘hijacked’ country, failed in Iran war

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

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/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.

Continue ReadingDruze leader in Israel criticizes government over treatment of community

Of All the War Crimes IDF Carrying Out in Lebanon, Israel Reserves Outrage for Destruction of Jesus Statue

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

An Israel Defense Forces soldier is seen smashing the head of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon in April 2026.
(Photo via @ytirawi/X)

“Israeli soldiers have been posting images of their war crimes and cultural desecration for two and a half years straight without interruption,” said one journalist.

The Israel Defense Forces have spent close to two months in Lebanon killing more than 2,100 people, destroying an estimated 1,000 homes—sometimes leveling entire communities—blowing up schools, bombing healthcare infrastructure, and forcibly displacing more than 1 million people, including close to 400,000 children.

But so far, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken out against just one attack on civilian infrastructure—saying on Monday that he condemned “in the strongest terms” an image that went viral over the weekend of an IDF soldier taking a sledgehammer to the head of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.

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“Of all the shocking war crimes [Palestinian journalist] Younis Tirawi has exposed, it’s the sledgehammer to a Jesus statue… that finally gets Netanyahu to comment,” said Drop Site News co-founder Ryan Grim, referring to the reporter who posted the image on social media.

Tirawi reported that the statue belonged to the Christian town of Debel, which the Catholic Near East Welfare Association said last week is home to 1,700 people who have been “in total isolation” in recent weeks as the Israeli occupation has forced the Lebanese Army to withdraw from the area. CNEWA said an archbishop in the village has tried to get an aid convoy to Debel, where residents earlier this month had no safe drinking water and enough food to last “no more than two days,” but the IDF’s shelling in the area has forced air trucks to turn back.

“If [Netanyahu] finds this one offensive,” said Grim of the photo of the IDF soldier, “I suggest he not scroll the last few years of posts from Younis Tirawi.”

Tirawi reported extensively on the IDF’s destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. He posted a video on social media on April 11 of the IDF demolishing a United Nations school in the southern part of the exclave, and one on April 10 that showed a double-tap strike that killed 33-year-old Palestinian Man Yousef Mansour in al-Mawasi.

Netanyahu said in an interview with Newsmax last week that Israel “is the only country in the Middle East and one of the few countries in the world who stands up for Christians.”

In a statement Monday, the IDF said that it is “operating to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols.”

But the destruction of the Jesus statue in Debel came after a double-tap strike that killed Father Pierre al-Rahi, a Manonite Catholic priest, in another southern Lebanese town last month. Historic Christian churches have also been destroyed by IDF attacks in Gaza.

“The smashing of Christ’s statue in Lebanon is latest example of the impunity with which Israeli soldiers have attacked and desecrated religious sites in occupied Palestinian territories,” said TRT World.

War correspondent Steve Sweeney, who is based in Beirut, shared footage of a church the IDF destroyed in southern Lebanon in October 2024, in an attack that killed at least eight people.

Sweeney also noted that a month after that attack, Israeli soldiers “desecrated the St. Mema Church in the Christian village of Deir Mimas, southern Lebanon.”

The IDF “said the conduct was contrary to its values” at the time, said Sweeney.

Despite officials’ expressions of shock on Monday, “Israeli soldiers have been posting images of their war crimes and cultural desecration for two and a half years straight without interruption,” said Grim.

UN experts have warned as Israel has carried out its attacks in Lebanon since early March that “deliberately attacking civilians or civilian objects amounts to a war crime.”

While the destruction of the Jesus statue drew condemnation Monday from Netanyahu, the IDF, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee—who called for “swift, severe, and public consequences”—it was far from the only attack waged by Israel in Lebanon over the weekend.

Despite a ceasefire that was announced Friday and a statement from President Donald Trump that further IDF attacks were “PROHIBITED,” Israel continued demolishing infrastructure and shelling areas in southern Lebanon over the weekend, and three people were injured in an Israeli drone strike near the Litani River on Monday.

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

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/
Continue ReadingOf All the War Crimes IDF Carrying Out in Lebanon, Israel Reserves Outrage for Destruction of Jesus Statue