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Israelis Prioritize Controlling Philadelphi Corridor Over Securing Hostage Deal, Polling Shows
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands before a map of the Gaza Strip, telling viewers that Israel must retain control over the “Philadelphi corridor,” a strategic area along the territory’s border with Egypt, during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
JNS.org — Two new polls reveal that a majority of Israelis support maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the 8.7-mile-long strip of land extending the length of the Egypt-Gaza border, even at the expense of a hostage deal with Hamas.
Forty-nine percent of Jewish Israelis agreed with the statement, “Israel must not relinquish control of the Philadelphi Corridor even at the expense of a hostage deal,” according to the most recent poll, conducted on Sept. 1 just hours after news broke of the murder of six Israeli hostages by Hamas.
Forty-three percent of those surveyed supported the statement, “Israel should give up control of the Philadelphi Corridor to enable a hostage deal.”
The poll was conducted by The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), a left-leaning, Israel-based think tank.
The second survey, conducted by polling firm Direct Polls on July 24, asked, “Do you agree with the statement that ‘Israel needs to control in a permanent way the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt to terror organizations in the Gaza Strip?’”
Seventy-nine percent agreed or agreed “very strongly” with the statement. Six percent didn’t agree or “completely didn’t agree.” Sixteen percent had no position.
The survey was carried out for a new group called “Gaza Forever.” It describes itself as a “movement for the humanitarian evacuation of all residents of Gaza to the nations of the world.”
According to a statement on the group’s website, “In an evacuation-compensation process, all residents of Gaza who desire it will be evacuated to a better home in another country.”
Following the news of the six hostages’ murders, large-scale protests took place across Israel on Monday, blocking roads in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The protests continued on Tuesday.
The protesters hold the Netanyahu government responsible for the failure to reach a deal with Hamas to free the hostages.
The Histadrut, Israel’s labor federation, held a general strike on Monday, joining with the protesters in holding the government responsible.
“A deal is not progressing due to political considerations and that cannot be accepted. The abandonment of the hostages, of the displaced, of the collapsing economy must be stopped,” Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David said on Sunday, announcing the strike.
However, Israel’s National Labor Court ordered the strike cut short, ruling it was politically motivated and therefore illegal.
Many local government authorities had refused to join the strike, including those of Jerusalem, Ashdod, Netanya, Ramla, Dimona, Sderot, Holon, Petah Tikva, Safed, all townships in the West Bank, and others.
The polls suggest that the demonstrators, though a large and vocal minority, do not represent most Israelis.
JPPI noted in the summary of its poll: “The survey proved that the position of the government is in line with the prevailing sentiment among its supporters, and a plurality of the Jewish public.”
Israel’s Security Cabinet voted on Sept. 29 to support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position that Israel must maintain a military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor indefinitely. Only Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voted against.
Addressing the nation on Monday night, Netanyahu called the corridor “the oxygen and the arming of Hamas.”
“The axis of evil needs the Philadelphi Corridor; for this reason, we need the Philadelphi Corridor,” he added.
If Israel gives up control of the border area as Hamas has demanded during the ongoing ceasefire talks, the remaining captives could be smuggled out to Egypt and from there to Iran or Yemen, said Netanyahu.
He went on to say that he had been “absolutely shocked” that Gallant had voted against the Cabinet decision.
The post Israelis Prioritize Controlling Philadelphi Corridor Over Securing Hostage Deal, Polling Shows first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
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Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
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Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
The post Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany first appeared on Algemeiner.com.