Latest news with #ArabIsraelis
Irish Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Without an exit strategy, Israel risks bringing destruction to its doorstep in a war of attrition against Iran
On Monday, a senior Israel Defense Forces officer summed up Israel's military achievements to date in the war against Iran : 'They've lost their [nuclear] facility in Natanz, their scientists, and we've struck the facility in Isfahan. 'Their top military brass has been eliminated and a significant part of their launchers have been taken out as well. Their ability to manufacture launchers in the future has been destroyed. 'Iran is completely exposed and we have full freedom of action. This is an unprecedented achievement.' But the cost has been an unprecedented level of destruction to Israel's home front. READ MORE By Tuesday evening 400 ballistic missiles had been launched from Iran. Fewer than 10 per cent managed to penetrate Israel's missile defence system, considered one of the best in the world, but the destruction caused by the projectiles with half-tonne or more warheads is at a different level to those launched by Hamas from Gaza or by Hizbullah from Lebanon . As of Tuesday, 24 Israelis had been killed, more than 600 wounded and almost 3,000 have been left homeless. Israelis go to sleep fearing renewed rocket salvos in the night. Despite the high cost, 83 per cent of Jewish Israelis support the war, research by Jerusalem's Hebrew University has shown. In sharp contrast, 12 per cent of Israeli Arabs backed Friday's strike on Iran . 'While Jewish Israelis largely see the Iran strike as unifying and justified even at high cost, Arab Israelis view it as divisive, dangerous and diplomatically unjustified – underscoring a profound gap in public sentiment across Israeli society,' the report said. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu indicated in a Monday night news conference that a ceasefire at this juncture would be premature. 'Of course they [Iran] want to stop. They want to stop, and to keep producing the tools of death. We gave that a chance. While they were negotiating with the Americans, the Ayatollah was tweeting that Israel will be destroyed,' he said. 'Thanks, but we won't be tempted. We want three central results: eliminating the nuclear programme, eliminating the ability to produce ballistic missiles and eliminating the axis of terror. We will obviously do what we must to achieve these objectives.' But are these goals realistic? It's believed that without US intervention Israel will only be able to delay an Iranian nuclear bomb by two or three years. There is no indication yet that Tehran is willing to give up on uranium enrichment and to send its fissile material abroad, an outcome with would be similar to the deal that was struck with the late former Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy Israel has no clear exit strategy and continues to hope that US president Donald Trump will either agree to use US long-range bombers to destroy the Fordow reactor, where most of Iran's enriched uranium is believed to be stored deep underground, or provide Israel with the advanced bunker buster bombs to the do the job itself. Recent comments by Trump calling on residents of Tehran to evacuate and reiterating that Iran needs to give up entirely on nuclear weapons indicate that he is no mood to compromise. What's clear is that Israel cannot be dragged into a war of attrition. There is also the real danger that the longer the war continues the greater the chance of an Iranian missile causing scores of fatalities or striking a sensitive strategic installation. Regime change is not an Israeli war aim, but Netanyahu, in an ABC News interview on Monday, did not rule out targeting Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei , suggesting that such a scenario would 'end the conflict' with the Islamic Republic.
Arab News
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
MP calls out lack of bomb shelters in Arab-Israeli communities
JERUSALEM: Ayman Odeh, an Israeli member of parliament of Palestinian descent, accused the government on Sunday of failing to provide Arab-Israeli communities with enough shelters after an Iranian missile killed four people in the city of Tamra.'The state, unfortunately, still distinguishes between blood and blood,' Odeh lamented on X, after touring the city of 37,000 predominantly Arab residents.A house there was destroyed by a missile launched by Iran overnight in response to Israel's unprecedented attacks on the Islamic republic's military and nuclear sites.'Four civilians were killed yesterday: Manar Al-Qassem Abu Al-Hija Khatib (39), her two daughters Hala (13) and Shada (20), and their relative Manar Diab Khatib (41),' Odeh said, adding that 'dozens more' were and buildings were also damaged by the strike on the community in the Israeli region of Galilee, an AFP journalist at the scene reported.'Tamra is not a village. It is a city without public shelters,' Odeh said, adding that this was the case for 60 percent of 'local authorities' — the Israeli term for communities not officially registered as cities, many of which are are Palestinians who remained in what is now Israel after its creation in 1948, and represent about 20 percent of the country's community frequently professes to face discrimination from Israel's Jewish Israel and Iran engaged in their most intense confrontation ever, Odeh, a communist MP for over 10 years, warned of 'a threat of unprecedented destruction (that) will not distinguish' between Arabs and also accused the government of 'neglect' toward citizens of Palestinian descent.A video shared on social media Sunday night caused outrage after showing families apparently rejoicing in Hebrew as missiles fell on some Arab neighborhoods, missiles launched toward Israel have also been welcomed with joy, AFP journalists reported.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Most Israelis doubt Gaza ops. will return hostages or defeat Hamas
According to the survey, only 37% of Israelis believe the operation will bring the hostages home, while only 38.5% think Hamas will be defeated in Gaza. As the IDF progresses in the Gaza Strip as part of Operation Gideon's Chariots, a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), published on Friday, shows that most Israelis are skeptical the campaign will achieve its two main objectives: Bringing home the hostages and defeating Hamas. According to the May 2025 Israeli Voice Index, conducted by the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, only 37% of Israelis believe the operation will succeed in bringing the hostages back, and just 38.5% think it will defeat Hamas and end its rule in Gaza. Arab Israelis are even more skeptical: only 27.5% believe the hostages will return, compared with 39% of Jewish Israelis; and 31% believe the operation will defeat Hamas, compared with 40% of Jewish Israelis. Voter affiliation significantly influences these views. Among supporters of parties in the current coalition, 65% of Religious Zionist Party voters believe the fighting will bringthe hostages home, and 64% believe it will defeat Hamas. By contrast, among voters for the opposition Labor Party — now called The Democrats, only 7% believe either goal will be achieved. Even among voters for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, there is significant doubt: only 27% believe the hostages will return, and 31% believe the operation will defeat Hamas. The survey also asked about US President Donald Trump's commitment to Israel's security. When asked, 'To what extent do you think Israel's security is one of President Trump's central considerations?' the public was divided: 47% believe that Israel's security is a central consideration to a fairly large or very large extent, while 46% say it is a central consideration only to a fairly small or very small extent. This marks a notable shift from immediately before and after Trump's election, when a larger proportion of Israelis believed that Israel's security would be a guiding light for his policy decisions. For example, in November 2024, 63% of respondents held that view. The survey also revealed mixed opinions on humanitarian aid to Gaza. When asked whether Israel should increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, 54% said it should not, while 38% said it should. Significant differences emerged between Jewish and Arab respondents: more than three-quarters of Arab Israelis believe aid should be increased, while less than a third of Jewish Israelis agree. Among Jewish Israelis, support for increased aid is highest on the Left (75%), compared with 42% in the Center and just 17% on the Right. About half of the respondents said responsibility for transferring and distributing humanitarian aid should lie with an international force. Approximately a quarter believe the responsibility should fall to the IDF or another Israeli agency. Smaller percentages favor the Palestinian Authority (9%) or private companies (8%). Similar patterns were found among both Jewish and Arab samples, though Jewish respondents were more likely to support Israeli or international responsibility, while Arab respondents more often favored giving this task to the Palestinian Authority or private companies. The survey also asked about the recent wave of flight cancellations to Israel by foreign airlines. Approximately 60% of both Jewish and Arab respondents believe the cancellations are due to the objective security situation, while just over a quarter attribute them to disagreement with Israel's conduct in Gaza. Among Jewish respondents, political orientation again played a role: a majority in all camps attributed the cancellations to the security situation, with the highest proportion on the Left (69%), compared with 62% in the Center and 58% on the Right. The May 2025 Israeli Voice Index was prepared by the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute. The survey was conducted via the internet and by telephone between May 26 and 29, 2025, with 601 Hebrew-speaking and 150 Arabic-speaking adults, constituting a nationally representative sample of the Israeli adult population aged 18 and over. The maximum sampling error was ±3.58% at a 95% confidence level. Fieldwork was carried out by Shiluv I2R.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli faith in lasting peace with Palestinians at lowest in over a decade
Israeli faith in lasting peace with Palestinians and the possibility of a two-state solution is at the lowest since 2013, a Pew poll shows. The share of Israeli adults who believe that Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully is the lowest it has been since 2013, data from Pew Research Center published Tuesday revealed. Despite the fact that a majority of Israeli adults reported believing Israeli people are committed to working toward lasting peace, only 21% of Israeli adults believed coexistence was possible. In its second annual survey since the Israel-Hamas war began, the survey revealed that Arab Israelis were significantly more confident in the existence of a two-state solution, with 40% responding positively, compared to 16% of Jewish Israelis. Nearly half of Israelis said their government is 'very or somewhat committed' to working toward lasting peace. A similar share believed the Palestinian Authority is committed to peace, and 20% of Israelis believe Hamas 'is at least somewhat committed to seeking peace.' The survey showed that Israelis viewed several things as 'at least minor obstacles to peace,' including the status of Jerusalem, West Bank settlements, political conflicts in Israel, and conflicts between Hamas and Fatah on the Palestinian side. However, 75% of Israelis agreed that the most significant obstacle to lasting peace is a lack of trust between Israelis and Palestinians. Despite half of Israelis naming Israeli settlements in the West Bank as a major obstacle to lasting peace, 44% believed continued building of settlements would help the security of Israel. A third of Israelis believed Israel should retain control of Gaza after the war, down from 40% reported in last year's survey. A smaller share of Israelis said the Gazan public should be allowed to decide who governs them, with only 1% stating Hamas should be allowed to retain control of the Gaza Strip. Many Israelis stated that the involvement of foreign entities, such as the United Nations, in peace efforts has been more harmful than helpful. However, a majority of respondents said the United States was an exception, with 81% of Israelis saying the US has been helpful in the work toward lasting peace. Still, half of Israelis say US President Donald Trump has favored Israelis too much in his foreign relations, while 2% said he favored Palestinians too much, and 42% say he favored each group the right amount.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Arab Israelis stand with their country — and reject the rage of Hamas
The college students erupting in anti-Israel protests on campuses across the United States, and the marchers at Thursday's 'All Out for Gaza' demonstration in New York City, repeatedly echo the talking points issued by the terrorists of Hamas. But inside Israel, a very different story is unfolding: Millions of Arab citizens are rejecting Hamas and standing with the Jewish state. The Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023 wasn't just a bloodbath — it was a defining moment for Israel. Over 1,200 people were murdered. Children shot in their beds. Families torched in their homes. Civilians dragged screaming into Gaza. It was the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, and a shock to every decent person on the planet. As Israel reeled and the IDF prepared for war, another fear surfaced: Would the country's fragile Jewish-Arab internal fabric come undone? It didn't. In fact, something extraordinary happened — something Hamas didn't expect. Arab Israelis — Israel's 2-million-strong Arab minority — didn't riot. They didn't wave Hamas flags. They didn't cheer. They stood with Israel. Arab citizens of Israel don't all agree with the government. Many have grievances concerning inequality, discrimination and underinvestment. But when terrorists stormed Israeli homes and massacred civilians, Arab Israelis didn't flinch. They chose loyalty. Arab medics treated the wounded. Arab mayors calmed tensions. Volunteers from Arab towns donated blood, delivered aid and helped evacuate families. Arab enlistment in the IDF grew, because many saw clearly that groups like Hamas don't distinguish between Jew and Arab when attacking Israeli civilians. An Israel Democracy Institute poll in November 2023 showed that 70% of Arab citizens felt a sense of belonging to Israel — a dramatic rise from less than 50% just months earlier. More recently, a Moshe Dayan Center in December 2024 found that 71.8% of Arab Israelis supported the inclusion of an Arab party in the next governing coalition. While Hamas spreads chaos, Arab Israelis are choosing civic responsibility and coexistence. What many Western critics miss is this: Israel isn't just fighting Hamas with missiles — it's defeating them with reality. Israel is a democracy. Imperfect, yes — but one in which Arab citizens vote, serve in Parliament, work in hospitals, sit on the bench and lead classrooms. They protest. They debate. They're part of the national fabric. No country in the region offers Arab citizens those rights — not Egypt, not Lebanon, not Syria, and certainly not Hamas-run Gaza. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters In Gaza, Hamas uses children as shields and jails dissenters; In Israel, a $202 million initiative launched in December is investing in Hebrew-language instruction in Arab schools, helping to bridge cultural and economic gaps. That's the Israel Hamas doesn't want the world to see. Since Oct. 7, Arabs and Jews in Israel have marched together under one banner, rejecting terror and believing in a shared future. One grassroots movement, Standing Together, brings them side by side — not in some PR campaign, but in a real alliance demanding justice and peace. In Israel, unlike Gaza or Lebanon, it's legal to organize that way — and the effort is gaining ground. Arab leadership has also shown real courage. Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra'am party, called Hamas's massacre 'barbaric.' No excuses. No hedging. Abbas made history in 2021 by joining an Israeli governing coalition — the first Arab party to do so — proving Arab leadership in Israel doesn't have to be about rage or rejection, but can be constructive, pragmatic, and patriotic. And that's exactly what Hamas fears: Arabs who believe in Israel's future. There's another, quieter symbol of unity: Bnei Sakhnin, an Arab-majority soccer team in Israel's top league. Arab and Jewish players compete together, cheered on by fans from all backgrounds. The team plays under the Israeli flag. It's not just a sports story — it's coexistence in motion. Oct. 7 was horror. But what's followed matters, too. Israel's Arab citizens didn't play into Hamas' hands. They didn't retreat into silence or sectarianism. They stood with their fellow Israelis. They rejected hate. They embraced a shared fate. They proved that Israel — despite its flaws — is still a place where Jews and Arabs can build a future together. Israel isn't falling apart. It's holding firm. In emergency rooms and classrooms, in city halls and at protests, ordinary people are refusing to be divided. Hamas may celebrate death. But Israel, even in grief, is creating something radical for the Middle East: a shared life. Haisam Hassanein is an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
