<![CDATA[Benjamin Netanyahu]]>

Mass Protests Erupt on the Streets of Tel Aviv as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister

March 27, 2023 by Bob Hoge Leave a Comment

Huge crowds filled the streets of Tel Aviv Sunday night after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu axed his defense minister over his opposition to a planned judicial overhaul. CNN reports:

Waving Israeli flags and chanting “democratia,” protestors could be seen blocking streets and bridges, including the Ayalon Highway.
Protesters lit several fires on the main highway in Tel Aviv, their acrid, black smoke billowing into the sky, partly obscuring some of the city’s iconic skyscrapers. By around 2 a.m. local time in Tel Aviv, protests had thinned out but live pictures from the scene showed security forces firing water cannons on those still gathered.

Today News Africa reporter Simon Ateba posted video of some of the unrest on Twitter:

SURREAL: Israel last night after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was fired by @netanyahu. The @whitehouse expressed concern and called for ‘compromise.’ pic.twitter.com/WRrORzwtHQ
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) March 27, 2023

Independent Investigative Journalist Brian Krassenstein weighed in with this photo:

Citizens of Israel streamed into the streets today in Tel Aviv to protest against Netanyahu’s efforts to control the country’s judiciary. He has just fired Israel’s Defense minister for not supporting his judicial reform plan.
Protesters held up this banner with images of… pic.twitter.com/qKxEvmssdx
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 26, 2023

The unrest comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to push through judicial reform, a process which has triggered sharp opposition among his detractors—some of whom are accusing the PM of trying to game the justice system to benefit himself. Netanyahu has faced a string of corruption accusations in recent years.

Here are the reforms Netanyahu is trying to get through:

Under the proposals, the government would have control over the appointment of judges, and parliament would gain the power to override Supreme Court decisions.
The government argues the changes are essential to rein in the Supreme Court, which they see as insular, elitist, and no longer representative of the Israeli people. Opponents say the plans threaten the foundations of Israeli democracy.

Defense Minister Gallant waited for the PM to be overseas before making his move:

Gallant argued for a halt to the judicial reforms in a speech Saturday night, when Netanyahu was out of the country on an official visit to the United Kingdom. Some military reservists have pledged to pull out of their service in opposition to the plans, which critics say would undermine the independence of the judiciary. Gallant said pressing ahead with the proposals could threaten Israel’s security.

Once Gallant became the first cabinet minister to openly oppose the reforms, others soon followed suit, including Israel’s President Isaac Herzog who took to Facebook Monday to write:

We saw some very difficult plays tonight.
I turn to the Prime Minister, members of the government and members of the coalition: the feelings are hard and painful. Deep concern covers the whole nation. Security, economy, society – everyone is threatened. The eyes of all the people of Israel are married to you. The eyes of all the Jewish people are married to you. The eyes of the whole world are married to you.
For the sake of solidarity with Israel, for the sake of committed responsibility I call on you to halt the legislative procedure immediately. [Emphasis mine.]

The action wasn’t confined to Tel Aviv:

Number of protesters is increasing minutes by minutes in all cities of Israel pic.twitter.com/LGFF4clRJp
— Spriter (@spriter99880) March 26, 2023

Israeli politicians weighed in with heated rhetoric on both sides of the issue, and the largest labor union plans to strike beginning Monday. Meanwhile, many departing flights out of the country were grounded by protesting workers, and other sectors threatened to also go on strike.

This situation looks to get more chaotic before all is said and done; RedState will keep you posted with any updates.

Democrats Turn Backs on Israel as Plurality Now Sympathize With Palestine

March 16, 2023 by Ben Kew Leave a Comment

Democrats are increasingly turning their backs on Israel and the Zionist cause and are rapidly becoming more sympathetic to the state of Palestine, the latest Gallup poll has found.

In a poll conducted last month, nearly half of all Democrats said they are supporters of Palestine, while just 38 percent pledged support for Israel.

The results point to a dramatic shift in opinion in recent years. In 2016, around 53% said they sympathized more with Israelis, while 23% expressed sympathy with the Palestinians.

The shift can be attributed to various factors, but primarily that voters born after 1980 are far more likely to show sympathy for Palestine. Another reason is a change in rhetoric from many Democratic leaders, particularly those on the progressive wing of the party who considers Palestinian sovereignty as a major political issue.

Gallup explains:

Americans’ views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have become more polarized as Democrats increasingly commiserate with the Palestinians, while Republicans maintain their solid alignment with the Israelis. The escalation of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities over the past year, resulting in a high number of Palestinians killed, could partly explain the most recent shift in Democrats’ perspective.
But Democrats’ waning religiosity may be a factor in the longer-term trend. Sympathy for Israel has historically been highly correlated with religion, with those attending religious services weekly being much more sympathetic to the Israelis than those who seldom or never attend.
Regardless of the reasons that Democrats’ (and, to a lesser extent, independents’) views have changed on the conflict, majorities of all generational and party groups still view Israel favorably and look more favorably on Israel than on the Palestinian Authority. This suggests that while rank-and-file Democrats may want Palestinians’ needs addressed, they will want solutions that respect Israel’s needs as well.

Republicans, meanwhile, remain far more supportive of Israel. 82 percent of Republicans say they have a positive view of the country as a whole, compared with just 56 percent of Democrats.

Some Israeli officials have also blamed the shift on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who aligned himself closely with former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party following his decision to recognize Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv as the country’s capital.

Nearly three weeks into his third stint as leader, Netanyahu has yet to receive an invitation to the Biden White House, indicating potential tension between the two sides over his government’s policies.