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CNN —United States envoy Amos Hochstein is due to visit Beirut “imminently” after Lebanon responded “positively” to a US-backed proposal to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday. US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson relayed the proposal to the Lebanese government via Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker, on Thursday night, a Lebanese official told CNN earlier. According to the official, Hezbollah reviewed the proposal and submitted their response to Lebanese authorities on Sunday evening. The Israeli source added that Hochstein has not yet confirmed when he will arrive in the region. Another Lebanese source familiar with the ceasefire talks told CNN earlier that President-elect Trump has endorsed Hochstein’s ceasefire negotiations track, increasing the chances of its success.

Persons: Amos Hochstein, imminently, “, Najib Mikati, Al Araby, Mikati, Lebanon Lisa Johnson, Ed Ram, Netanyahu, Hochstein, Bezalel Smotrich, ”, Nabih Berri, Mohamed Azakir, Reuters Berri, Amal, Hassan Nasrallah, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Israel Organizations: CNN, United, Lebanese, UN, Getty, Reuters, Saudi, Al, Hezbollah, US Locations: Beirut, imminently ”, Lebanon, Israel, Lebanese, Nabih Berri, Lebanon’s, Israeli, Gaza, Al Awsat

Thousands of police officers were deployed across Paris, seeking to avoid a repeat of last week's violence in Amsterdam involving locals and Israeli fans. Outside Stade de France, soccer fans filed into the stadium amid a heavy police presence. Theo Petit, 23, who came out to support France, said he was invited to the game by a friend. “We are a little stressed about coming here but it’s a game, a football game,” said Petit, who is studying to become a dietician. The ramped-up security presence comes after the violence surrounding the soccer match between Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax of Amsterdam put authorities across Europe on high alert.

Persons: Theo Petit, “, ”, Petit, Ian Langsdon, Denis, Laurent Nunez, David, Irene Karalis, there's, ” Karalis, I'm, instrumentalization, Franck Fife, Nunez, Emmanuel Macron, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Urgence, Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, ” Smotrich, Dimitar Dilkoff, Omar, Lazare Organizations: Stade de France, Gaza, Getty Images Paris, NBC, RTL, Reuters, Ligue des, Human Rights League, NBC News, Zionist, Guard, Police, National Gendarmerie, Nations League, Urgence Palestine, Israel’s Maccabi Tel, Ajax, Israel, Getty, Paris ’ Saint Locations: PARIS, Israel, France, Paris, Europe, Lebanon, Amsterdam, Aubervilliers, AFP, Saint, “, Betar, Beirut, Gaza, Palestine, Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, Netherlands

☆ Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of mass displacement in Gaza amounting to a war crime
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Mick Krever | Irene Nasser | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Israel has overseen the forced mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza in a deliberate and systematic campaign that amounts to a war crime and a crime against humanity, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. Several Israeli ministers, however, have said they would like to see Palestinians leave Gaza and reestablish Israeli settlements there. And far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the Defense Ministry, has said Israel “will rule (in Gaza). Human Rights Watch said the Israeli campaign in northern Gaza would likely lead to the displacement of hundreds of thousands more civilians. It also called on the International Criminal Court to investigate the alleged forced displacement of Palestinians as a crime against humanity.

Persons: CNN —, “, ”, Nadia Hardman, “ Israel, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gideon Sa’ar, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel “ Organizations: CNN, Rights Watch, United Nations, HRW, UN, Hamas, National, Defense Ministry, US State Department, Court Locations: CNN — Israel, Gaza, Israel, ”, States

☆ Israeli minister draws criticism for saying Trump's win is an opportunity to annex parts of West Bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A call from Israel’s ultranationalist finance minister to use Donald Trump’s election win as an opportunity to annex parts of the occupied West Bank has drawn international condemnation and fueled fears about the U.S. ally’s plans. Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that “the time has come” to extend Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the area — land recognized by the international community as belonging to Palestinians in their quest for a future state. The Israeli minister welcomed the president-elect’s victory and said that he would seek Trump's support for the move. Discussions on plans to annex parts of the West Bank were held between Israel and Washington during Trump’s first term, and Smotrich said that he would push his government to engage with the incoming administration to gain support. Smotrich added that he would seek international recognition for sovereignty over the West Bank, but his announcement quickly drew global condemnation.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Bezalel Smotrich, “, God’s, Trump, ”, Trump’s, Smotrich, Biden, Steffen Seibert Organizations: West Bank, State Department, Israel Locations: Israel, Judea, Samaria, Washington, United States

☆ West Bank: Israeli minister calls for preparations to annex settlements
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Dana Karni | Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has ordered preparations for the annexation of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the US election “brings an important opportunity for the State of Israel,” Smotrich told the Knesset, or Israeli parliament. The “only way to remove” the “threat” of a Palestinian state, Smotrich added, “is to apply Israeli sovereignty over the entire settlements in Judea and Samaria,” the biblical term by which Israelis refer to the West Bank. Around half a million Israelis live in West Bank settlements. Smotrich, himself a settler, has long called for Israeli law to apply in the settlements, and previously opposed the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Persons: CNN —, Bezalel Smotrich, Donald Trump’s, “, ” Smotrich, Smotrich, Trump, Abraham, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Smotrich, State, Ministry of Defense, Civil Administration, Abraham Accords, Palestinian Authority, Minister’s Office Locations: “, West Bank, Israel, Palestinian, Judea, Samaria, Jordan, Jerusalem, Syria

☆ Nobody knows what Netanyahu’s endgame is
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The Israeli military has already withdrawn from the area twice after saying, both times, that it had crushed Hamas there. A drone fired over the weekend slipped through Israeli air defenses and struck Netanyahu’s beach house some 50 miles from the Lebanese border. Netanyahu’s reluctance to strike a ceasefire deal, even now after securing several military victories, has angered many in Israel. “Ending the Gaza war and the Lebanon war is not an option for his political partners in the coalition. Mahmoud sleem/Anadolu/Getty Images“Netanyahu knows that there is no bigger picture of victory afterwards, because both Sinwar and Nasrallah are dead.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Hassan Nasrallah, “, ’, ”, Bushinsky, Sinwar, …, ’ Netanyahu, Itamar Ben, Bezalel Smotrich, Gayil Talshir, we’ve, Talshir, Jack Gue3z, Biden, Israel, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris’s, what’s, ” Talshir, Mahmoud sleem, “ Netanyahu, Nasrallah, Donald, Trump, he’ll Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Israel, Hamas, CNN, Finance, Hebrew University, Getty, State Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Northern Gaza, Lebanese, Caesarea, Gaza . Aviv, Tel Aviv, AFP, Anadolu, Saudi, reemerge

☆ Israel’s ties with Europe strained by wars in Gaza and Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Adding impetus to their effort is the fact Israeli military strikes are now hitting UN peacekeeping bases in southern Lebanon, which house European troops. European reproach of Israel reached new levels when Israeli military strikes began hitting posts of the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon. The UN has said Israel’s military has fired on its peacekeepers multiple times in recent weeks, injuring more than a dozen. ‘We have blocked everything’Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned Israel’s actions in Lebanon, including an Israeli military strike that hit a UN peacekeeping base where around 1,100 Italian troops are stationed. In an earlier move that protested Israel’s war in Gaza, Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognized Palestinian statehood in May.

Persons: CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, ” Hugh Lovatt, Josep Borrell, Ali Moustafa, ” Lovatt, ”, Biden, It’s, ” Borrell, Lovatt, Israel, Maya Sion, Netanyahu, António Guterres, Emmanuel Macron, “ Netanyahu, Macron, Carl Court, ” Macron, ” Netanyahu, Borrell, Guterres, Giorgia Meloni, ” Meloni, Meloni, Tzidkiyahu, Keir Starmer, of National Security Itamar Ben, Bezalel Smotrich, David Cameron, Ben Gvir, Smotrich, ” Ben Gvir’s, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Israel “ Organizations: CNN, UN, EU, North Africa, Foreign Relations, Hamas, European Union, Red Crescent, Reuters, UNIFIL, Europe, Agence France, Presse, United Nations Interim Force, AFP, Israel, UK, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Foreign Affairs Council, Getty, of National Security, Finance, Sky News, DPA, Nazi Locations: CNN — Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, East, Berlin, Rafah, Egypt, United States, “, Iran, Spain, Ireland, Italy, France, Tzidkiyahu, Jerusalem, Paris, AFP, Marjayoun, Vichy, Stockholm, Germany, United Kingdom, Irish, Sion, Norway, Britain, Lebanese, Khiam, Palestine

☆ Sinwar’s killing looks set to boost Netanyahu, the Houdini of Israeli politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

If Netanyahu is feeling that pressure, that wasn't evident from his comments on Friday. International insistence that the Israeli government ease the suffering in Gaza had already intensified in the weeks before Sinwar was killed. Domestically, that may be more of a complex dance for Netanyahu, who heads a still-fragile coalition comprised of many of Israel’s most hawkish lawmakers. Until then, we will intensify military pressure,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — whom both major U.K. political parties have considered sanctioning this year — said in a post on X. Before Hamas' attack, Netanyahu was scrambling to keep onside the disparate right-wing and religious parties in his fractious ruling coalition while facing huge protests against him.

Persons: Netanyahu, “, ”, Sinwar, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Bezalel Smotrich —, — Organizations: U.S, ” Locations: Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Berlin

☆ Israel’s economy is paying a high price for its widening war
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —In late September, as Israel’s nearly year-long war widened and its credit rating was downgraded yet again, the country’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said that, while Israel’s economy was under strain, it was resilient. Israel’s economy could shrink even more than that, based on a worst-case estimate by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. Before the October 7 attack and ensuing Israel-Hamas war, the International Monetary Fund forecast that Israel’s economy would grow by an enviable 3.4% this year. Smotrich, the finance minister, is confident that Israel’s economy will bounce back once the war ends, but economists are concerned the damage will far outlast the conflict. Florion Goga/ReutersOther sectors of Israel’s economy, while less important than tech, have been hit much harder.

Persons: London CNN —, Bezalel Smotrich, ” Smotrich, Hassan Nasrallah, ratcheting, Karnit, ‘, Menahem Kahana, ”, “ Israel, “, Smotrich —, Flug, Ahmad Gharabli, Fitch, —, Coface, Avi Hasson, Hasson, Florion Goga, Yaron Liberman, ” Liberman Organizations: London CNN, CNN, West Bank, United Nations, BMI, Fitch Solutions, Institute for National Security, Tel Aviv University, International Monetary Fund, of Israel, Getty, Bank of Israel, Israel Democracy Institute, Institute for National Security Studies, Moody’s, Startup Nation Locations: Lebanon’s, Beirut, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel’s, Iran, AFP, Egypt, Syria, Golan, Jerusalem's Old City, United States, Tel Aviv, housebuilding . Tourism

☆ Israeli politics swirl as Hezbollah conflict ramps up
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“It’ll take him months on end to train for the job,” said Gadi Eisenkot, a highly respected former Israeli military chief and member of the opposition. Policy and domestic politics are impossible to separate in any democracy, but especially in Netanyahu’s Israel – and especially now. Remarkably, Netanyahu held a security consultation on Wednesday but did not invite his defense minister, an Israeli official told CNN. Hezbollah says that it’s attacking Israel in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza; Israel wants to get Hezbollah to stop firing even without a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. With both the Philadelphi Corridor and Hezbollah, Netanyahu’s critics have questioned why, if they were so critical, he waited months to raise the stakes over those issues.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Gideon Sa’ar, “ It’ll, ”, Gadi Eisenkot, –, Gallant, Netanyahu, Israel –, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Ben Gvir, Ben Gvir’s, Abir, ” Eyal Hulata, “, ’, ” Gallant, Baz Ratner, it’s, ” Gilad Malach, Netanyahu’s, ” Malach, Damocles, Sa’ar, Bezalel Smotrich, Ammar Awad, Reuters Eisenkot, I’m, Gallant –, Malach, Michael Shemesh, Kan, ” Shemesh Organizations: Israel CNN, CNN, Reuters, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Democracy Institute, National Security, Finance, General Staff Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, United States, Abir Sultan, ” Lebanon, Egypt, Israeli, New York

☆ Hamas leader Sinwar wants a ceasefire deal, mediators say, but Netanyahu’s stance unclear
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Nobody knows what Bibi wants,” one Israeli source said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a powerful voice in Israel, has also called on Israel and Hamas to finalize a hostage and ceasefire deal. At the same time, Netanyahu’s coalition partners have made it clear they do not want Israel to strike a deal with Hamas. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the proposed ceasefire deal a “surrender deal” on Friday. But negotiations are already underway with technical delegations working “around the clock” through key details ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the Israeli source said.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, “, Bibi, Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, ”, John Kirby, Smotrich’s, Itamar Ben Gvir, Fu’ad Shukr, Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar, Haniyeh, Israel, Kamala Harris Organizations: CNN, Israeli, House, Smotrich, National Security, Hamas, Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Democratic Locations: United States, Israel, Cairo, Doha, Lebanon, Iran, Lebanese, Tehran, Gaza

“Some critics, like Mr. Smotrich, for example, have claimed that the hostage deal is a surrender to Hamas or that hostages should not be exchanged for prisoners,” Mr. Kirby said at the start of a briefing for reporters. Mr. Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister and a far-right ally, have threatened to quit Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition if he signs a deal ending the war. But whether it could help Mr. Netanyahu to have the Americans weigh in on his domestic politics was not as clear. “The idea that he would support a deal that leaves Israel’s security at risk is just factually wrong,” Mr. Kirby said of the president. “He won’t allow extremists to blow things off course — including extremists in Israel making these ridiculous charges against the deal,” he said.

Persons: ”, Biden’s, John F, Kirby, Biden, Bezalel Smotrich, Smotrich, Mr, “ Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Mr, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Biden administration’s pushback, Netanyahu, “, he’s Organizations: White, Hamas, ISIS Locations: U.S, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Iran

☆ Israeli minister says it may be ‘moral’ to starve 2 million Gazans, but ‘no one in the world would let us’
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Dana Karni | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

It’s his (Hamas’) money, it’s his fuel, it’s his civilian control of the Gaza Strip. Israel has control over aid that enters Gaza and aid groups are in charge of distributing it. While there have been some anecdotal reports from Gazans of Hamas stealing aid, it’s unclear how rampant it is. The conflict began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. No need to unclog sewers, no need for education, no need for welfare.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Yad Binyamin, ”, Israel, David Satterfield, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, ” Israel, Smotrich Organizations: Jerusalem CNN — Israeli, Katif Conference, National, Israeli Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Yad, Israel, Gazans

☆ Sde Teiman: Lawmakers breach Israeli detention base protesting abuse probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Far-right lawmakers and protesters breached the perimeter of a controversial Israeli detention facility for Palestinians on Monday, after the Israeli military confirmed it was investigating soldiers over the alleged abuse of a prisoner. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for immediate calm at Sde Teiman and condemned the break-in at the base in a statement on Monday. Last month, Halevi said the military had launched a probe into allegations of mistreatment at Sde Teiman, as well as at Anatot and Ofer. As part of CNN’s investigation into Sde Teiman, three Israeli whistleblowers said that Palestinian detainees at the base were constantly blindfolded and held under extreme physical restraint. The account tallied with details of a letter authored by a doctor working at Sde Teiman published by Ha’aretz in April.

Persons: Zvi, Herzi Halevi, Yair Lapid, ”, Isaac Herzog, Teiman, Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel’s, Sde, Ofer, Halevi, Sde Teiman, Ha’aretz Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Military Police, Investigation, General Staff, Zionism, West Bank, IDF Locations: Gaza, Israel, ”

CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris’ office on Friday is rejecting a suggestion from a senior Israeli official that the vice president’s remarks on Thursday that forcefully criticized Israel’s conduct in its war against Hamas could have made a ceasefire deal harder to reach. But the vice president’s office on Friday sought to clarify that her message to Netanyahu behind closed doors mirrored that of Biden. For example, Harris’s aides have been advocates for sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, one source said. “Harris and her office threw us a lifeline early on,” Dr. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute. She wanted to know what she could do to be responsive to our concerns.”Correction: This story has been updated to correct Kamala Harris' party affiliation.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Israel’s, ”, Harris, ” Harris, Netanyahu, Biden, “, Harris’s, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir –, “ She’s, Harris ’, “ Harris, Dr, James Zogby, CNN’s Tim Lister, Tamar Michaelis Organizations: CNN, The, Democratic, Israel, West Bank, National Security, Biden, Arab American Institute Locations: The Times, Israel, Gaza

☆ Benjamin Netanyahu Congress: Families of hostages held in Gaza slam Israeli PM for leaving ceasefire deal out of speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Families of hostages held captive in Gaza condemned Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the United States Congress, as pressure grows on the Israeli prime minister to agree to a deal to secure their release. Rather than mentioning a deal, a bellicose Netanyahu told Congress: “The war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, disarms and returns all the hostages. Families of Israeli hostages demonstrate ahead of Netanyahu's address to Congress, at the National Mall in Washington, DC, July 23, 2024. An hour of talking without saying the one sentence: ‘There will be a kidnapping deal.’”But Netanyahu’s speech was lauded by members of his government. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesDemocratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the lone Palestinian-American congresswoman, held up a black-and-white sign during Netanyahu’s speech.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, “, ’, Netanyahu, bellicose Netanyahu, ”, Noam Peri, Chaim Peri, it’s, Craig Hudson, Yair Lapid, Israel Katz, ” Bezalel Smotrich, Ravid Katz, Kiril Brodski, Tomer Ahimas, Oren Goldin, Maya Goren, Younis, Biden, Tomer Yaakov Ahimas, Khan Younis, Kizan Al, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Israel, Rashida Tlaib, Anna Moneymaker, Steny Hoyer, Tlaib, Sen, Chuck Schumer, Mark Kelly Organizations: CNN, United States Congress, Labor, Foreign, Religious Zionist Party, Jewish, Israel Defense Forces, Families, United Nations, Getty, Democratic, Democrats Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, Washington , DC, Israeli, Kizan, Kizan Al Najar, Indiana, United States, Palestinian

☆ Top UN court says Israeli occupation of West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Mitchell Mccluskey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The United Nations’ top court said Friday that Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal, in an unprecedented opinion that called on Israel to end its decades-long occupation of territories claimed by Palestinians for a future state. The Palestinians want the West Bank and Gaza for a future state, with East Jerusalem at its capital. ‘False decision’Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other politicians rejected the ICJ opinion. “The answer to The Hague – sovereignty now,” Smotrich said on X, a call for Israel to annex the West Bank. The ICJ in 2004 delivered an advisory opinion on the Israeli separation barrier around the majority of the West Bank, urging Israel to remove it from occupied land.

Persons: Judge Nawaf Salam, ”, “, Israel, –, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Israel Katz, Bezalel Smotrich, ” Smotrich, Eliav, ” Lieblich Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, West Bank, Court of Justice, East Jerusalem, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Hamas, ”, Palestinian Authority, Tel Aviv University Locations: East Jerusalem, Israel, Palestinian Territory, Palestinian, The Hague, Netherlands, Jerusalem, Gaza, East, ”, United, of Israel, South Africa, Hague, Palestine

☆ Israeli lawmakers vote overwhelmingly against Palestinian statehood, challenging US policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Andrew Carey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Jerusalem CNN —The Biden administration received another rebuff from Israel Wednesday night – this time from the country’s parliament – over the United States’ long-standing support for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state. A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been US policy for decades, but absent negotiations between the two sides, and a lack of sustained effort by the US to make it happen, means faith in such an outcome has dwindled. On Wednesday evening, the Israeli parliament made clear its position, voting by 68 to 9 to reject any creation of a Palestinian state. “The Knesset of Israel firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan (river). What we have is multilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood and unilateral Israeli rejection,” Scheindlin says.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Biden, –, Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gideon Saar, ”, Netanyahu, Dahlia Scheindlin, Bezalel Smotrich, there’s, ” Scheindlin, ” Espen Barth Eide Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Haaretz, Palestinian Authority, Israel Locations: Jerusalem, Israel, United States, Palestinian, Jordan, Washington, Gaza, Spain, Ireland

☆ Israel-Hamas War and Gaza Fighting: Latest Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Ephrat Livni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Settlers are governed by Israeli civil law while their Palestinian neighbors are subject to Israeli military law. “Settler soldiers are actually an armed militia.”Image Israeli army reservists near the settlement of Tekoa in the West Bank in October. From the perspective of some in the Israeli military, settler violence is a threat to Israel’s security. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israeli forces have killed more than 530 West Bank Palestinians since the war in Gaza began, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which tracks West Bank violence on a weekly basis.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Hagit, ’, ” Ms, Ofran, Tamir Kalifa, Bezalel Smotrich, Smotrich, Yehuda Fox, “, ” Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Sheikh Ahmad Organizations: West Bank, The European Union, European Council, United, State Department, “, The New York Times, Mr, Israel’s, Command, Palestinian, United Nations Office, Humanitarian Affairs Locations: United States, Peace, Israel, Jordan, Gaza, West, Palestinian, ”, Tekoa, Al Bireh, Ramin, Deir Abu Mash’al, Ramallah

CNN —Israel’s government has approved a large land seizure in the occupied West Bank – the biggest since the 1993 Oslo Accords set out a path for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, according to the Israeli rights group Peace Now. The declaration covers a 1,270 hectare (3,138 acre) section of the Jordan Valley in the eastern West Bank near Jericho, the document from the Civil Administration shows. Once land is designated as state land, Israel no longer recognizes it as privately owned by Palestinians. Smotrich spoke about preventing the occupied West Bank from becoming a part of an independent Palestinian state, according to leaked audio of a speech he gave in June. On Sunday, Israel sparked condemnation after the finance minister announced plans to legally recognize five unauthorized Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Persons: CNN —, wasn’t, ”, Bezalel Smotrich, Smotrich, Israel Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Civil Administration, Israel, Israel’s Civil Administration, Peace, Planning, Israel’s, Defense Ministry, Higher Planning Locations: Oslo, Israel, Jordan, West Bank, Jericho, Palestinian

CNN —Israel has sparked condemnation after the finance minister announced plans to legally recognize five unauthorized Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. As CNN has reported, the Israeli government has been looking to “strengthen” Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after several countries unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority, which administers some areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, told CNN on Sunday that it has not yet received the funds from Israel. He has long advocated for the building of settlements, pointing to them as a means of preventing the West Bank becoming part of such an independent state. Such settlements are considered illegal under international law and by much of the international community.

Persons: CNN — Israel, Bezalel Smotrich, ”, Amir Cohen, Peter Stano, “, Smotrich Organizations: CNN, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Israel, Israeli, Reuters, Union, Oslo Accords Locations: Palestinian, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Oslo

☆ Iran Warns Israel Against War in Lebanon Against Hezbollah: Latest Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Vivian Nereim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Illegal Israeli settlements in the Gush Etzion settlement block in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in 2020. But after the first Arab-Israeli war, Jordan took control of the West Bank, and Jerusalem became divided between Israel and Jordan. In the 1967 war, Israel annexed East Jerusalem and occupied the West Bank, which it says is disputed territory whose fate should be determined in negotiations. That appears to be the goal for Mr. Smotrich, who adamantly opposes Palestinian statehood. In a social media post on Thursday, Mr. Smotrich indicated that the latest settlement legalization was a response to those decisions.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Smotrich, Ammar Awad, Evyatar Borovski, Givat, Assaf Hershkovitz, Sde Ephraim, Jordan, Amit Elkayam, Volker Türk, Tor, “ We’ll, ”, Yehuda Fox, “, ” Aaron Boxerman Organizations: West Bank, Authority, Palestinian, Reuters, West, Peace, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Security Council, International Court of Justice, Bank, Geneva Convention, Criminal Court, United Nations, International Court of, The New York Times, East Jerusalem —, Mr, Israel’s, Command Locations: Gush Etzion, Bank, Israel, Jerusalem, Jabal Subeih, Nablus, West, Givat Assaf, West Bank, Ras Karkar, Ramallah, Settlers, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jordan, East Jerusalem, Palestinian, Oslo, Evyatar, Beita, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Armenia

☆ Israel-Hamas War in Gaza: Latest News and Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Image Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, center, has threatened not to renew the provision, which makes it easier for Israeli banks to work with Palestinian banks. But many called the West Bank’s current economic predicament the most difficult yet. Before the war, Mahmoud Abu Issa, 53, was earning over $2,000 a month — an enviable salary in the impoverished West Bank — as a construction worker in Israel. If Palestinian banks want to offer shekel accounts, they must maintain links with Israeli banks and rely on them to process shekel transactions. Since 2017, Israel’s Finance Ministry has issued the waiver indemnifying the Israeli banks, according to Lilach Weissman, a spokeswoman for the ministry.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Smotrich, Israel, Biden, Mr, Smotrich —, —, Menahem Kahana, Mahmoud Abu Issa, “, Abu Issa, Mohammad Rabee, Shadi Abu Afifa, ”, Abu Afifa, Jake Sullivan, Lilach Weissman, Akram Jerab, Eytan Fuld, Azzam, Shawwa, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad Organizations: West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian, Agence France, Mr, Palestinian Authority’s Finance Ministry, Israel’s Finance, Quds Bank Locations: Gaza, Bank, U.S, Israel, Hebron, ”, Palestinian, Palestine

An influential member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition told settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that the government is engaged in a stealthy effort to irreversibly change the way the territory is governed, to cement Israel’s control over it without being accused of formally annexing it. In a taped recording of the speech, the official, Bezalel Smotrich, can be heard suggesting at a private event earlier this month that the goal was to prevent the West Bank from becoming part of a Palestinian state. “I’m telling you, it’s mega-dramatic,” Mr. Smotrich told the settlers. “Such changes change a system’s DNA.”While Mr. Smotrich’s opposition to ceding control over the West Bank is no secret, the Israeli government’s official position is that the West Bank’s status remains open to negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that Israel’s rule over the territory amounts to a temporary military occupation overseen by army generals, not a permanent civilian annexation administered by Israeli civil servants.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Bezalel Smotrich, “, Mr, Smotrich Organizations: West Bank Locations: Palestinian

☆ Far-right Israeli minister sets out plan to prevent West Bank from becoming part of a Palestinian state
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Lauren Izso | Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has spoken about preventing the occupied West Bank from becoming a part of an independent Palestinian state, according to leaked audio of a speech he gave earlier this month. Smotrich, a leading far right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, said the way to prevent a Palestinian state that would endanger the state of Israel was to develop Jewish settlements. Israel’s Supreme Court defines Israeli control over the West Bank as a temporary military occupation rather than the annexation of territory under a civilian administration. But Smotrich, who lives in a settlement himself, has opposed the creation of an independent Palestinian state. The official position of the government is that the status of the West Bank is subject to future negotiations.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Smotrich, ” Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu, “ Organizations: CNN, Israeli, West Bank, Ministry of Defense, Directorate, Ministry, Defense Ministry, Oslo Accords Locations: Israel, State, Judea, Samaria, Oslo, Gaza

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