Latest news with #YairLapid
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Israeli officials express uncertainty over funding of new Gaza aid mechanisms
Both opposition chair, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid and Yisrael Beytenu chair, Avigdor Liberman, said Israelis deserve honesty over where tax dollars are going. Israeli officials have expressed uncertainty over the funding for the distribution of aid in Gaza through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, The Jerusalem Post learned Friday. Although no information has been released regarding Israel's and possibly the United States' involvement, there has been speculation over direct Israeli involvement in the funding, notably from opposition leaders. Opposition head MK Yair Lapid questioned the government about the source of funding for two agencies involved during a Knesset plenum debate on Monday. Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman claimed that the Mossad and the Defense Ministry are funding the aid distribution in Gaza in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday. Lapid questioned whether Israel had secretly financed humanitarian aid to Gaza through two shell companies, GHF and the lesser-known Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), established in Switzerland and the US. According to Lapid, Gulf states were expected to fund the aid but declined, citing concerns about the companies' structure. Despite this, $100 million appeared in the organizations' budgets, with GHF's former CEO, Jake Wood, claiming the money came from "a country in western Europe," though no nation has acknowledged it. Wood later resigned, saying the aid plan couldn't fully adhere to humanitarian principles. 'If this money is indeed Israeli and the government is concealing it, it would not only be a deception of Israeli citizens—whose taxes fund it—but also one of the greatest diplomatic blunders in the country's history,' Lapid said. 'If our tax money is already purchasing humanitarian aid, funding food and medicine for children in Gaza, then let's at least gain international recognition for it. For once, let's have global headlines highlighting something positive Israel has done in Gaza.' "Hundreds of millions of dollars at the expense of Israeli citizens," Liberman wrote on X. Eliav Breur contributed to this report.
Jordan News
a day ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Israeli Opposition Leader Urges Immediate Acceptance of Whitcomb's Proposal - Jordan News
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Tel Aviv to publicly and immediately accept the plan put forward by U.S. special envoy Steve Whitcomb during the "Israel Will Prevail" conference organized by the Pearl Katzenelson Foundation in Tel Aviv. اضافة اعلان According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday, Lapid said, "Israel must accept the plan published this morning by the U.S. mediator Steve Whitcomb, openly and immediately." He added, "I remind Netanyahu that I support accepting the plan, even if National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich try to sabotage it." Whitcomb proposed a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for 60 days, which includes the release of 10 hostages, according to Israeli media. Under the draft of the new plan, hostages would be released in two batches within a week, according to several media outlets. Hamas would also be required to hand over the bodies of 18 captives still held in Gaza, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli opposition leader says Netanyahu should accept truce deal
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire proposal mediated by a US envoy. 'Israel must publicly and immediately accept the outline published this morning by American mediator Steve Witkoff,' Lapid posted on X. 'I remind Netanyahu: He has a full safety net from me to accept the outline, even if [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich try to torpedo it.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Low-cost airline Ryanair cancels flights to Israel until August
The airline said in a statement that it had been "forced to cancel flights" for reasons "beyond our control." Low-cost airline Ryanair said it was "forced to cancel flights" to Israel until at least the beginning of August, citing reasons "beyond our control" on Wednesday. Opposition head MK Yair Lapid stated that the cancellations "could have been prevented if the government had worked in an orderly manner and offered airlines insurance reimbursement," adding that it had been done in the past. Earlier this week, British Airways delayed flights to Israel as well, citing concerns regarding the security situation in Israel. The Lufthansa Group, consisting of an alliance of airlines, including Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, and Swiss International Air Lines, has delayed flights to Israel until at least June 15. Multiple airlines canceled flights to Israel following a Houthi missile striking the area of Ben-Gurion Airport in April due to a technical error. American carriers United and Delta—both of which had only recently resumed flights to Israel—have also canceled their flights, along with France's Transavia and its Air France, Air Canada, Japan's Nippon Airways, and Spain's Air Europa. This incident was considered one of the most serious failures in Israel's missile defense system.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liberman: Mossad is paying for humanitarian aid to Gaza
Opposition head MK Yair Lapid also questioned the government about the source of funding for aid during a Knesset plenum debate on Monday. Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman claimed that the humanitarian aid in Gaza is funded by the Mossad and the Defense Ministry in a post on X/Twitter on Tuesday. "Hundreds of millions of dollars at the expense of Israeli citizens," he wrote. Opposition head MK Yair Lapid also questioned the government about the source of funding for two agencies involved in the government's plan to distribute aid in the Gaza Strip, during a Knesset plenum debate on Monday. Lapid questioned whether Israel had secretly financed humanitarian aid to Gaza through two shell companies, Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) and Safe Reach Solutions (SRS), established in Switzerland and the US. According to Lapid, Gulf states were expected to fund the aid but declined, citing concerns about the companies' structure. 'If this money is indeed Israeli and the government is concealing it, it would not only be a deception of Israeli citizens, whose taxes fund it, but also one of the greatest diplomatic blunders in the country's history,' Lapid said. 'Perhaps [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [National Missions Minister Orit] Strock won't like it, and maybe Smotrich fears people finding out he authorized the transfer, but the money has already been sent. This benefits Israeli public diplomacy, strengthens foreign relations, and even aligns with Jewish values,' Lapid said. 'The Israeli government should proudly declare that it funds these two organizations and do what it hates most—take responsibility for its actions and accept the consequences,' the opposition leader concluded. Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
