Latest news with #Itamar Ben-Gvir
Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Slovenia bars far-right Israeli ministers for ‘genocidal statements'
Slovenia has banned far-right Israeli cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon declared the pair personae non gratae on Thursday in what she said was a first for a European Union country. 'We are breaking new ground,' she said. In a statement, the Slovenian government accused Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich of inciting 'extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians' with 'their genocidal statements'. It also noted that both cabinet ministers 'publicly advocate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the forced evictions of Palestinians, and call for violence against the civilian Palestinian population'. There was no immediate reaction from Israel's government. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, key coalition partners in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, have drawn international criticism for their hard-line stance on the Gaza war and on illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Smotrich, who lives in a West Bank settlement, has supported the expansion of settlements and has called for the territory's annexation. Settlements are illegal under international law. Last July, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's continued presence in occupied Palestinian territory was unlawful, a decision Israel has ignored. Smotrich has previously called for 'total annihilation' in Gaza and said that a Palestinian town in the West Bank should be 'wiped out'. Ben-Gvir was an open admirer of Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli who massacred 29 Palestinians as they prayed in Hebron in 1994. He has been convicted multiple times by Israeli courts for 'incitement to racism'. Despite the ministers' positions, Netanyahu relies heavily on support from the two and from their factions in parliament for the survival of his government. On May 21, Slovenia's President Natasa Pirc Musar told the European Parliament that the EU needed to take stronger action against Israel, condemning 'the genocide' in Gaza. Fajon said Slovenia had decided to make the move after EU foreign ministers did not agree on joint action against Israel over charges of human rights violations at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. She said other measures were being prepared, without going into detail. In June, Britain, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Canada imposed sanctions on the two Israeli ministers, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians. Last year, Slovenia announced it was recognising a Palestinian state, following on the heels of Norway, Spain, and the Republic of Ireland.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'I asked for a realistic plan': Netanyahu pushes IDF for alternatives to Gaza humanitarian city
The IDF also presented the timeline for establishing the humanitarian city, where Israel would move 600,000 Palestinians, and is estimated to take several months, and possibly up to a year to build. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly "threw out" the plan to establish a humanitarian city in southern Gaza and asked the IDF to propose alternative plans during a tense cabinet meeting on Sunday night, Israeli media reported on Monday. The meeting was convened amid reported opposition from the IDF to the humanitarian city plan, which was proposed by Defense Minister Israel Katz. The military has reportedly objected to the plan not only due to the significant budget, but also that building such a city would harm efforts to free the remaining hostages. The defense establishment, according to N12, believes that Hamas would interpret the humanitarian city plan as an Israeli decision to pursue a partial deal and resume the war after a ceasefire. The IDF also presented the timeline for establishing the humanitarian city, where Israel would move 600,000 Palestinians, and is estimated to take several months, and possibly up to a year to build. However, according to reports, Netanyahu told IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, "I asked for a realistic plan!" Netanyahu reportedly told military officials to seek alternative plans that would be faster and cheaper by tomorrow. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the debate surrounding the establishment of the humanitarian city as "spin" that is "aimed at concealing the deal that is being cooked up" in a post to X/Twitter. "This humanitarian city will certainly not be built as part of the surrender deal being crafted with Hamas, in which the IDF will retreat from terror territories that were captured at the cost of our soldiers' blood, hundreds of murderous terrorists will be released, and Hamas will receive oxygen and more time to rebuild its capabilities. Spins are no substitute for a decisive victory," Ben-Gvir stated.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives in Israel post-Washington trip
While in the US capital, Netanyahu met with Trump and spoke with the families of the hostages. Earlier, in an interview with Newsmax, Netanyahu said that he hopes a hostage deal is reached soon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his trip to the US Thursday night to return to Israel. Shortly before his departure, Netanyahu visited Andrews Air Force Base, where he flew in a US military helicopter. He and his wife, Sarah Netanyahu, also visited the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third US president and one of the country's founding fathers. Before their departure, the prime minister said that he hopes there will be a ceasefire deal in an interview with Newsmax, where he hopes to get 10 living hostages released in an upcoming deal. Shortly before, in a leaked recording shared by N12, the prime minister said that Israel cannot achieve a comprehensive deal to release all Gaza hostages at once. Numerous Israeli politicians, either for or against a hostage deal, attempted to influence talks in Washington by pressuring Netanyahu. Far-right National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir pressured the prime minister not to go through with what he claimed was a 'reckless' deal. Opposition party leader MK Benny Gantz (Blue and White) said in a video statement, 'Prime minister, don't return until there is a framework for the return of all the hostages. Stay and keep up the pressure in Washington." Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
