Examples of continuous Israeli harassment/murder of Palestinians

[angelburst29]

Israeli lawmakers voted to dissolve parliament early on Thursday, paving the way for a new election after veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government before a midnight deadline.

Israel faces second election in months as Netanyahu fails to form government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sits at the plenum at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem May 30, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

The Sept. 17 ballot will be Israel’s second this year. It spells unprecedented upheaval even for a country used to political infighting and is a big blow to Netanyahu, who had claimed victory in the last election on April 9.

Parliament’s 74-to-45 vote took place just minutes after a midnight deadline for Netanyahu to assemble his fifth government.

But the failed coalition building of a 69-year-old leader who just weeks ago was hailed by supporters as a political “magician” may open rifts and stir up challenges within Likud.

Slideshow (7 Images)
Israel faces second election in months as Netanyahu fails to form...

 

[angelburst29]

Are we witnessing Netanyahu's downfall - on his own turf - among his own peers?

Netanyahu vows to win Israeli snap election

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that his conservative Likud party would win a snap Israeli election called after he missed a deadline to form a coalition government.

Explainer: The main players in Israel's next election, the second this year

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to cobble together a coalition government despite weeks of trying and Israel will vote on Sept. 17 in the second election within months.

Netanyahu’s authority suffered a blow because he had confidently claimed victory in the last election on April 9 but could not put together a ruling conservative bloc as he was widely expected to do.

No single party has ever won an outright majority in the Knesset, making coalition governments the norm. Netanyahu is still set to become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister in July, and has made clear that he intends to run - and win. But his opponents have another chance soon to bring him down.

Slideshow (12 Images)
Explainer: The main players in Israel's next election, the second...

New Israel election likely to widen a swelling budget deficit (Don't come begging the U.S. for another FREE hand-out!)

Israel's budget deficit problem is about to get bigger as the country heads for its second election this year, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a new government.

Top U.S., Israeli, Russian security officials to meet in Jerusalem in June: White House

White House national security adviser John Bolton and his Israeli and Russian counterparts will meet in Jerusalem in June to discuss regional security issues, the White House said on Wednesday.

Trump envoys Kushner, Greenblatt in Middle East to seek support for peace plan
Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is leading a U.S. delegation to the Middle East this week seeking support for a late June workshop aimed at helping the Palestinians, a White House official said on Tuesday.

Jordan's king tells Trump adviser peace possible only with a Palestinian state

Jordan's King Abdullah told U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner on Wednesday that a lasting Middle East Peace can come only with the creation of a Palestinian State on land captured by Israel in a 1967 war and with East Jerusalem as it's Capital.

 

[Ca.]

Jared Kushner's agendas!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1135342668903567365

https://twitter.com/x/status/1135242511650381825

Trump: Israeli politics ‘messed up,’ country needs to ‘get their act together’

US president says he is 'not happy' with Netanyahu's inability to form a government, move to new elections will likely further delay his peace plan

www.timesofisrael.com

4-5 minute Read

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Israel has got to “get their act together” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a new governing coalition and a second election was set for later this year.

“Israel is all messed up with their election. I mean, that came out of the blue three days ago. So that’s all messed up. They ought to get their act together,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn before departing for the UK.

“Bibi got elected. Now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have to go through the process again until September? That’s ridiculous. So we’re not happy about that,” he said.

Trump also said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo may be right in assessing that the administration’s forthcoming Mideast peace plan may not go anywhere. A Washington Post report quoted Pompeo as telling a group of Jewish leaders in New York that the long-delayed plan may not “gain traction.”

Trump told reporters, “I think we have a good chance, but we’ll see what happens.”

This is the second time Trump has commented on Netanyahu’s failure to form a government, but this time was a lot less charitable to the Israeli leader, who has been one of his greatest supporters in the international community.

On Thursday Trump was more stoic and praised the premier as a “great guy.”

“Well, it’s too bad what happened in Israel. It looked like a total win for Netanyahu, who’s a great guy, he’s a great guy,” said the president. “And now they’re back… in the election stage. That is too bad. Because they don’t need this. I mean they’ve got enough turmoil over there, it’s a tough place.”

Trump was widely seen as overtly pushing to get Netanyahu elected, with a series of steps aimed at boosting Netanyahu’s popularity, including recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in a festive ceremony at the White House just days before the election.

Earlier this week, while Netanyahu still had time to cobble together a coalition by a Wednesday night deadline, Trump chimed in on Twitter, expressing hope that despite stalled coalition negotiations, the premier would be able to form a government in order to further strengthen ties between the countries.

“Hoping things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi [Netanyahu] and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do!” Trump tweeted in the midst of the drama in Israel.

US President Donald Trump smiles at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, after signing a proclamation formally recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, in Washington, DC, on March 25, 2019. (AP/Susan Walsh)

Speaking to Trump’s Middle East advisers, who were in Israel on Thursday, Netanyahu said that Israel-US ties would not be affected by Wednesday night’s political “little event.”

“Even though we had a little event last night – that’s not going to stop us. We’re going to continue working together. We had a great, productive meeting which reaffirms that the alliance… has never been stronger,” Netanyahu said, according to a recording released by the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

The president’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, accompanied by the president’s Mideast peace envoy Jason Greenblatt and Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, arrived in Jerusalem last week after earlier stops in Morocco and Jordan. They were on a trip to lay the groundwork for the economic section of the administration’s peace plan.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1135355754028982272

CREW requests investigation into Jared Kushner’s security clearance - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Reports indicate that President Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Jared Kushner a security clearance, which Trump has denied.

www.citizensforethics.org

March 7, 2019 4 minute Read.
CREW Requests Investigation into Jared Kushner’s Security Clearance

Washington—An immediate investigation is needed into the granting of Jared Kushner’s security clearance against the recommendation of career security specialists, according to a request filed today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) with the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community (ICIG). CREW also requested an investigation into the granting of security clearances to approximately 30 other staff members in the Executive Office of the President (EOP).

Career White House security specialists and then-White House Counsel Donald McGahn recommended that Kushner not receive a top-secret clearance, citing concerns about his foreign entanglements and potential susceptibility to foreign influence. Despite the recommendations, Kushner was granted a clearance in May 2018. Several recent news reports indicate that President Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Kushner’s clearance, but President Trump has denied any involvement in granting it. According to earlier reporting, on multiple occasions Carl Kline, then-Director of the EOP Personnel Security Office, overruled the recommendations of career security officials when granting clearances to Trump appointees.

“It is deeply concerning that Jared Kushner and more than 30 other White House staffers were granted clearances against the advice of career security specialists,” said CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder. “The American public deserves to know the circumstances in which the president’s son-in-law was granted access to our nation’s most sensitive information despite security concerns and whether or not his access presents an ongoing national security threat. The ICIG must immediately investigate how this happened and what role the President played in the process and must determine whether or not Kushner and others are eligible to hold their clearances.”


CREW previously raised questions about Kushner’s security clearance based on his foreign entanglements and foreign influence, among other factors, in a letter to Kelly requesting that Kushner’s interim temporary clearance be revoked. Since CREW submitted that letter, additional conflicts of interest concerns have been raised based on Kushner’s family business interests and his broad work portfolio, including Middle East foreign policy. Kushner reportedly was involved in advancing the so-called “Middle East Marshall Plan” to sell nuclear technology outside of the statutorily mandated process to Saudi Arabia. Questions have also been raised about Kushner’s support for an international blockade of Qatar, which some have suggested may have been retaliation for Qatar not following through on a financial deal benefitting one of the Kushner family properties.

 

[angelburst29]

Hundreds of ultra-nationalist Jews guarded by riot police streamed their way into the Jerusalem compound revered both in Judaism and Islam on Sunday, resulting in violence between police and outraged Muslim worshippers.

Ultra-nationalist Jews' visit stokes Palestinian anger at Jerusalem holy site

Jewish youth wave Israeli flags as they participate in a march marking "Jerusalem Day", near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City June 2, 2019. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

The highly provocative visit came during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims flock to pray at the compound's al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam where non-Muslim prayer has been banned since 1187.

Jun 03 2019 - League of Arab States Demands International Community to End Its Silence, Shoulder Responsibilities Toward Jerusalem
The League of Arab States warned on Sunday of the dangers of storming al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers under the protection of Israeli forces, demanding the international community and relevant UN organizations to end their silence and promptly move and shoulder their legal and moral responsibilities towards Jerusalem and its holy sites.

Kushner: Palestinians deserve self-determination but uncertain they can govern themselves

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the Palestinians deserve "self-determination," but stopped short of backing Palestinian statehood and expressed uncertainty over their ability to govern themselves.

Sisi says Egypt will not accept anything against Palestinian wishes

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, speaking about the unannounced U.S. Mideast peace plan, said on Sunday that his country would not accept anything undesired by the Palestinians.

Palestinians say U.S. 'deal of the century' will finish off their state

The U.S. blueprint to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, still in draft form after almost two years, is seen by Palestinians, and by some Arab officials and politicians, as a plan to finish off the Palestinian cause.

Jun 02 2019 - Palestinian President’s Spokesman: Arab, Islamic Summits Sent Clear Message to US

The decisions of the Arab and Islamic summits held in Mecca were a victory for the Palestinian position and sent a clear message to the American administration that this position is firm and clear in spite of all the conspiracies and attempts to liquidate its national cause, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, stated.

He said that “the adoption by the Arab and Islamic nations of the Palestinian position sent a very clear message to the US administration that the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace is by implementing the United Nations resolutions while rejecting any deal that does not conform to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders", according to WAFA.

"Everyone must understand that the road to peace is clear and its address is the legitimate leadership of the Palestinian people, not through imaginary deals or economic projects not worth the ink they were written with," Abu Rudeineh added.

"The Palestinian leadership has not authorized anyone to speak on its behalf or in the name of the Palestinian people, nor will it accept any conference or deals aimed at undermining the rights of our people," he stressed.

"The rights of our people and their constants, foremost is Jerusalem and its holy places, are not for sale. The Palestinian people will win regardless of the magnitude of the challenges and difficulties they will face,” he noted.

Jun 01 2019 - Leaked Docs Show NSA Fed Israel Intel for Targeted Assassinations

Frustrated by a legal ban on sharing intelligence with Israeli operatives conducting targeted assassinations against Hezbollah, the NSA crafted a loophole giving them total access even to US citizens' data, leaked documents showed.

The Israeli SIGINT National Unit (ISNU), the NSA's counterpart in Tel Aviv, convinced the Americans to circumvent the legal prohibition on providing surveillance data for targeted assassinations during Israel's 2006 war with Lebanon, according to the newest revelation from the archives obtained by whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to RT.

Using the familiar rationale of "terrorism" to excuse cooperation they knew was illegal, the NSA and ISNU found a workaround using the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that provided the Israelis with all the intel they needed, according to an October 2006 article in the NSA's internal publication.

"To ISNU, this prohibition [on sharing data for targeted killings] was contrary not only to supporting Israel in its fight against Hezbollah but overall, to support the US Global War on Terrorism," an article in SIDToday said.

Its author, whose name is redacted, details the "late-night, sometimes tense discussions" he had with ISNU officials who believed they deserved an exemption from the US prohibition on abetting targeted killings.

The documents don't include details of what "arrangement" was eventually worked out with the ODNI, but the Israeli military used American data to lay waste to Lebanon's civilian population, much like the tech-enhanced US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, whose kill-counts swelled with civilian victims after they received access to NSA targeting data.

"Israel repeatedly, and in some cases egregiously, violated the laws of war," Human Rights Watch reporter Nadim Houry told the Intercept, adding that the Israelis "engaged in indiscriminate aerial attacks" and cluster bombing against "civilian infrastructure that was not tied in any way to the armed conflict".

This 'strategy' had a name – the "Dahiyeh doctrine" – and Israeli officials admitted it was deliberate, but despite this brutality, they were unable to win the war.

A leaked presentation about the NSA-ISNU relationship notes that "public confidence in IDF erodes" and "IDF image damaged" after the seemingly-outmatched Hezbollah fighters were able to keep the Israelis at bay. Nevertheless, the IDF was, according to the presentation, "Gearing up for Round II".

Apparently unsatisfied with the legal loophole the Americans had created for them, the Israelis sought and received full access to the NSA's massive surveillance data troves after the war. A 2009 memorandum of understanding officially gave ISNU unrestricted access to the NSA's raw intelligence data – including the phone and internet records of American citizens and citizens of third-party countries. Only American officials' data was excluded, on an honor-system basis (with ISNU instructed to "destroy upon recognition" any records originating with a government official). Almost no strings were attached to this bonanza – the Israelis could even release the identities of Americans whose information had been scooped up in the dragnet, as long as they asked the NSA for permission first, and could pass the data on to anyone at all if the names were redacted.

While a leaked presentation calls ISNU "NSA's most valued third party partner", it also suggests there was "high anxiety" among the Israelis "heavily reliant" on NSA data for support. One slide reads "What Did ISNU Want? Everything!!!" and complaints about the Israelis' "robust" spying on Americans crop up frequently in the Snowden archives. The NSA did not seem to mind, because the Israelis were very, very grateful for all the information.

"Throughout all of my discussions – no matter what the tone or subject – ISNU stressed their deep gratitude for the cooperation and support they received from the NSA," the SIDToday article added.

 

[angelburst29]

Israelis will attend a U.S-led conference in Bahrain next week on proposals for the Palestinian economy as part of a coming peace plan, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday.

Israel to attend U.S.-led Palestinian conference

FILE PHOTO: Israel's acting foreign minister Israel Katz, who also serves as intelligence and transport minister, attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem February 24, 2019. Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS

The United States has billed the gathering as a workshop to boost the Palestinian economy as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel would send a business delegation but no government officials to the June 25-26 workshop, which is being boycotted by the Palestinian leadership.

“Israel will be at the Bahrain conference and all the coordinations will be made,” Katz said told Israeli Channel 13 News in New York. He gave no further details. The Foreign Ministry declined comment, as did a spokesman for Katz.

A White House official said on Tuesday that Egypt, Jordan and Morocco planned to attend the conference.

Egypt and Jordan’s participation is considered particularly important because they have historically been major players in Middle East peace efforts and are the only Arab states that have peace treaties with Israel.

Netanyahu's wife admits criminal wrongdoing in meals catering case

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, appeared in court on Sunday to admit criminal wrongdoing over the misuse of state funds to order catered meals, in a plea bargain carrying no jail time.

Under the agreement, a fraud charge was reduced to a lesser offense and she will pay the state 45,000 shekels ($12,490) in reimbursement and a 10,000 shekel ($2,775) fine.

According to the original indictment, Sara Netanyahu, along with a government employee, fraudulently obtained from the state more than $100,000 for hundreds of meals supplied by restaurants, bypassing regulations that prohibit the practice if a cook is employed at home.

Smiling broadly, Netanyahu faced a phalanx of cameras in the courthouse before the session got under way.

At the hearing, a judge ratified the plea deal, convicting her of the criminal charge of intentionally exploiting another person’s mishandling of state money for her own benefit, after prosecutors dropped the more serious offense of fraud.

“Do you understand what you admitted to?” the judge asked Netanyahu, 60. “Yes, I do,” she replied.

Slideshow (4 Images)
Netanyahu's wife admits criminal wrongdoing in meals catering case

Israel launches 'Trump Heights' on Golan, but construction may lag

Israel approved in principle on Sunday a new community named after U.S. President Donald Trump on a contested frontier zone with Syria - but construction looked likely to lag given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political stumbles.

 

[goyacobol]

but construction looked likely to lag given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political stumbles.

So, maybe what we see on the sign is as far as they get...that would put a smile on my face.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Israelis will attend a U.S-led conference in Bahrain next week on proposals for the Palestinian economy as part of a coming peace plan, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday.

Israel to attend U.S.-led Palestinian conference


Israel launches 'Trump Heights' on Golan, but construction may lag

“Thank you PM @Netanyahu and the State of Israel for this great honor!” Trump said on Twitter.

Trump Thanks Netanyahu for Naming New Settlement in Golan Heights After Him
17.06.2019

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140333422767824896

'Photo shows IQ of the US and Israeli politicians'

Trump Administration Plans to Delay Part of Middle East Peace Plan Due to Israel Elections – Reports
17.06.2019

US May Delay Release of Middle East Plan Till November - Envoy
16.06.2019

Blackwater Founder Seeks to Invest in Israeli Start-Ups
15.06.2019

 

[angelburst29]

The involvement of Israel’s national intelligence agency Mossad in initiatives against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has been exposed by a Freedom of Information request.

Mossad involvement in Israel anti-BDS campaigns exposed June 12, 2019
Mossad involvement in Israel anti-BDS campaigns exposed

People come together to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement and to protest against Israeli violations on the Palestinian people [Stephanie Law/Flickr]

The request was made by Israeli advocacy organization Hatzlaha to all ministers, deputy ministers and ministry directors-general, in doing so making the diary schedules of Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan – who has spearheaded Israel’s de-facto war against BDS – publicly available.

The diaries revealed that last year Erdan met with head of Mossad Yossi Cohen about “the struggle against the boycott”. Although rumors that Mossad has assisted the state in its anti-BDS activities have circulated in the past, today’s disclosure presents further evidence of the intelligence agency’s involvement.

A statement issued by Erdan’s office said that “[he] met during the last term with the heads of the security services to brief them on the ministry’s activities related to the fight against the de-legitimization and boycott [BDS] campaign,” stressing the meeting only constituted “a review” of the ministry’s efforts.

However, sources familiar with the activities of the Strategic Affairs Ministry told Haaretz that “the ministry indeed cooperates with the Mossad”.

The diaries also showed that Erdan met with other high-profile security officials last year, including National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, as well as representatives of global Jewish organizations such as the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith and the American Jewish Congress.

Also included on the schedule were “many meetings” linked to the establishment of “Concert”, a private but partly government-controlled company designed to “covertly advance ‘mass awareness activities’ as part of ‘the struggle against the campaign to delegitimize’ Israel”.

The company has received 128 million shekels ($36 million) in funding from the Israeli government, matching the same amount in private contributions from pro-Israel organizations and individual donors.

The announcement comes just two days after it was revealed that Erdan’s Strategic Affairs Ministry forced 30 fundraising accounts associated with BDS to close in the past two years. The ministry announced that it had forced the closure of ten US-based fundraising accounts and a further 20 in Europe, by directing pro-Israel activists to report the accounts to their host platforms PayPal and DonorBox.

Among those organizations targeted by the shut downs were the BDS National Committee – the movement’s Ramallah-based arm – as well as human rights organization Al-Haq and UK-based charity Interpal.

Infamous legal advocacy group Shurat HaDin – which regularly fights court battles on Israel’s behalf – was closely involved in pushing for the closures. In December, the same group filed a complaint to DonorBox requesting that BDS’ fundraising account be shut down, prompting the movement’s founder, Omar Barghouti, to label the group “a repressive organization with clear connections to the far-right Israeli government” that is “engaging in McCarthyite tactics”.

Shurat HaDin is known to have links with Mossad. In 2017 Shurat HaDin head Nitsana Darshan-Leitner released a book titled “Harpoon”, after the codename of the Mossad finance-tracking unit she worked with. Darshan-Leitner revealed how, after Shurat HaDin began to gain traction by suing Palestinians for the Second Intifada, she was invited to Mossad headquarters for a consultation.

After she explained Shurat HaDin’s process, Mossad’s response, Darshan-Leitner claimed, was “what do we have to do to file more lawsuits? What do you need?” This then “evolved into regular briefings, held in quiet cafes, where she would get tip-offs” to assist her work.

240 Israel and Jewish professors urge Germany not to enforce anti-BDS law
Middle East Monitor

Some 240 Israeli and Jewish academics and intellectuals have sent a letter to the Germany government urging it not to enact in to law a bill that would define the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as “anti-Semitic”.

If it is passed in to law, the currently non-binding motion, which was passed by the Bundestag – parliament – in May, would be the first official law in Europe to classify BDS activity as anti-Semitic.

Despite winning huge support among vast sections of the major parties, including the Social Democrats, the Free Democratic Party, and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, the law has also drawn a significant amount of criticism and condemnation.

Some 240 Israeli and Jewish academics and intellectuals have sent a letter to the German government urging it to oppose the motion and “not to endorse” it, due to it being “based on the false allegation that BDS as such equals anti-Semitism.”

The letter, which was published in both English and German on BDS Germany's website, stated that "we all reject deceitful allegation that BDS as such is anti-Semitic and maintain that boycotts are a legitimate and non-violent tool of resistance."

They also called on the German government “to maintain its direct and indirect funding of Israeli and Palestinian non-governmental organizations that peacefully challenge the Israeli occupation.”

The professors and signatories of the letter included 24 academics from the Hebrew University, 24 from Tel Aviv University, 11 from Ben Gurion University, nine from Haifa University, five from the Weizmann Institute of Science and five from the Open University of Israel.

The opposition did not come without a backlash, however. In response, CEO of the Zionist NGO Im Tirtzu, Matan Peleg, slammed the signatories and accused them of “hypocrisy and ungratefulness”, stating that they “earn their living at the expense of the Israeli taxpayer yet at the same time work to boycott and slander them.”

The BDS movement, which works to discourage the purchasing of products manufactured, grown and exploited from the occupied Palestinian territories, has faced widespread global opposition since its inception in 2007. The suppression of it has been most extensive in the US where 24 states have passed laws against individuals and businesses engaging in BDS activity.

Ex-Israel intel officers justify Mossad role against BDS
Ex-Israel intel officers justify Mossad role against BDS

Former Israeli intelligence officers and government officials have justified the reported involvement of Mossad in efforts to combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, “some called BDS a real potential threat to the security of Israel” affirming that “the country must do its best to combat it”, and that “it was a good idea to utilize the agency to perform surveillance and sabotage some BDS activities”.

One such former official, ex-national security council chief and Major-General Yaakov Amidror, told the Jerusalem Post that “all – and I mean all – that Israel can do to fight BDS needs to be praised and acted on”.

“It is legitimate for the state to rally all means to stop a movement which is trying to go after the legitimacy of Israel,” he added.

Other officials “note[d] the that Mossad’s mandate includes ‘special operations’ that might not be thought of as conventional intelligence work,” the paper continued.

“Thus, they said, the Mossad should be employed in the struggle against BDS, providing the operations are legal and discrete.”

The former officials added "it would be preferable tat the Mossad - with its discrete skills in spy craft - carry out the assignments rather than another less experienced agency which might leave 'fingerprints',"

“The Mossad knows best how to carry out activities which leave people guessing about whether anything was actually done and who acted, they said,” the Jerusalem Post reported.

"Less experienced operatives from different agencies could even harm the Mossad's reputation if their actions were clumsily revealed, they said.

Israel forced closure of 30 BDS fundraising accounts
Israel forced closure of 30 BDS fundraising accounts

A tourist photographs a sign painted on a wall in the West Bank biblical town of Bethlehem on June 5, 2015, calling to boycott Israeli products coming from Jewish settlements [THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images]

Israel has forced 30 fundraising accounts associated with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to close in the past two years.

The Ministry of Strategic Affairs – which oversees Israel’s anti-BDS efforts – announced yesterday that it had forced the closure of ten US-based fundraising accounts and a further 20 in Europe. It did so by directing pro-Israel activists to report the accounts to their host platforms PayPal and DonorBox, the Times of Israel reported.

Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said in a statement: “For years, boycott promoters have disguised themselves as ‘human rights activists,’ managing to raise tens of millions of euros from Western countries and citizens who thought they were contributing to causes supporting justice and equality.”

“Over time,” he continued, “we have revealed that the supposed ‘human rights’ NGOs are in reality filled with anti-Semitic operatives with deep ties to terrorist groups fixated on destroying the State of Israel”.

Among those organizations targeted by the shut downs were the BDS National Committee – the movement’s Ramallah-based arm – as well as human rights organization Al-Haq and UK-based charity Interpal.

A number of organizations pushed for the closures, including infamous legal advocacy group Shurat HaDin which regularly fights court battles on Israel’s behalf. In April, holiday rental platform Airbnb reversed its November decision to delist properties situated on Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank after Shurat HaDin encouraged Jewish-Americans affected by the delisting to take the holiday giant to court.

In February, Shurat HaDin intervened to halt International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations into the Israeli assault on the Mavi Marmara in 2010. The group filed an official legal submission to the ICC as part of smear campaign presenting the ship’s passengers as “radical activists” with violent intent, an interpretation vehemently denied by activists who were on board the flotilla at the time.

In December, the same group filed a complaint to DonorBox and requested that BDS’ fundraising account be shut down. BDS founder Omar Barghouti criticized Shurat HaDin for its actions, calling the group “a repressive organization with clear connections to the far-right Israeli government” that is “engaging in McCarthyite tactics”.

“They are making categorically false allegations, threatening and bullying our partners and service providers in a desperate attempt to undermine our ability to challenge Israel’s regime of apartheid and oppression,” Barghouti argued.

 

[angelburst29]

June 13, 2019 - Israel carries out large-scale demolition campaign north of Jerusalem
Israel carries out large-scale demolition campaign north of Jerusalem

An Israeli excavator demolishes a Palestinian building for allegedly being unauthorised in East Jerusalem on 1 May 2018 [Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli occupation authorities yesterday carried out a wide-scale demolition campaign against Palestinian facilities in the Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem, Quds Press reported. According to the news site, the Israeli occupation demolished the Palestinian facilities, most of them commercial shops closest to the illegal Israeli checkpoint at the entrance of the camp.

The facilities were demolished, Quds Press reported, under the pretext that they were built without the impossible to obtain building licenses. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry condemned the demolitions and accused the Israeli occupation of targeting the livelihood of the Palestinians, calling for the international community to stop “these Israeli crimes”.

June 13, 2019 - Palestinian oral history map launched
Palestinian oral history map launched

A Palestinian man with a map of Palestine in Gaza city, 20 June 2013 [Mohammed Asad/Apaimages]

A ground-breaking Palestinian Oral History Map has been launched online, allowing users “to explore the testimonies based on the historic landmarks that they describe—from schools, hospitals and factories to rivers, valleys and mountains”. The project is part of the Palestinian Oral History Archive (POHA) at the American University of Beirut, and has been six months in the works. POHA holds an archive of over 1,000 hours of interviews with Palestinians who lived through the Nakba.

According to a press release, “the project is a means to navigate the POHA oral history platform, which contains over one thousand hours of oral testimonies from Palestinians who lived through the Nakba, describing everyday life and culture in Palestine before 1948, as well as their experiences of displacement and exile.” The interactive map allows users to listen to testimonies “in the context of detailed historic maps from the 1940s that Visualising Palestine helped to make available through Palestine Open Maps”.

New interactive map marks 52 years of Israeli military rule June 5, 2019
New interactive map marks 52 years of Israeli military rule
A new online interactive map has been published to mark 52 years of Israeli military occupation, designed to illustrate “Israel’s encroachment upon Palestinian space over the decades”. ‘Conquer and Divide’ was launched Wednesday by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, in the week that marks the beginning of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.

June 13, 2019 - Israel arrests head of Al-Aqsa’s construction department
Israel arrests head of Al-Aqsa’s construction department
Israeli forces arrested the leader of the restoration and reconstruction department of the Islamic Waqf, which cares for the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem Israeli police this morning arrested the director of the restoration and reconstruction department of the Islamic Waqf, which cares for the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Bassam Al-Hallaq was detained along with Taha Oweidah, an engineer, and Mohammad Hidra, a member of the compound’s staff. No reason was given for the arrests. Based on previous incidents, however, the cause most likely involves a dispute between Palestinians and the occupation forces on renovations taking place in the mosque compound. Over the past several years, Al-Hallaq and his staff have been arrested on numerous occasions; including in 2014, 2016 and twice in 2017, for reasons including the attempted renovation of the Dome of the Rock, fixing water pipes, and various other maintenance works.

Under the Israeli occupation’s law, no renovation or construction work is to be carried out within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by the Islamic Waqf without permission first being granted by the Israeli authorities. This is in spite of Israel agreeing, under the terms of the peace agreement signed with Jordan, that Amman is the custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque.

June 13, 2019 - Israel bans Palestinians from fishing off Gaza coast
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190613-israel-bans-palestinians-from-fishing-off-gaza-coast
The Israeli army yesterday imposed a naval siege on the Gaza Strip which will last “until further notice”, according to an army statement.
This move comes after Israeli occupation authorities further restricted the Gaza fishing zone to six nautical miles on Tuesday. Israeli authorities had reduced the fishing zone from 15 to ten nautical miles last week.

June 14, 2019 - Hamas official accuses Israel of fabricating excuses to escalate tension against Gaza
Middle East Monitor
A senior Hamas official, Basem Naim accused Israel of “fabricating vague excuses” to escalate against the Gaza Strip, Thursday. “The Israeli occupation bears responsibility for the consequences of evading and retreating from the implementation of the recent truce understandings in Gaza,” Naim said in a statement.

He went on to add that Israel claims that fires in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip are caused by incendiary balloons when, in reality, they are mostly caused by hot weather or some farmers who burn their crops due to financial reasons. “We are aware that this behaviour is a failed attempt to escape internal crises, especially the upcoming elections and the government formation, and export them at the expense of the Palestinian people, their freedom and life” he added.

 

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June 14, 2019 - Advancements along ring of Israel settlements around Jerusalem’s Old City
Advancements along ring of Israel settlements around Jerusalem’s Old City

A general view of the Jewish settlement of Ma'aleh Labouna in the West Bank town of Laban near Nablus on 28 August 2018 [Shadi Hatem - Apaimages]

The past month has seen key developments in touristic settlement projects that form part of an “intensifying ring” of Israeli settlement activity around Jerusalem’s Old City, reported NGO Ir Amim.

On 3 June, Israel’s National Infrastructures Committee (NIC) approved the plan for a controversial cable car which will run from West Jerusalem to the roof of the planned Kedem Compound, a massive, settler-run visitor centre in the heart of Palestinian neighbourhood Silwan. According to Ir Amim, the project has been fast tracked through the NIC, and will cost the government some 200 million shekels ($55.5 million).

When completed, “the cable car will channel thousands of people a day over an invisible Green Line to the epicentre of Elad’s touristic settlement operations and divert unwitting tourists from the traditional Old City entry points via Jaffa and Damascus Gates, depriving Palestinian businesses from one of their main sources of income.”

“The close overlap of recent developments along the chain of settlement compounds and touristic settlement sites around the Old City and its environs illustrate an acceleration of efforts to consolidate the band of Israeli contiguity and control around the Old City Basin,” stated Ir Amim.

June 14, 2019 - 550 Palestinians to be homeless after Israel demolishes entire Jerusalem neighbourhood
550 Palestinians to be homeless after Israel demolishes entire Jerusalem neighbourhood

Palestinians inspect the house of Palestinian Arafat Irfaiyye, after it was demolished by a Israeli army in Hebron, West Bank on April 19, 2019. ( Mamoun Wazwaz - Anadolu Agency )

Israeli authorities are pressing ahead with plans to demolish an entire Palestinian neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, human rights NGO B’Tselem reported, which will leave 550 homeless. Wadi Yasul, located between the neighborhoods of Abu Tur and Silwan, is home to 72 Palestinian families. According to B’Tselem, the Jerusalem Municipality has “issued demolition orders for all the neighborhood homes so all the families there are facing the threat of expulsion.”

In late April, “the city already demolished two of the orders and displaced two of the families.” The NGO noted that Wadi Yasul built “is adjacent to a forest, also located on privately owned land that was expropriated from its Palestinian owners in 1970.”

In 1977, Israeli occupation authorities “zoned the forest and the area where Wadi Yasul was later established as a green space, where construction is prohibited,” B’Tselem added. In 2004, the neighbourhood’s residents submitted a detailed plan for retroactive authorisation of their homes, but four years later, Israeli authorities rejected the plan.

However, at the same time, the Jerusalem municipality gave its approval to settler organisation El-Ad “to move forward with plans for group campgrounds, including building the longest recreational zipline in Israel”. Summarizing the context for the fate awaiting Wadi Yasul, B’Tselem stated that “ever since 1967, planning policy in Jerusalem has been geared toward establishing and maintaining a Jewish demographic majority in the city.”

June 14, 2019 - Settlers setup new outpost in Hebron’s Old City
Settlers setup new outpost in Hebron’s Old City

An illegal outpost [Twitter]

Illegal Israeli settlers have setup an illegal outpost on Palestinian land near the Gold Souk in the occupied Old City of Hebron, the West Bank, the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee has said. Committee head, Imad Hamdan, said that the settlers intend to build two housing units on the land after they took over the petrol station in Al-Shuhada Street and fenced it.

Hamdan expressed his grave concern over such encroachments upon the properties of Palestinian citizens in Hebron’s Old City, especially in the areas declared 17 years ago by the occupation as closed military zones. In 2014, the occupation forces declared many Palestinian areas and streets in the Old City of Hebron closed military zones following the massacre committed by Jewish terrorist Baruch Goldstein at the Ibrahimi Mosque.

June 14, 2019 - Gazans flock to buffer zone for 58th week of protests
Gazans flock to buffer zone for 58th week of protests
Palestinians converged along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone on Friday to take part in the 58th week of running demonstrations against Israel’s decades-long occupation, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement, Gaza’s National Authority for Return and Breaking the Siege (NARBS), which organises the weekly rallies, called on Palestinians to rise up against what they called “American support for Israel to annex the West Bank.”

The US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in an interview to the New York Times that “under certain circumstances…, I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank.”

June 15, 2019 - US medical team removes Israel bullet from head of Palestinian infant
US medical team removes Israel bullet from head of Palestinian infant

A doctor belonging to the American medical team that succeeded in removing a bullet from head of 7-month-old Palestinian infant who was shot by Israeli fire while in the lap of her mother

American medical team succeeded in removing a bullet from head of 7-month-old Palestinian infant who was shot by Israeli fire while in the lap of her mother, Al-Wattan Voice reported on Friday.

In a statement, the Palestinian ministry of health in Ramallah said that the American medical team ended a three-week ordeal of the baby girl who was in an intensive care unit since she was shot. This team is one of the international medical teams which regularly visit the Palestinian territories in cooperation with the ministry of health. They carry out difficult surgeries and other operations for Palestinian patients.

Three weeks ago, the baby was shot in the head while in the lap of her Mother who was at home in Al-Mazraa Village, north of Ramallah.

June 14, 2019 - Another Gaza medic has been killed on duty by Israel, but nobody expects justice to be served
Another Gaza medic has been killed on duty by Israel, but nobody expects justice to be served

It was a difficult moment for the wife of Mohammad Al-Judaily when she heard that he had succumbed to his wounds. The paramedic was 37 years old when he was shot in the face by an Israeli sniper while providing first aid to participants in Gaza's Great March if Return on 3 May.

The mother of four spent a lot of time at her late husband’s bedside, dreaming that he would return and be able to play with their children. It was not to be. Al-Judaily worked with the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC). On that fateful day at the beginning of May, he joined the emergency medical team which headed to Abu Safiyeh protest site east of the northern Gaza city of Jabalia.

When she was told that he had been shot by a rubber bullet, she rushed to the hospital. "The rubber is simply a cover for a steel bullet," she pointed out, “so I found him seriously wounded in the face. Even so, I did not expect him to die.”

June 16, 2019 - Palestinian detainees in Israel stage hunger strike
Palestinian detainees in Israel stage hunger strike

Palestinian demonstrators hold placards during a demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in Gaza [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency

Dozens of Palestinian detainees in the Israeli Ashkelon prison staged an open-ended hunger strike on Sunday to demand an improvement in their conditions, according to a Palestinian NGO, Anadolu Agency reported. In a statement, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said the hunger strike comes in protest of the prison administration’s rejection to meet the detainees’ demands regarding the right of exposure to sunlight, ending night-time cell raids and easing visit conditions for their families.

June 17, 2019 - Israel unveils illegal ‘Trump’ settlement in Golan Heights
Israel unveils illegal ‘Trump’ settlement in Golan Heights
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unveiled an illegal settlement in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights named after US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu yesterday inaugurated the settlement – called “Ramat Trump”, Hebrew for “Trump Heights” – hailing the US President as a “great friend” of Israel. The development will extend the existing settlement of Bruchim, located in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights captured by Israel during the war of 1967.

June 17, 2019 - Israel minister urges annexation of settlements, calls for Abbas’ ouster
Israel minister urges annexation of settlements, calls for Abbas’ ouster
Israel’s Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Information Minister Gilad Erdan yesterday called for the ouster of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, alongside the annexation of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to reports in Arutz Sheva and the Jerusalem Post.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Post in New York, Erdan reiterated Israeli claims that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is “rewarding terror” by offering financial support to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the families of those Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. Erdan also urged the Israeli government to apply Israeli law to settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory – a common shorthand for annexation.

June 17, 2019 - Israel mayor attends protest against sale of home to Palestinian family
Israel mayor attends protest against sale of home to Palestinian family
Dozens of residents of Israeli town Afula protested on Saturday night against the sale of one home to a family of Palestinian citizens, reported Haaretz.

The protest was attended by Afula Mayor Avi Elkabetz, his deputy Shlomo Malihi, and some members of the city council. “Our city is being sold,” the invitation to the event, issued on Facebook, stated. “We must not lend a hand to this and we must not be silent.”

Council member Itai Cohen told Haaretz: “We don’t have a problem cooperating with Arab businesses, but we won’t have them live here.” “We stand by the residents in this protest…Afula must remain a Jewish city,” he added.

 

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June 19, 2019 - Ahed Tamimi injured in West Bank car crash

Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi (C) in Ramallah, West Bank on 29 July 2018 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Released prisoner, Ahed Tamimi, and her parents suffered injuries as a result of a car crash near the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank last night.

A local source said that the vehicle Tamimi and her parents were in swerved off the road linking the villages of Kafr Ain and Nabi Saleh. This resulted in the three passengers sustaining bruises and scratches. They were transported to the Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah.

Sources noted that Tamimi and her parents will be discharged this afternoon.

The 18-year-old is back the West Bank after spending three months studying English in the UK. She gained notoriety for slapping an Israeli soldier and forcing him off her family’s land in the occupied West Bank. After footage of the event went viral on social media both her and her mother were arrested and she served eight months in Israeli jails after agreeing to a pleas bargain. She was released in July last year.

 

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Netanyahu has heavy competition in this coming election in September.

Former Israeli leader Barak joins with left-wing in election run

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday announced a joint run with a left-wing party in a September election to try to end Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure as Israel's leader in a campaign targeting what he calls corrupt rule.

Israel demolishes Palestinian homes near West Bank barrier

Israeli forces demolished a cluster of Palestinian homes near a military barrier on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday, in the face of protests and international criticism.

U.S. blocks U.N. rebuke of Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes: diplomats

The United States on Wednesday blocked an attempt by Kuwait, Indonesia and South Africa to get the United Nations Security Council to condemn Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Jerusalem, diplomats said.

Trump's Middle East envoy faces resistance at U.N. Security Council

A plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians cannot rely on global consensus, inconclusive international law and "unclear" United Nations resolutions, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, sparking pushback from several countries.

Two Israeli men shot dead in apparent Mexico City shopping mall hit

police car is parked near a crime scene where two Israeli men were shot dead, at a shopping mall in Mexico City, Mexico July 25, 2019. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

Two Israeli men were shot dead in an apparent gangland hit at a luxury Mexico City shopping mall, authorities said on Thursday, in the latest flare-up of violence convulsing the capital.

Mexico City police said a woman and a man opened fire on the Israelis on Wednesday afternoon in a restaurant in the upscale Plaza Artz Pedregal in the southwest of the capital, then fled.

The Israeli embassy in Mexico identified the men as Alon Azulay, 41, and Benjamin Yeshurun Sutchi, 44. Both had criminal records in Mexico and Israel, it said.

Officers later arrested the woman, identified by Mexican media as 33-year-old Esperanza Gutierrez. “This was to commit a homicide, there was no other reason. That much is clear to us,” Ulises Lara, a spokesman for state prosecutors in Mexico City, told a news conference.

The investigation is ongoing, but Lara noted that the evidence suggested the shooting was linked to disputes between criminal groups with connections to the Israel mafia.

Mexico City police said one of the two Israelis was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other died in hospital.

The captured suspect, who authorities identified only as Esperanza N, had at least three accomplices, police said. She discarded a blonde wig and some clothing as she fled the mall, but was quickly captured by police.

One of the suspected accomplices shot and wounded a police officer outside the mall with a .223 caliber rifle before escaping the scene in a blue Nissan Versa, police said.

 

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Israel's U.S.-backed Arrow-3 ballistic missile shield has passed a series of live interception tests over Alaska, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, casting the achievement as a warning to Iran.

Israel says Arrow-3 missile shield passes U.S. trials, warns Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman talk after watching a video of Israel's U.S.-backed Arrow-3 ballistic missile shield performing a series of live interception tests over Alaska, U.S., during a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem July 28 2019. Menahem Kahana/Pool via REUTERS

Jointly manufactured by U.S. firm Boeing Co, Arrow-3 is billed as capable of shooting down incoming missiles in space, an altitude that would destroy any non-conventional warheads safely. It passed its first full interception test over the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 and was deployed in Israel in 2017.

“The performance was perfect - every hit a bull’s eye,” Netanyahu, who doubles as defense minister, said in a statement announcing the three secret tests.

Israel views the Arrow-3 as a bulwark against the ballistic missiles fielded by Iran and Syria.

The system’s success in Alaska was held up by both Israel and the United States as a sign of the strength of their alliance.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, attended Sunday’s meeting of Netanyahu’s cabinet, where he and the ministers watched a video of an Alaska missile interception.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense said that, as part of the Alaska tests, Arrow-3 was successfully synched up with the AN-TPY2 radar - also known as X-band - which provides the United States with extensive global coverage. Israel hosts an X-band battery.

Israel's Spacecom looks to rebound from rough patch with Africa satellite

David Pollack, CEO of Israel's Space Communication Ltd gestures next to a model of Amos-17 satellite at the company offices in Ramat Gan, Israel July 28, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israel’s Space Communication Ltd plans a satellite launch next weekend which it hopes will mark a rebound from a couple of major setbacks in recent years.

Amos-17, which will provide communication services to Africa, had a total budget including manufacturing, insurance and launch of about $250 million, and will join three others Spacecom operates.

It was manufactured by Boeing Co and has an expected lifespan of about 20 years.

Spacecom hopes a successful launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Aug. 3 will end a rough patch. In 2015 the company lost contact with its Amos-5 satellite and a year later Amos-6 was destroyed days before its scheduled launch when a SpaceX rocket exploded.

“We learned lessons from those catastrophes,” CEO David Pollack told Reuters on Sunday following a news conference. For example, he said Amos-17 would not be combined with the launcher before the latter is fully tested.

“What happened with Amos-5 and Amos-6 was a setback for the company. So we know what to do. We believe we know how to grow. And it’s just a wonderful opportunity that comes with Amos-17, which is the most advanced satellite for the continent most in need,” Pollack said.

Amos-17 is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and will orbit 36,000 kilometers above central Africa, providing TV, internet and cellular services as well as services to governments.

The company said it has a sales backlog of $58 million for communication services to Africa and for other services.

Pollack said he expects to recoup Amos-17’s costs in line with industry standards, which is about six to seven years.

Spacecom shares remain well below their peak of 78.30 shekels set in June 2010 but have rallied in recent weeks and closed at 11.60 shekels on Friday.

Israeli troops kill Palestinian at Gaza border protest: medics

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian on Friday afternoon during weekly protests along the border with Israel, Gaza health officials said.

 

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Palestinians and Israeli police clash at Jerusalem holy site

Israeli police fired sound grenades to disperse Palestinians during confrontations on Sunday outside Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque where tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers gathered for the Eid al-Adha holiday, witnesses said.

Israeli troops kill militant on Gaza border: medic, military
Israeli soldiers fired at a Palestinian militant on the Gaza border on Sunday, the military said, and a Palestinian medic said the man was killed.

Israeli troops kill four Palestinian militants on Gaza border - military
Israeli forces killed four heavily-armed Palestinians as they attempted to cross the Gaza border on Saturday, the Israeli military said.

 

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Israel: Corruption auditors resign after row with Netanyahu watchdog pick
Israel: Corruption auditors resign after row with Netanyahu watchdog pick

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu smiles as he votes during Israel's parliamentary elections in Jerusalem on 9 April 2019 [Ariel Schalit/POOL/AFP/Getty]

August 9, 2019 - Three auditors have resigned from a crucial committee overseeing the corruption cases against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after his recent pick for government watchdog chastised them for insisting the prime minister repay his own legal fees.

The three were members of the Permits Committee, part of Israel’s State Comptroller’s Office, which reviews the Israeli government’s policies and operations. Of late the State Comptroller’s Office has been overseeing three corruption cases against Netanyahu – dubbed Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000 – in which he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Netanyahu has sought to cover his legal fees for these cases with the help of Nathan Milikowsky, a billionaire US steel magnate who is also the prime minister’s cousin.

Milikowsky has been named in a separate corruption case which could yet ensnare the prime minister – known as Case 3000 or the “Submarine Affair” – for allegedly selling Netanyahu shares in his steel company at subprime rates, enabling him to make huge profits despite the company’s poor performance. The steel company was also a crucial supplier of ThyssenKrupp, a German submarine firm at the heart of Case 3000.

In light of this information and the prime minister’s own personal wealth, in June the Permits Committee ordered Netanyahu to give back some $300,000 that Milikowsky had given him to cover his legal fees. Despite repeated demands by Netanyahu’s camp that he be allowed to receive financial help for his defence, the committee ruled that it was “inappropriate” for non-Israeli benefactors to pay the fees in a case in which the defendant is accused of receiving gifts from international patrons.

Now Matanyahu Engelman – Israel’s recently-instated State Comptroller whose candidacy was backed by Netanyahu – has chastised members of the Permits Committee for their insistence that the prime minister return the money to Milikowsky.

In a meeting which took place late last month between Engelman and committee members, Engelman allegedly lashed out over their demand that Netanyahu return the money to his cousin. The comptroller called this position an “overstep” of the committee’s authority, the Times of Israel reported today, citing an initial report by Israel’s Channel 13.

“Your job is to decide whether to permit or not, nothing more. Don’t run my office,” Engelman allegedly told the committee members. Three members have now resigned in protest against Engelman’s handling of the affair, meaning their replacements will be appointed by the state comptroller himself.

In addition, though the committee’s chair Shalom Brenner has not resigned, his term is due to end next month. His position will also be filled at the discretion of Engelman, raising concerns that he will fill the posts with individuals sympathetic to Netanyahu’s position.

The row will be seen as the latest evidence of how Engelman is attempting to reinterpret the role of state comptroller in a bid to shield Netanyahu from prosecution.

Engelman was Netanyahu’s candidate for the top job, which was previously held by career legal professional Joseph Shapira. For his part, Engelman is the first comptroller in 30 years who is not a former judge, prompting speculation that Netanyahu had an ulterior motive for backing his candidacy.

Engelman has wasted no time proving his value to Netanyahu. In the month since being instated, he has set about dismantling the Special Assignments Department of the State Comptroller’s Office, which has previously investigated former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Netanyahu’s wife Sara, convicting her in what became known as the “catered meal” scandal.

Last month sources inside the office told Haaretz that Engelman had asked senior officials to change how they prepare their annual work plans, which determine the issues that will be investigated in the coming year. Officials will now be required to give the government agencies they wish to monitor a say in the oversight process, effectively allowing them to navigate the investigations to committees more amenable to them.

It is therefore suspected that Netanyahu could use this new approach as part of his bid to avoid prosecution in his three corruption cases. Though he is slated to appear in court in October, whether he will be able to avoid attending the pre-indictment hearing remains to be seen.