Police crack down on large protest near residence of Israel PM Netanyahu
Hundreds of Israelis demonstrated outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem to protest his handling of the hostage crisis and his plan to fire the country's head of internal security. (AP video: Moshe Edri)
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CNN
5 minutes ago
- CNN
Netanyahu says Israel's operation may lead to regime change in Iran. How likely is that?
Since Israel began its concerted attack on Iran on Friday, calls for regime change in Iran have grown louder – from hawks in the United States Congress to Israeli officials and some Iranian activists abroad. They argue that the Islamic Republic is significantly weakened, and that now is the time to capitalize on domestic unrest and public discontent to bring about the overthrow of its ruling clerical establishment, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at its head. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday that Israel's operation 'could certainly' result in regime change, as the government in Iran is 'very weak.' He claimed that '80% of the people would throw these theological thugs out.' 'They shoot women because their hair is uncovered. They shoot students. They just suck the oxygen out from these brave and gifted people, the Iranian people,' Netanyahu said. 'The decision to act, to rise up this time, is the decision of the Iranian people.' Freedom of speech is heavily restricted in Iran, and there have been no major public calls from within the country to overthrow the regime following Israel's attacks. But experts say Netanyahu may be misreading Iranian public sentiment – and that the strikes could backfire. Israel's attacks are more likely to direct public anger toward Israel, as domestic issues are briefly put aside while Iranians run for shelter, experts say. 'Iranian activists, people who fought for freedom and justice all their lives, first of all know that their value has little to do with people like Netanyahu,' Arash Azizi, an Iran expert based in New York City and author of the book 'What Iranians Want,' told CNN. They recognize Netanyahu's right-wing government 'is not at all aligned with their values.' Iran has in recent years seen nationwide protests against the regime, especially in 2022 and 2023, sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly not wearing her headscarf properly. Many activists have since been detained, and authorities have sought repress further protest, instilling fear with a rise in criminal prosecutions and executions. Disgruntlement is widespread. But experts, and Iranians currently living under Israeli bombardment, said that most Iranians don't see Netanyahu or his government as having the solution to their domestic problems. Many of those who spoke to CNN in recent days did not want to be named for safety reasons, and none expressed support for Netanyahu's calls for a revolt. A local Iranian journalist told CNN that while some believe the conflict could be an opportunity for a potential push for regime change, they want to build their future themselves. Others believe that Israeli attacks are not the correct basis for political change, and that such a shift should take place through democratic procedures. Another journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CNN that the perception at home is that the regime isn't weak, and that people are unlikely to protest while their cities are being bombed. 'The people of Iran have fought against the Islamic Republic for years, striving for democracy and freedom,' the journalist said from Tehran. 'But I believe that in the current situation, those who are terrified under missiles and explosions, trying to protect their children and loved ones, do not have the psychological or practical capacity to 'take to the streets.' The streets, which are constantly under attack, are now emptier than ever.' 'Moreover, from the public's perspective, the Islamic Republic has not yet become weak enough to collapse through protests. Any action against the regime during wartime will lead to brutal repression,' the journalist said, adding that 'now the regime has free rein to label anyone it wants as an Israeli spy.' Others say during a time of national crisis, people are more likely to favor unity, no matter how dissatisfied they are. To them, foreign intervention is a red line. 'There is no support that they will give to Netanyahu's war on themselves and their society. If anything, they are organizing now to help each other defend their country,' Azizi said, referring to anti-regime Iranians. 'Any idea that this will lead to a popular uprising of some sort that will bring down the regime has very little basis in reality.' Even in the diaspora, where many anti-regime Iranians live, there is anger at Israel's actions, with activists calling for unity in the face of Israel's assault. Narges Mohammadi, one of Iran's most prominent human rights activists and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has spent years in prison in Tehran on what supporters say are politically motivated charges, posted on X: 'Iranian Civil Society Says No to War!' She and other Iranian activists, including fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof, all of whom have been pursued by the regime for their activism, wrote a joint opinion piece in France's Le Monde newspaper Monday calling for an end to the war – but they also demanded that Iran stop enrichment of uranium and that the regime step down. 'This conflict not only destroys infrastructure and claims civilian lives but also constitutes a serious threat to the very foundations of human civilization,' they wrote. In recent years, Israel has strengthened ties with Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's deposed monarch. Pahlavi voiced support for Israel's actions, drawing praise from some in the Iranian diaspora and accusations of betrayal from others. 'Soon in Tehran,' Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli posted on X on Friday, along with a picture of himself shaking hands with a smiling Pahlavi. Pahlavi told BBC News on Sunday that Israel's conflict with Iran was an opportunity to bring down the Iranian regime. 'The ultimate solution is regime change,' he said. 'Now, we have an opportunity, because this regime is at its weakest point. There's (a) window in which we can operate and hopefully liberate our country.' His US-backed father had warm ties with Israel before he was overthrown by the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Israel has pounded Iran with strikes for four days, striking residential areas and the country's civilian infrastructure. At least 224 people have been killed in the country since hostilities began Friday, the health ministry said Sunday, according to state media. Israel has said it is doing so to stop the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear weapon and has targeted several of the country's nuclear sites, but civilians appear to have borne the brunt of the attacks. Iran has retaliated by firing 370 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said. By Monday morning, 24 people had been killed in Israel and 592 others had been wounded. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that 'the residents of Tehran will pay the price,' later clarifying that Israel didn't intend to harm civilians. Israeli officials 'don't even pretend' to care about the safety of Iranian civilians, said Azizi, the Iran expert. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for unity, in a statement released through state media. 'The people of Iran must join hands and stand strong against the aggression that has been launched against us,' Pezeshkian said, adding that the Iranians were 'not the aggressors' and defending Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program. In its operation, Israel has taken out some of Iran's most senior military officials, including in the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Even if the leadership changes, it may not look like what Netanyahu hopes for, Iran experts said. 'Regime change is a possibility, just not the kind that Netanyahu has in mind,' Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of the Amwaj news outlet, wrote on X. 'Among potential medium-term outcomes of Israel's war on Iran: military-led administration, possibly armed with nuclear weapons.' Netanyahu's call for regime change by force has also alarmed other countries in the region. Speaking to the Paris-based journal Le Grand Continent, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, warned that 'when a country feels under attack, nationalism tends to intensify.' Asked about Netanyahu's call for an uprising in Iran, Gargash said: 'The region cannot be reshaped through force and confrontation. We may be able to resolve some problems in the short term, but this will lead to others that are at least as serious.'. Iranians who spoke to CNN said they don't see Israel's actions as helping their country. 'Netanyahu has attacked us, and now he expects us to overthrow Khamenei while we're standing in lines for bread and fuel, worried about our own survival? To topple Khamenei with Israeli missiles?' one of the Iranian journalists who spoke to CNN said. 'Of course, we're glad to see the leaders of this regime - whose hands are stained with the blood of our children - killed. But the death of ordinary people is painful.'
CNN
5 minutes ago
- CNN
‘The situation is far from funny, but you have to keep your sanity': Israeli families endure uncertain nights in cramped bomb shelters
Red alert sirens warning of incoming fire have sent Israelis scrambling to bomb shelters over the last three nights, as Iran and Israel have broadened their deadly attacks on each other. Israeli law demands that all homes and industrial buildings built since the early 1990s have shelters, but for years they were an afterthought, often used as an extra storage room and packed with extraneous belongings. Now, Israeli citizens have had little choice but to ready the tiny rooms for long stays. In central Israel, Rivi Ginzburg laid out two mattresses for her three grandchildren, along with some toys and coloring books. 'We just don't know,' she told CNN, and sighed. 'They always prepare us to be here for an extended period of time, so we stocked up on snacks, water and, more importantly, prepared for the kids.' This feeling of uncertainty – of not knowing what comes next or how this ends – has pervaded families across the country. Israel has vowed to continue its attacks on Iran, while Iran has said its retaliation will not stop. After hours glued to the TV and the latest updates on their cell phones, Ginzburg's family prepared for another night racing between the bedrooms and the bomb shelter. Their unity has blunted the edge of the tensions, if only slightly. 'You can laugh when you're with kids and family at home,' Ginzburg said. 'The situation is far from funny, but you have to keep your sanity, you have to keep your normality with the family.' The bomb shelters have not offered infallible protection. An Iranian ballistic missile hit a family's shelter in Petah Tikva early on Monday morning, killing people inside, according to Lt. Col. Tali Versano Eisman, a representative of Israel's Homefront Command. 'There was a direct hit there on the wall of the bomb shelter,' said Eisman. '(In) the bomb shelter above and the bomb shelter below, the people came out without injury. Still, the bomb shelter is the best and safest place to be.' In an apartment building in Rehovot, Mor Moria Shipony has tried to hide the stress from her three children. 'There's no escape, nowhere to go,' she told CNN. When sirens force the residents into the aging shelter, Shipony grabs what has become her survival bag, filled with chargers, water and snacks, and leads the family downstairs. Packed with 30 people, she says the shelter quickly grows hot and cramped. 'The children are asking when all of this would end, and I just don't have the answers,' Shipony said. 'It's frustrating. I can't assure them that everything will be fine. There's nothing I can do except for waking them up in the middle of the night and take them down to the shelter.' Shipony has tried to explain to her family the existential threat Israel sees in Iran, but told CNN that has been difficult. 'It's very hard not to bring our own political views into this, having a prime minister attempting to survive politically,' she said. 'It's hard to answer all of that, and often (the children) would ask questions which we just don't have the answer to – so we simply tell them that we'll all do the best we can.' Noy Bitan, a student at Hebrew University, left her apartment in Jerusalem for her parents' home in Ashdod, a coastal city about 20 miles north of Gaza. Her apartment has no shelter, so she has to run for cover to reach the shared shelter that connects her parents' house to the neighbors. The shelter – which she says is 'just a few square meters in size' – has to fit 10 people with room for only four chairs. Whoever is holding a child gets a seat, Bitan said. 'Everyone tries to keep calm,' Bitan added, 'and usually we manage.'
Associated Press
7 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Talks in Pennsylvania are at crunch time over a budget, legalizing marijuana and taxing skill games
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers are getting down to crunch time, with big questions still outstanding about how to balance the Democrat's spending request. A push is also on to make Pennsylvania the 25th state to legalize marijuana for adult use, raise the minimum wage and slap taxes on slot machine-like 'skill' games that are popping up in bars, pizzerias, convenience stores and even standalone parlors. Pennsylvania's politically divided government has two weeks left to pass a new spending plan before the state loses some spending authority when the new fiscal year starts July 1. Lawmakers describe closed-door talks as being at a crawl, and many are watching Congress to see if the federal government will make big cuts in aid. Here is a look at the major issues: Top priorities Top priorities for Shapiro and his fellow Democrats who control the state House of Representatives are boosting funding for public schools and public transit agencies. Republicans who control the Senate don't necessarily oppose those aims. But Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman said threshold issues for his Republican members are finding ways to rein in rising Medicaid costs and proliferating skill games. Big increase in Medicaid Shapiro's $51.5 billion plan for the 2025-2026 fiscal year beginning July 1 would increase total authorized spending by 9% for state operations, or about $3.8 billion, including a $230 million request for the current year's spending. Of that, $2.5 billion would go to an increase in Medicaid spending, owing partly to a miscalculation in the cost to care for unexpectedly sick people remaining on the state's Medicaid rolls after the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers can delay the inevitable increase for a year by, say, low-balling the Medicaid appropriation or postponing a big reimbursement bill to providers, like hospitals or counties. Pennsylvania's deficit Shapiro's budget proposal holds the line on personal income and sales tax rates, the state's two largest sources of income. But it requires $4.5 billion in reserve cash to balance. Tax collections are projected to increase by $2.3 billion to $48.3 billion, or 5% more. But about half of that increase — $1.2 billion — depends on whether lawmakers legalize adult-use marijuana, expand how the corporate net income tax is applied and regulate skill games. The House last month passed legislation allowing Pennsylvanians 21 or older to legally buy and use marijuana. But it faces opposition from Senate Republican leadership. Meanwhile, skill games legislation backed by Senate Republican leadership carries a 35% tax rate and limits the number of machines in each establishment. That is sowing opposition from bar owners and could outlaw tens of thousands of machines that are currently operating. A court order on public schools An extra $800 million, or 6% more, would go to instruction in K-12 schools and higher education institutions, including Penn State, Temple, Pitt and state-owned universities. Most of the new education money — $526 million — is viewed as part of a multiyear, multibillion-dollar response to a court decision that found that Pennsylvania's system of public school funding violates the constitutional rights of students in the poorest districts. Separate legislation that passed the House is aimed at providing hundreds of millions of dollars in savings to public schools by shaving reimbursements to cyber charter schools. Its fate in the Senate is unclear. Human services providers Nursing home operators, home-care providers and counties that run mental health services are hoping for substantial increases in aid that Shapiro didn't include in his proposal. The biggest request is from agencies that dispatch home care workers to care for the roughly 150,000 to 200,000 people who qualify for Medicaid-funded home care. The Pennsylvania Homecare Association is seeking a 10% increase, or $370 million more. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 shifts are going unfilled each month in Pennsylvania because the relatively low wages make it difficult to attract workers, Haney said. Transit aid Shapiro is seeking an extra $283 million, or about 20% more, for public transit agencies as he works to stave off cutbacks by transit agencies struggling to regain ridership lost during the pandemic. Democrats support it. The trade-offs sought by Republicans are adding money for highway projects and funding it with a new source of cash, such as tax revenue from skill games. Minimum wageThe House last week passed legislation to make Pennsylvania the 31st state to raise its minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. More heavily populated counties would see bigger increases and sooner. It faces opposition from Senate Republican leadership. ___ Follow Marc Levy on X at:
