Far-right Israeli minister calls for the arrest of anyone watching Al Jazeera
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has once again demanded a crackdown on Al Jazeera's presence in Israel, claiming the network poses a 'threat' to national security.
Speaking in a brief televised statement, carried live by Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera Mubasher, Ben-Gvir also urged police to take action against individuals found watching the channel inside the country.
His remarks come weeks after Israel formally banned Al Jazeera's journalists and staff from operating within its borders in early May 2024.
The Palestinian Authority imposed a similar ban months earlier, in January, effectively blocking the network's coverage from the occupied West Bank.
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (AFP)
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Middle East Eye
42 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israeli officials accused of 'hypocrisy' over Iranian strike that hit hospital
Social media platforms erupted on Thursday, following Israel's condemnation of an Iranian missile strike on Soroka hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel, which the Israeli government labelled a war crime. The Israeli government described the attack as a deliberate violation of international law, citing the targeting of a civilian medical facility. But the condemnation was met with swift backlash online, where many accused Israel of hypocrisy. הקו האדום נחצה. המשטר הדיקטטורי מטהרן עבר את הגבול ופועל כמו ארגון טרור ברברי. הירי למרכז הרפואי ״סורוקה״ ולעבר אוכלוסיה אזרחית הוא פשע מלחמה מתועב. מדינת ישראל, יחד עם שותפינו בעולם החופשי, מחויבים ונחושים לשים לזה סוף אחת ולתמיד. — Uriel Busso-אוריאל בוסו (@BussoUriel) June 19, 2025 Translation: The red line has been crossed. The dictatorial regime in Tehran has crossed the line and is acting like a barbaric terrorist organisation. The shooting at the Soroka Medical Centre and the civilian population is a heinous war crime. The State of Israel, together with our partners in the free world, are committed and determined to put an end to this once and for all. People on social media pointed out that for nearly two years, Israeli forces have systematically dismantled Gaza's healthcare system - bombing hospitals, raiding emergency wards, and forcing medical staff and patients to evacuate under fire. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters For two years, the Israeli Medical Association and its ethics committee have said nothing about Israel's systematic destruction of Gaza's healthcare system, including the annihilation of 35 hospitals, the killing of babies in incubators, and patients in their hospital beds. 1/3 — Ghada Majadli غادة مجادلة (@GMajadli) June 19, 2025 'If attacking a hospital is a war crime, then the radical Jewish extremists are the greatest war criminals. Of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, only 9 remain operational, all the others having been destroyed by Israeli bombing.' Another added, 'If this is a war crime then so are the IDF's actions bombing every hospital in Gaza,' another person wrote. As of May of this year, just 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain operational, with at least 94 percent of all hospitals in the besieged enclave damaged or destroyed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO recorded 697 attacks on healthcare infrastructure by Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. "If this is a war crime then so are the idfs actions bombing every hospital in gaza," another added. 🚨 Reality check: Netanyahu, - You bombed Al-Shifa Hospital, killing patients and doctors. - Flattened Indonesian Hospital, where even ambulances were hit. - Struck Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, where babies died in incubators. - Turned Nasser Medical Complex into rubble. Children… — زماں (@Delhiite_) June 19, 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the incident, posting a video from the hospital site. 'We accurately hit nuclear targets and missile targets, and they hit a hospital, where people can't even get up and run away. They are harming not far from here - there is a children's and infants' ward here,' he said. A social media user responded, 'Coming from the war criminal who: Bombed 35 hospitals in Gaza. Bombed 2 hospitals in Iran. Bombed 40 Hospitals in Lebanon. You have no self awareness and also the hospital itself was not bombed by Iran, stop placing military facilities near your hospitals.' It is hypocritical for Benjamin Netanyahu to declare the recent bombing of an Israeli hospital by Iran as a war crime when in the first two months of Israel's bombing of Gaza CNN identified 20 out of 22 hospitals as being damaged or completely destroyed. — Pismo Clam (@WaveRambler) June 19, 2025 Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar said on X that "the evil Iranian regime had crossed all moral lines". One person on X replied, 'You and your equals are the most evil thing that we witness unfortunately. Your evilness can be seen first in Gaza when your evil government destroyed all the hospitals there. Bombing a hospital is evil yes, but look first in the mirror before barking for sympathy…' Many users also took aim at Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, accusing him of hypocrisy after he said "[Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei will be held accountable for his actions'. Others turned their focus to what they perceived as glaring bias in western media coverage, particularly the stark contrast in how outlets report on Israeli versus Palestinian suffering. Many pointed out that while the strike on Soroka hospital was immediately framed as a deliberate attack by Iran, coverage of Israel's repeated bombings of Gaza's hospitals was often muddled with vague qualifiers or unverified framing. Irish journalist Barry Malone wrote, "The difference between the reporting on a hospital being hit in Israel and the reporting on hospitals being hit in Gaza is a such a striking example of Western media bias. Genuinely could be taught in journalism school." The Palestinian writer and journalist Hamza Yusuf also pointed out the difference in tone, posting: 'No 'health officials say'? No 'according to locals'? No 'Likud-run health ministry claims'? Interesting.' Others argued that Israel had itself paved the way for this moment - that the very normalisation of hospital bombings was a direct result of its own military campaign in Gaza.
Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Gulf Today
The great Gretas
Palestine's tiny strip coastal strip, Gaza, has become a global cause over the past 17 years thanks, in part, to two women called 'Greta.' Californian activist Greta Berlin is a cofounder of the Free Gaza Movement which in 2008 breached Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza by sailing small boats from Cyprus into the strip's fishermen's harbour. Born in Michigan and educated in Indiana and Illinois, Berlin, 84, was introduced to the Palestinian cause by her Palestinian-US husband who was a refugee from the town of Safad seized by Israel during its 1948 war of establishment. She became active in Palestinian advocacy after Israel's 1967 occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. She and her husband launched a non-profit charity, Pal Aid International, to send medicine and aid to the Palestinians. In response, she said his tax records were audited by the US Internal Revenue Service, they were questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and warned that their two children could be harmed by a pro-Israel organisation. Her second husband was Jewish and anti-Zionist. In 1977, while temporarily abstaining from the Palestinian cause, she established a successful firm for coaching engineers and scientists on how to present their work to conferences around the world. In 2003, Berlin joined the International Solidarity Movement (ISM and travelled to the West Bank to taken part in its peaceful protests against the Israeli occupation. The Free Gaza Movement – established in 2006 – made five successful voyages to Gaza in 2008 but since December that year Israel has blocked all maritime missions to reach the strip. The most violent incident took place in 2010 when Israeli commandos landed by helicopter on the deck of the Istanbul ferry Mavi Marmara and killed nine activists. The Free Gaza banner was taken up in June by high-profile Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others on the two-masted sailboat Madleen. On the 9th, the boat was commandeered by Israeli commandoes, Thunberg and her colleagues were arrested, taken to Israel's Ashdod port and expelled to their home countries. At 22 years of age, two generations younger than Greta Berlin, Thunberg began to shine as a campaigner In 2018.. Then 15 , she skipped school to demand strong global action against climate change. She vowed to stay away from school until Sweden complied with the terms of the 2016 Paris climate agreement. Students elsewhere around the world followed Thunberg by staging protest boycotts at their schools every Friday. As momentum built, she addressed the 2018 UN Climate Change Conference as well as the 2019 Climate Change Summit in New York where Thunberg accused world leaders of inaction over the growing climate crisis. After graduating from secondary school in 2023, she intensified her involvement in the climate change movement and expanded recruitment by aggressive posting on social media, the chief means of communication used by youngsters of her generation. She also widened her horizons by leading her support to the causes of Palestine, Ukraine, Armenia and Western Sahara. After Hamas seized control of Gaza from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority In 2007, Israel waged war on the strip In 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021. These attacks involved deadly and destructive bombings and shelling from which Gaza and Gazans never recovered. Israel controlled everything which entered the strip and limited building material. On Oct.7, 2023, Hamas fighters struck southern Israel, killing 1,200 and abducing 250, according to Israel. It responded with an offensive, two ceasefires and periods when aid could flow. Israel has failed to win the war and to map a route to end it. As the Palestinian death toll mounted to 55,000, Israel has lost global public opinion. Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognised the state of Palestine in May 2024. Other Western governments could follow suit. Thunberg described as 'horrific' Hamas' attack on Israel but added that 'the world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.' In an article published in The Guardian, Thunberg, and other climate activists in her 'Fridays for the Future' movement, made the connection between the climate and Palestinian causes. They said, 'We won't stop speaking out about Gaza's suffering – there is no climate justice without human rights.' Unlike Berlin, Thunberg has attracted widespread publicity and awards. She was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people and Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful women in 2019 and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Between 2008 and 2025 – and particularly over the past two years – a great deal has changed on the Palestine advocacy front. While attempting to suppress negative publicity over its policies in the occupied West Bank and dominated Gaza, Israel has not escaped castigation and condemnation. Among its sharpest critics has been B'Tselem, the Israeli rights organisation which labelled Israel's system of West Bank governance as 'apartheid,' which is illegal under international law. This label has been picked up by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch which had been wary of using the term until B'Tselem applied it. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice found Israel responsible for apartheid, war crimes, and crimes against humanity including plausible 'genocide.' Israel's Gaza's war, siege and blockade of Gaza led the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and ex-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas leaders who were assassinated by Israel. Israel has not escaped accountability in global public opinion and among some Western allied governments although the US has remained loyal. It is much safer these days to be critical of Israel than when Greta Berlin and her sailors began their voyages to Gaza. Photos: AFP
Arabian Post
3 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Markets aren't ready for a US move on Iran
If the United States launches direct military strikes against Iran, global stock markets will likely react with speed and force—dropping hard before any official policy statements are made or economic forecasts adjusted. This would not be a measured repricing. It would be a sharp reflex from investors who have, until now, largely overlooked the rising threat of a wider regional war in the Middle East. Equities across the US, Europe and Asia are still trading near record highs. Confidence has been built on assumptions of rate cuts, stable oil prices, and easing inflation. Those assumptions are now vulnerable. The prospect of a broader military conflict—especially one involving the world's largest economy—threatens to knock markets off balance. ADVERTISEMENT Oil has already climbed nearly 9% since the initial Israeli strikes on Iran. That alone sends a clear signal. Energy traders are building in the possibility of deeper supply disruptions. If US forces join the offensive, that risk multiplies. Supply chains would be at risk. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could be affected. The effect on crude would likely be immediate and severe. Higher oil prices feed directly into inflation expectations. After a long and painful stretch of monetary tightening, many central banks have just begun preparing to pivot. Those plans would stall. Rate cuts expected later this year would be pushed back, or possibly cancelled altogether, if energy costs spike again. This matters for equity markets because so much of the recent rally is based on an expectation of easier policy ahead. Investors have leaned heavily into risk, chasing yield and growth stories on the belief that borrowing conditions will soon improve. If inflation returns, that narrative collapses. And with it, much of the positioning tied to it. We are already seeing hints of a shift. The US dollar has strengthened modestly against safe-haven currencies like the yen and Swiss franc. Treasury yields have edged lower as capital moves into government bonds. None of this is extreme, but all of it reflects a market sensing that something is changing. A direct US strike on Iran would remove all ambiguity. The market's tolerance for risk would drop instantly. The initial reaction would likely hit tech stocks, high-beta names, and emerging market assets first. Liquidity would shrink. Volatility would surge. Many investors would step to the sidelines, awaiting clarity that may not come for days. ADVERTISEMENT There's also the issue of timing. Should US action occur suddenly—overnight or during a weekend—it would leave global markets scrambling to price in the consequences before trading resumes. That sort of blind repricing creates wider gaps and sharper drops. None of this is about the long-term value of businesses or the global economy's trajectory five years from now. It's about near-term risk tolerance. The kind of rapid repricing triggered by geopolitics tends to override valuation logic. It pulls markets down in broad strokes. What makes this situation particularly sensitive is how underprepared markets seem to be. Despite the headlines and military posturing, positioning remains optimistic. Risk appetite has returned. Rate-sensitive trades are back in fashion. Many investors appear to be assuming that the conflict will remain contained. That assumption is weak. The Middle East remains highly interconnected. A move by the US opens the door to a wider confrontation, including proxy responses across multiple borders. Markets will struggle to measure the implications if those scenarios begin to unfold. Even a limited US strike would likely bring airspace closures, shipping route disruptions, and the possibility of further retaliation. All of this increases complexity for supply chains, commodities, and corporate earnings. The most affected companies may not be the most obvious ones—but the reallocation of risk would be fast and indiscriminate at the start. Investors should be using this moment to assess exposure. That doesn't mean exiting markets entirely. But it does mean understanding where the pressure will come first, and how it could spread. Diversification, liquidity access, and contingency planning all become more important in periods of sudden geopolitical stress. What's unfolding is not just a regional military story—it's a global market risk. If the United States escalates its involvement, the reaction will not be slow or orderly. It will come in a wave of de-risking that hits asset prices across regions and sectors. Markets have recovered from shocks before. But the damage often comes from being unprepared when the first move hits. The cost of ignoring this risk is far greater than the cost of adjusting for it. Investors need to be alert now, not later. When geopolitics meets stretched valuations and overconfidence, the result is rarely subtle. If Washington acts, markets will move—and they will move fast. Nigel Green is deVere CEO and Founder Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.
