RSS
Israeli Political Echelon United in Condemnation of Planned U.S. Sanctions
Soldiers from the IDF’s Ultra orthodox unit called The Netzah Yehuda Battalion on May 19 2005. Photo: Abir Sultan/Flash90.
i24 News – With the report that the U.S. State Department is planning to issue sanctions against an IDF unit, politicians across the political spectrum have come out aghast that its biggest ally would take such a dramatic step amid the ongoing war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz all issued statements condemning the move and promising to take action to prevent it. The IDF has also issued a response to the sanctions, defending the Netzah Yehuda Battalion’s achievements in defending the security of The State of Israel.
In the statement, the IDF says it does “not recognize” the matter of this sanction and will continue to internally investigate any “unusual event in a matter-of-fact manner and in accordance with the law.”
In his response on X, Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote, “The IDF must not be sanctioned!”
אסור להטיל סנקציות על צבא ההגנה לישראל!
**
אני פועל בשבועות האחרונים נגד הטלת סנקציות על אזרחים ישראלים, כולל בשיחות שלי עם בכירי הממשל האמריקני.
בשעה שחיילינו נלחמים במפלצות הטרור, הכוונה להטיל סנקציה על יחידה בצה״ל זה שיא האבסורד ושפל ערכי.
הממשלה בראשותי תפעל בכל האמצעים…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2024
“At a time when our soldiers are fighting terrorist monsters, the intention to issue sanctions against a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low,” he added, saying he had been in talks with administration officials to block the move.
For his part, former IDF chief and ex-defense minister Benny Gantz called the Netzah Yehuda battalion “an integral part of the IDF.” He wrote on X, “We have great respect for our American friends, but imposing sanctions on the unit is a dangerous precedent and sends the wrong message to our shared enemies at a time of war.” Gantz also promised to take action to prevent the sanctions.
Lapid, called the sanctions a “mistake,” saying it would cause “serious injury to Israel’s status as a state of law and another serious erosion of our international status.” He pointed the blame at Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for fueling settler extremism and not wanting the police to enforce the law on Israelis in the West Bank. On Friday, the U.S. issued another round of sanctions targeting extremist settlers involved in violent incidents with Palestinians. However, according to a report by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, the incident reportedly driving the American decision took place during Lapid’s short term as interim prime minister.
הסנקציות האמריקאיות על גדוד נצח יהודה הן שגיאה ועלינו לפעול כדי לבטלן.
מקור הבעיה אינו בדרג הצבאי אלא בדרג המדיני. העולם מבין ויודע שהשר בן גביר אינו מעוניין שהמשטרה תאכוף את החוק באיו״ש והשר סמוטריץ׳ לא מתנגד לטרור היהודי ולהתפרעויות המתנחלים הקיצונים.
>>
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) April 21, 2024
National Security Minister Ben-Gvir asked the Prime Minister on Sunday to urgently convene the security cabinet to discuss the planned measures. Earlier, Ben-Gvir railed against the United States in a post on X, writing that sanctions against IDF soldiers were a “red line,” and promised to absorb the unit into the police under his ministry if they passed.
According a report on Saturday from the Axios news site, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will soon announce the unprecedented move against an IDF unit. The Netzah Yehuda battalion, a largely ultra-Orthodox infantry unit, has been accused of violence against Palestinians on several occasions. The incident reportedly leading to the State Department’s decision occurred in 2022, when an elderly Palestinian-American man died after being detained, handcuffed, and was abandoned in a field in freezing conditions.
According to Israel’s public broadcasting radio station Kan Reshet Bet, U.S. officials had requested materials several times from the military prosecutor’s office, the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry on investigations into attacks on Palestinians involving soldiers from Netzah Yehuda. According to Israeli sources, the Americans were not satisfied with the results of the investigations nor the manner in which they were handled.
When asked to comment on the sanctions over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to the Leahy Laws. Passed in the 1990s, the laws prohibit providing military assistance to individuals or security force units that commit gross violations of human rights and have not been brought to justice. As a result, Netzah Yehuda would be preventing from training with U.S. soldiers or receiving American weapons.
The ultra-Orthodox unit was removed from serving in the West Bank in December 2022, and has been deployed to Gaza during the current war against Hamas.
The post Israeli Political Echelon United in Condemnation of Planned U.S. Sanctions first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
i24 News – The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp revealed their latest missile systems on Saturday, which have been deployed on three different Iranian islands.
This comes amid increased US pressure to return to the negotiation table over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with US President Donald Trump implementing a return to his “maximum pressure” policy.
Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, the head of the IRGC’s naval force, threatened that “the enemy would be beaten” in the event of a military confrontation. He boasted missile units, submarines, unmanned aircraft, and defense systems deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, located in the Persian Gulf, and in the islands in the region.
A new hangar was revealed in one of the sites that contains the new missile systems. According to the IRGC, these missiles have the ability to destroy maritime targets up to 600 kilometers (373 miles) from their deployment sites.
Last week, a US official told i24NEWS that Trump gave Khamenei a two-month ultimatum to reach a nuclear agreement. National Security Council Spokesperson Brian Hughes threatened “devastating” results.
Therefore, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attacked Donald Trump in a speech he made, saying “I will not negotiate with you even under threats.” This, after a few days prior, Trump wrote a letter to Iran, asking to restart negotiations on the nuclear issue.
The post Iran Showcases New, Advanced Missile Systems Amid US Threat first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman
Newly recruited fighters who joined a Houthi military force intended to be sent to fight in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen, Dec. 2, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Houthis claimed on Sunday that they targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport with their alleged hypersonic Palestine 2 ballistic missile, with the strike “successfully achieving its goal.”
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree boasted that air traffic at the airport was suspended for more than half an hour.
Additionally, Saree claimed Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. There is no indication that this attack succeeded, contrary to the Houthi statement.
At around 7:30 am, sirens blared throughout central Israel, with no injuries reported. The IDF said that a Houthi missile had been intercepted successfully outside of Israeli airspace.
This comes after the Houthis restarted their attacks on the Jewish state last week, triggering sirens in central Israel and the Jerusalem area.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command began an offensive against high-level Houthis and terrorist infrastructure in Yemen. US President Donald Trump has also stated that he will hold Iran responsible for any attack emanating from the Houthis.
The post Houthis Falsely Claim to Successfully Hit Ben Gurion Airport, USS Harry Truman first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike
Senior Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil. Photo: File.
i24 News – Hamas confirmed on Sunday that Salah al-Bardawil, a member of its political bureau, had been killed in an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
His wife also perished in the attack. This targeted killing, initially reported by the Palestinian press agency Shehab, affiliated with Hamas, is said to have targeted “tents sheltering displaced persons.” The Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the reports.
This strike is part of a series of targeted operations carried out by Israel against the Hamas leadership. Over the weekend, the Israeli army and Shin Bet security agency also announced that they had eliminated Osama Tabash, who was the chief of military intelligence for Hamas in southern Gaza and led the organization’s surveillance and targeting unit.
According to the joint statement from the army and Shin Bet, Tabash was a “high-ranking terrorist” who possessed “significant operational knowledge for the terrorist organization.” He had held various positions of importance, including that of battalion commander in the Khan Yunis brigade.
The Israeli services attribute to him involvement in several attacks, including a suicide bombing carried out in 2005 at the Gush Katif crossroads in Gaza, which cost the life of Oded Sharon. In his recent roles, Tabash was responsible for developing the Hamas combat strategy and had participated in planning infiltrations during the massacre on October 7 in the Israeli communities in the south of the country.
The post Hamas: Senior Official Salah al-Bardawil Killed in Khan Yunis Strike first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login