MK Avichai Buaron cites claims of 60,000 Palestinian Authority fighters preparing for an attack on Jewish communities.

By World Israel News Staff

Two members of the Knesset have sounded the alarm in recent days over the potential for a massacre in Judea and Samaria reminiscent of the Oct. 7 atrocities, urging community leaders to strengthen their preparedness.

Yisrael Beiteinu head Avigdor Liberman, who previously served as defense minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote an open letter to the heads of Judea and Samaria regional councils warning that the possibility of a surprise attack and mass slaughter is alarmingly real.

In the letter, sent earlier this week, Liberman said Palestinian Authority police forces are undergoing training resembling specialized army units. He warned that these forces are focusing their resources on gathering intelligence on Israeli army installations and Jewish communities in the region, rather than actively combating terror groups such as Hamas.

Liberman stressed that the Palestinian Authority is engaged in a systematic campaign to incite violence among the Palestinian population toward Israel, “heating up the atmosphere” while simultaneously conducting an international public relations offensive aimed at tarnishing Israel’s reputation on the world stage.

“The objective is clear,” Liberman wrote: to incite an October 7-style attack against Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. He warned such an assault could be carried out by Palestinian Authority police acting as a paramilitary force, while shaping global opinion to place the blame on Israel.

Liberman urged regional council heads to “demand a meeting” with the Shin Bet intelligence agency and to pressure authorities until they are presented with a detailed plan outlining how their communities will be defended and what steps are being taken to protect them.

Separately, during a Knesset speech on Tuesday, Likud MK Avichai Buaron warned that the “Palestinian Authority has trained 60,000 fighters for invasion and attack,” referencing a report from watchdog group Regavim.

Buaron argued that maintaining a strong Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria is essential to preventing another October 7-style massacre, which he said could potentially extend into central Israel.

He also praised residents of Judea and Samaria for their resilience in the face of “daily threats to their lives” by Palestinian terrorists.

The post MKs warn of Oct. 7-style massacre in Judea and Samaria appeared first on World Israel News.

According to PMW’s latest research, the Palestinian Authority paid 23,500 terrorists a total of approximately $315 million in 2025 alone.

By Akiva Van Koningsveld, Amelie Botbolm, JNS

Yisrael Beiteinu Party chief Avigdor Liberman told JNS on Monday that Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas is “a terrorist like any other” and that Jerusalem should treat his organization accordingly.

Liberman was responding to Ramallah’s announcement on Thursday that Abbas had received a draft P.A. constitution from a committee that was formed after France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia declared their intentions last year to recognize a Palestinian state.

Abbas “advocates political terror,” the Yisrael Beiteinu leader declared, speaking with JNS at a faction meeting held at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.

“If Hamas terrorists operate through classic terror, he [Abbas] operates through political terror,” said Liberman.

The opposition politician noted that the 90-year-old P.A. chief has also repeatedly refused to retract past statements denying the Holocaust.

“Today, the Palestinian Authority fully cooperates with Hamas inside Gaza,” according to Liberman. He added: “Therefore, it is a hostile organization, and it must be treated accordingly.”

Jerusalem opposes the creation of a Palestinian state and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently stated that neither Hamas nor the P.A. can govern Gaza after the war’s conclusion.

According to a report released by an Israeli watchdog group on Sunday, the P.A. has engaged in a years-long deception, pretending to halt its pay-for-slay policy by various means in order to hoodwink donors.

The Palestinian Media Watch report found that Ramallah’s “Martyr’s Fund,” the P.A. program which provides monthly stipends for those imprisoned in Israel for attacks against Jews, is still going strong.

According to PMW’s latest research, the Palestinian Authority paid 23,500 terrorists a total of approximately $315 million in 2025 alone.

Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, on Saturday accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to upgrade its status at the world body through the back door by seeking the presidency of the U.N. General Assembly.

Riyad Mansour is seeking to serve as president of the General Assembly for its 2026–2027 session, which opens on Sept. 8, after being formally nominated by the 22-member Arab Group caucus in late March.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid Party) on Monday slammed the nomination as “an absurdity,” speaking to JNS in Jerusalem following his faction’s weekly Knesset meeting.

“I mean, the P.A. is not a full member of the U.N., and therefore, they cannot hold this position,” declared Lapid, accusing the body of bias.

“The State of Israel is 0.1% of the world’s population, and it’s 60% of the denunciations from the General Assembly of the U.N. This is how biased the U.N. is, and this is why it cannot be taken seriously in the matters of Israel and everything in the Israel-Palestinian conflict,” he told JNS.

Mansour’s nomination is expected to set up a confrontation with the Trump administration, with a U.S. State Department spokesperson telling JNS last year that Washington “opposes the Palestinian Authority’s candidacy for U.N. General Assembly president.”

The post Liberman: ‘Terrorist’ Mahmoud Abbas should be ‘treated accordingly’ appeared first on World Israel News.

“Antisemitism has triumphed” – Israeli lawmakers and ministers lament election of “racist, populist, openly Islamist” Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli lawmakers and government ministers expressed dismay Wednesday morning after American news networks reported that New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a vocal critic of the Jewish state, was elected mayor of New York City in Tuesday’s high-stakes vote.

Mamdani, who during the election campaign refused to denounce calls to “globalize the intifada,” vowed to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visited New York City, accused Israel of genocide, and used one of his media appearances on election day to double down on his support for the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

After American news networks declared Mamdani the victor, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded by lamenting that “antisemitism triumphed.”

“Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York will be remembered forever as an instance in which antisemitism triumphed over common sense. Mamdani is a supporter of Hamas, a hater of Israel, and an avowed antisemite,” Ben-Gvir said.

“Like the Jews of New York, I too am worried by this change, but at the same time, I am confident in the righteousness of our country’s path: we will continue the elimination of Hamas in Gaza despite his false claims that we are committing a ‘genocide in Gaza’ — and we will keep fighting all our enemies with full force, paying no heed to Israel’s haters.”

Opposition MK Avigdor Liberman, head of the Israel Beytenu party and a former defense minister, posted on X, “The Big Apple has fallen,” and called Mamdani a “racist.”

“Just three decades after the 9/11 disaster, New York has chosen a racist, populist, and openly Islamist figure as its mayor. Mamdani is the poster child of the ‘quiet jihad.’ Mamdani is the last thing a city plagued by crime, antisemitism, and insecurity needed.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel was more restrained in her response even as she expressed concern over Mamdani’s “history of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric.”

“New York’s Jewish community deserves leaders who protect them, not target them,” Haskel told The Jerusalem Post.

Coalition MK Ohad Tal, head of the Knesset’s Israel-US caucus, derided Mamdani as an “Islamist, antisemitic, and communist leader.”

The post ‘New York has fallen’ – Israeli leaders react to Mamdani’s NYC win appeared first on World Israel News.

Former defense minister Avigdor Liberman warned that Iran could strike Israel during the upcoming Sukkot holiday.

By World Israel News Staff

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman sparked controversy Friday after warning that Iran may launch a surprise attack on Israel during the upcoming Sukkot holiday, which begins Monday.

Liberman, who heads the opposition Yisrael Beitenu party and previously served as defense minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Israelis should be ready for another round of fighting with Tehran.

“Whoever thinks the conflict with Iran is over is mistaken,” Liberman wrote. “The Iranians are already hard at work, strengthening their defenses and military capabilities by the day. They are back at work at the nuclear sites.”

The ex-defense chief urged Israelis to remain near bomb shelters in the coming days, warning that Tehran could try to catch Israel off-guard.

“It seems like this time, the Iranians are trying to surprise us,” he said.

He also took a jab at the Netanyahu government, accusing it of failing to protect Israeli civilians and eroding the country’s security.

“This government cannot be trusted,” Liberman wrote. “Until we’ve fixed their damage, we have only ourselves and the IDF to rely on.”

His remarks drew harsh criticism from senior defense officials, who accused him of spreading unnecessary panic among the public.

Israel’s Homefront Command issued a statement, clarifying that it had no new safety guidelines for the public, nor was it expecting any “unusual” security-related events in the near future.

But Liberman doubled down the following day, tweeting on Saturday afternoon that continued war with Iran was inevitable.

“The next confrontation [with Iran] is not a question of if, but when,” he said.

Liberman cited international media reports of increased Russian arms shipments to Iran and satellite images showing Iran rebuilding its nuclear and missile production facilities, saying this indicated that Tehran is gearing up to attack the Jewish State.

In recent days, reports have emerged that the U.S. Air Force recently deployed dozens of aircraft — including refueling planes — to a base in Qatar, fueling speculation that Washington is preparing for a potential confrontation with Iran.

The post Ex-defense chief: Iran to soon launch surprise attack on Israel appeared first on World Israel News.

Netanyahu said Liberman’s disclosing the plan helps only Hamas.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to arming gangs hostile to Hamas after Yisrael Beytenu Party Chair MK Avigdor Liberman exposed the policy Thursday in an interview on KAN Reshet Bet radio.

Netanyahu defended arming Gaza gangs who would fight against Hamas and weaken the power of the terror group that has dominated the Gaza Strip.

He said, “With the approval of security officials, we empowered clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. This is only beneficial and saves the lives of IDF soldiers.”

Netanyahu criticized Liberman for publicizing the plan as a way to criticize the government, adding that the disclosure bolsters Hamas.

“The publication of this only benefits Hamas – but Liberman doesn’t care,” Netanyahu said.

Shortly after the interview, the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement neither confirming nor denying Liberman’s remarks.

Security officials expressed shock at Liberman’s disclosure, given the risk involved. They told The Jerusalem Post that such revelations “put our soldiers and hostages at risk.”

“Israel’s interest is not to endanger the lives of our soldiers, but rather to use other means whenever possible,” the security source concluded.

In the interview, Liberman intended to disparage Netanyahu’s government by describing the policy. “The Israeli government is delivering weapons to a group of criminals who are sympathetic with ISIS, on the orders of the prime minister,” he said.

He added, “I don’t believe this received cabinet approval. The head of Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency] was likely informed,  but I don’t know how much the chief of staff was privy to the matter.”

When asked about the plan by KAN, the Shin Bet gave no comment.

The group receiving military aid is the Abu Shabab clan, led by Yasser Abu Shabab. It opposes Hamas’s rule in Gaza and is involved mainly in smuggling. It has worked with an Egyptian jihadi group, but it is unclear why Liberman alleged the group is sympathetic to ISIS.

The post Netanyahu admits arming Gaza gangs to undermine Hamas appeared first on World Israel News.

Yasser Abu Bakr orchestrated multiple deadly terror attacks, including one in which a nine-month-old baby was murdered.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israeli politicians slammed Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas for congratulating a terrorist convicted of multiple murders upon his release as part of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal Saturday, saying it demonstrated the PA leader’s support for terrorism.

On Saturday, Abbas called Yasser Abu Bakr, a senior member of the PA’s own terrorist force, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, who had been freed after serving 23 years of a 115-year sentence imposed after he planned several terror attacks and armed the men who carried them out.

The terrorists operating on Abu Bakr’s behalf opened fire on guests at a Netanya hotel lobby in 2002, murdering Israel Yahya and his nine-month-old baby, Malka and wounding 50 others. Abu Bakr was also behind the murder of a police officer, and planned a suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv hospital.

“This was for the homeland, but they went overboard with you,” Abbas reportedly said, seemingly referring to the long sentence Abu Bakr had received.

“I don’t think that there’s any reason to celebrate after all those thousands died in Gaza,” Abu Bakr allegedly responded.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was incensed by the call, saying that through showing sympathy for a child-murderer the PA president was revealing his group’s true beliefs.

“Mahmoud Abbas was and remains an enemy who supports terror,” he posted to X, “and the Authority he heads was and remains a terrorist organization and not a ‘partner’ for anything.”

“His phone call tonight to the murderer of Jews is a wake-up call to those who still delude themselves about the Palestinian Authority as an alternative to Hamas in Gaza after the war,” he continued. “It will not happen. Not in Gaza, nor in Judea and Samaria.”

Otzma Yehudit Chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir, who resigned from the government in protest of the hostage deal, criticized the way the coalition was handling it and the ceasefire.

“Close your eyes to the Palestinian terrorist authority that rewards murderers of Jews and educates them in terrorism,” he wrote. “Release thousands of murderers and terrorists. Stop the war in Gaza. Withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor and northern Gaza. Transfer bulldozers to Hamas.”

“And of course, don’t forget to tell us that they are deterred. It’s time to change the approach,” he urged.

Israel Beitenu head Avigdor Liberman of the Opposition also condemned Abbas.

“Holocaust-denying Abu Mazen [Abbas’ nom de guerre] is again showing his true face – a terror supporter who congratulates low-down murderers,” he said.

“Anyone who embraces terrorists with blood on their hands is himself a terrorist, and cannot be a partner in any initiative, especially not to oversee the Rafah crossing,” he added.

Israel is reportedly considering allowing the PA to be in charge of the Gazan side of its southern border with Egypt, which Hamas had used for decades as a smuggling route for weapons of every kind.

Abu Bakr was one of the 200 terrorists Israel released Saturday in exchange for four female IDF border observers who had been abducted during the Hamas-led invasion and massacre on October 7, 2023.

The post Palestinian Authority chairman congratulates terrorist mastermind released in hostage deal appeared first on World Israel News.

Avigdor Liberman said the leading far-left party in France ‘represents pure antisemitism.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman urged French Jews to emigrate to Israel following an election fraught with extremism.

At a party meeting on Monday, Liberman said there was “no time” left for Jews in France and that they should move to Israel.

Following a dramatic parliamentary election in which all 577 National Assembly seats were up for grabs, the New Popular Front Alliance, comprised of five major parties and a few smaller ones, claimed 182 seats, the most of any group.

In second place was the centrist Ensemble party of Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron with 168 seats, followed by the Right National Rally headed by Marine Le Pen with 143 seats.

No party achieved the required majority of 289 needed to control the parliament, but the New Popular Front’s winning the highest number of seats means it has a good chance of being able to form a coalition.

The head of the New Popular Front, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has promised to recognize a Palestinian state.

Liberman said that Mélenchon “became famous with quite a few statements against Jews and the State of Israel. His party represents pure antisemitism and expresses a significant increase in hatred of Israel and antisemitism.”

In addition, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), Yonathan Arfi, has also characterized Mélenchon as antisemitic.

Concerning the election result, Arfi said, “The fight was against the extreme right and extreme left.”

He added, “We need to raise awareness among the moderate left that it will not be acceptable to be in a coalition with Mélenchon.”

“We are awaiting the outcome of the negotiations. We do not know what type of government we will have,” said Arfi. “Everything that happens next for the Jews depends on the government that is formed.”

In addition to concerns about antisemitism on the left, French Jews have had to confront the disturbing legacy of right-wing National Rally’s Marine Le Pen, whose father was notorious for his antisemitic views and Holocaust denial.

Given the threat of antisemitism on the left and the right in France, many, including Liberman and the Grande Synagogue of Paris Chief Rabbi Moshe Sebbag, have encouraged Jews in France to move to Israel.

Sebag told the Jerusalem Post, “It is clear today that there is no future for Jews in France. I tell everyone who is young to go to Israel or a more secure country.”

The post Israeli MK tells French Jews to emigrate to Israel: ‘there is no time to lose’ appeared first on World Israel News.

Liberman: ‘After Iran obtains a nuclear bomb… Iran will attack Israel to destroy it from many fronts with tens of thousands of missiles at the same time.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, in an interview with army radio on Wednesday, warned that Iran is planning a holocaust for Israel within two years.

He said, “We are being targeted by an Iranian plan for our destruction.”

“After Iran obtains a nuclear bomb… Iran will attack Israel to destroy it from many fronts with tens of thousands of missiles at the same time,” he added.

“They are planning a holocaust for us in the next two years,” Liberman declared.

On Tuesday, Liberman said in an interview on 103FM, “We must understand that Iran is planning an all-out attack within two years, where their entire axis is working against Israel.”

He added, “A credible and severe attack from Iran itself, from Lebanon by Hezbollah, from Gaza by Hamas, from Syria by Sh’ite militias, from Iraq and its [Iran-backed] militias, and from the Houthis in Yemen.”

Liberman concluded, “Of course, they will also try to spark something in Judea and Samaria.”

During a meeting, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh declared that they would see the day when “Israel will be eliminated.”

Haniyeh was visiting Iran, representing Hamas at the funeral of Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash.

“The divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be fulfilled, and we will see the day when Palestine will rise from the river to the sea,” Khamenei told Haniyeh during the meeting.

Haniyeh responded, “God willing we will see that day together.”

Referencing recent anti-Israel protests on college campuses, Iranian religious leader expressed approval of widespread endorsement of their joint cause.

“Who would have believed that one day, slogans in support of Palestine would be raised in US universities and that the flag of Palestine would be raised there?”

The post Former Defense Minister: ‘Iran is planning a Holocaust for Israel within 2 years’ appeared first on World Israel News.

A 2016 classified document by former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman accurately forewarned of the October 7th Hamas massacre.

By Mindy Rubenstein, World Israel News

In 2016, Avigdor Liberman, serving then as Israel’s defense minister, wrote an 11-page document detailing the looming Hamas threat.

The document, marked top secret, outlined a scenario in which Hamas would deploy well-trained forces into Israel, aiming to capture communities on the Gaza border and take hostages.

This foretelling mirrors the tragic events of October 7, when nearly 2,500 Hamas terrorists came into Israel, killing more than 1,400 Israelis and taking at least 239 hostages, including children.

Liberman, in a recent interview, shared that he presented the document to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December 2016, emphasizing that an attack by Hamas was imminent.

“Hamas intends to take the conflict into Israeli territory by sending a significant number of well trained forces (like the Nukhba [commandos] for example) into Israel to try and capture an Israeli community (or maybe even several communities) on the Gaza border and take hostages,” Liberman wrote in the document, labeled top secret.

“Beyond the physical harm to the people, this will also lead to significant harm to the morale and feelings of the citizens of Israel.”

Liberman said during a recent interview about the document that he was “waved away dismissively,” including by security chiefs, and that he was made to feel “arrogant.”

Yuval Diskin, former head of Israel’s Shin Bet security service, stated in 2013 that “one of the main people contributing to Hamas’s strengthening has been Bibi Netanyahu, since his first term as prime minister.”

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, in August 2019, accused Netanyahu of maintaining a strategy that “keeps Hamas alive and kicking… even at the price of abandoning the citizens [of the south]… to weaken the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.”

In 2018, KAN News published images of suitcases filled with $15 million in cash destined for Hamas, which passed through the Erez crossing from Israel into Gaza.

In response, Liberman ultimately resigned over what he called Israel funding terrorism against itself.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett also condemned these payments and resigned.

Israel’s current finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said in 2015 that “Hamas is an asset, and (Palestinian Authority leader) Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) is a burden.”

Labor Party Knesset member Haim Jelin said in 2019, “We Gaza border residents are paying the price for the lack of policy and the arrogance in facing terror.”

The post Former Israeli defense minister predicted Hamas invasion – report appeared first on World Israel News.

62% of Israelis agreed that high rates of non-Jewish immigration pose a threat to Israel’s future as a Jewish state.

By World Israel News Staff

The majority of Israelis (62%) are concerned over the rising number of non-Jews immigrating to Israel and being granted automatic citizenship under the Law of Return, saying that the high non-Jewish immigration rates pose a threat to Israel’s future as a Jewish state, a new poll published on Monday showed.

38% of respondents to the poll, which was conducted by Geocartography and published by Chotam, did not perceive such a threat.

The poll also found that 59% of the Israeli public are in favor of amending the so-called “Grandchild Clause” of the Law of Return in which a person with one Jewish grandparent is eligible to immigrate – known as “aliya.” Conversely, 41% of the public oppose such an amendment.

The survey also showed that 63% of the public are concerned about the resulting drop in the percentage of Jewish Israelis. 37% of respondents were not concerned about this issue.

Amital Bareli, CEO of Chotam, a group that works to preserve Israel’s Jewish character, noted that there are approximately 10 million non Jews around the world who are eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return.

“From a demographic perspective, the Jewish majority in the country has lost 10% in the past few decades, and now it stands at just 74%. In the 50s, it was 89%,” he said.

Bareli also slammed the immigration policy led by MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu), claiming that Liberman’s strategy was to distribute Israeli passports to immigrants, which Bareli believes is detrimental to preserving the Jewish majority in Israel.

The post Majority of Israelis concerned over non-Jewish immigration, poll finds appeared first on World Israel News.

If the PM ditches Orthodox parties, Avigdor Liberman would join the coalition.

By JNS

Knesset member Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beytenu Party, on Saturday appeared to soften his hard-line position against serving in a Netanyahu government.

In a tweet, the former foreign, defense and finance minister said he would be willing to sit in a government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on condition that Netanyahu jettisons the haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism – and ‘messianic parties’ – an apparent reference to the Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionist Party.

“It’s true that I don’t believe a word Netanyahu says but there is no personal argument or personal disqualification here,” Liberman tweeted.

“I have said countless times that the State of Israel currently needs a Zionist and liberal coalition, including the Likud movement and without the Orthodox and messianic parties,” he added.

“If Netanyahu is ready to part with his ‘natural’ partners, I will work with all my might for the establishment of a Zionist and liberal coalition with a clear agenda—the establishment of a constitution and the separation of religion and state.”

The ultra-Orthodox parties have 18 seats (Shas-11, UTJ-7) in Netanyahu’s 64-seat Knesset coalition, while’s Liberman’s party has six.

Liberman—once a Likud official and then a dependable Netanyahu ally— has said that he wouldn’t serve with the prime minister “under any conditions or circumstances.” Last September, he called Netanyahu “the scum of the human race who has no red lines.”

Liberman also has been a harsh critic of the ultra-Orthodox, focusing his recent political campaigns against the sector. The virulent tone of his attacks has led to charges of antisemitism by his political foes.

Liberman argues that ultra-Orthodox Jews should be encouraged to join the workforce and not receive government subsidies to study Torah full-time.

The post Liberman open to joining Netanyahu government, with caveat appeared first on World Israel News.

Former finance minister accuses Netanyahu of intentionally keeping ultra-Orthodox community poor and ignorant.

By Adina Katz, World Israel News

Yisrael Beiteinu head and former finance minister Avigdor Liberman launched a blistering attack against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the premier should be eternally damned for allocating funds to ultra-Orthodox schools that don’t teach the core academic curriculum.

“I agreed to give a lot of money [as finance minister] in exchange for core curriculum studies,” Liberman told Hebrew-language Channel 12 News on Saturday evening.

“What Netanyahu did, and for that he deserves to suffer in hell every day, is he took those people and said: ‘I will give you the same funds without the need to study core studies. I want you to remain in poverty, without education, and you will suffer,’” the MK continued.

“The fact that Netanyahu has prevented Israeli children from studying core studies is intolerable, unacceptable and unforgivable.

“The man is willing to sell out on all values in exchange for power,” he added.

Liberman has a long history of making comments hostile to ultra-Orthodox Jews, including saying in 2021 that the religious parties should be “carted off to the garbage dump, along with Netanyahu, in wheelbarrows.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, a close ally of Netanyahu, responded by referring to Liberman by his original Russian name, Yvette, and saying he was “jealous” of the premier.

Using Gematria, a Jewish practice of assigning numerical points to words or letters, Karhi wrote on Twitter that “Yvette” has the same value as the word “Satan” in Hebrew.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties are currently slated to receive the largest-ever allocation of funds from the national budget in the history of the state, of which around 1.2 billion shekels ($328 million) will be routed to schools that do not teach English, math, or non-religious subjects.

Despite the large amount of funding, the Agudat Israel faction within the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party is threatening to vote against the state budget and topple the government, should Netanyahu not transfer them an additional 600 million shekels ($164 million) in subsidies for yeshiva students.

If the state budget is not passed by May 29th, the Knesset will automatically be resolved and the Israeli public will go to an unprecedented sixth round of national elections in seven years.

The post ‘Unforgivable, Netanyahu should suffer in hell’ – Liberman attacks PM appeared first on World Israel News.

“What we approved today won’t raise electricity costs by even an ‘agora’ for the public,” stated Energy Minister Israel Katz.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s government on Sunday approved the first phase of a national program for energy storage that would include a pilot facility for “kosher electricity.”

Orthodox Jews do not turn on electricity on the Sabbath or on Jewish festivals, in observance of Torah law.

The Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, communities – as opposed to more moderate religious Jews, who rely on timers – are opposed to methods that would likely involve other Jews in producing that electricity. Instead, many use generators, which are unsafe and more costly than regular electricity, and for many years their leaders have been seeking a better solution.

Following the November 1st national election, this type of energy-storage plan was included in the coalition agreement between the United Torah Judaism party and Likud.

The program, however, will cost roughly NIS 120 million ($33 million).

In an interview with Hebrew-language Ynet, Dr. Amit Mor, CEO of Eco-Energy, a strategic economic consultant and a senior lecturer at Reichman University, explained why he believes it is necessary.

“Since the 1980s, if you walk around on Shabbat in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, you hear the noise of diesels. They burn very expensive, very polluting and smelly diesel,” he said.

More important, he stressed, is the danger involved, especially to children, who could be burned or electrocuted.

Israel Beitenu party leader Avigdor Liberman, a harsh critic of both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and haredim, slammed the proposal on Twitter.

“While the citizens of Israel are collapsing under the price increases and the cost of living continues to soar, what is the main thing that Netanyahu brings to the cabinet meeting this morning? Kosher electricity” he wrote.

“The establishment of the storage facilities involves a huge investment of billions of shekels….

“One of the most important components in those facilities is a metal called lithium, the most expensive in the world. All this expenditure will be passed on through the electricity tariff to all consumers in the State of Israel.

“According to all the calculations I tried to do, the full deployment of kosher electricity throughout the country, something that is clear to all of us that we will reach when the time comes, including the production and transmission of the electricity will cost at least 90 billion NIS, i.e. 10,000 NIS per citizen. It is clear to all of us that the one who will finance it, is the same middle class, the same people who serve in the IDF, make reserves, work and pay taxes.

“This is not a fight against the cost of living, it is the creation and worsening of the cost of living. You are tired of being cut off. Take responsibility and resign,” he concluded.

Energy Minister Israel Katz said the program would not cost the Israeli public even a single agora – one one-hundredth of a shekel; rather, it would “facilitate the production of electricity in low-demand times to provide it at high-demand ones, including to Haredi neighborhoods.”

The storage facility, in fact, would be “profitable,” he said.

“According to the decision, which is in the opinion of all the professional parties, the Electricity Authority will formulate the horizontal regulation (regulation) for ‘Kosher Electricity’ and the pilot of the Electricity Company, so that there will be no increase in the electricity tariff as a result of these moves,” the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure stated.

The pilot program will be launched in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

The post ‘Kosher electricity’ pilot program: Liberman slams religious Jews, claims ‘working Israelis’ will foot the bill appeared first on World Israel News.

Judicial reform bill, including the Override Clause and limits on Supreme Court’s judicial review, passes its first reading the in Knesset 61 to 52.

By World Israel News Staff

The Knesset voted to back two key provisions of the government’s judicial overhaul plan early Tuesday morning.

During a marathon session overnight which continued into Tuesday morning, the Knesset plenum voted 61 to 52 in favor of a bill which would both limit the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down laws and provide the Knesset with an override to veto such rulings.

Opposition lawmakers filibustered for hours, delaying the vote, which ultimately split entirely along Coalition-Opposition lines.

The two provisions were passed in their first reading, and will now be sent back to the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, headed by MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party), one of the architects of the judicial reform plan.

Once the committee has completed its hearings on the bill and finalized the details, the legislation will be sent back to the Knesset plenum for its second and third votes, after which it will become law.

If passed in its present form, the bill would bar the Supreme Court from exercising judicial review over any of Israel’s 13 Basic Laws or amendments to the Basic Laws.

Furthermore, the bill requires that in order to exercise judicial review over a standard law, the court must convene all 15 justices, with at least 80%, or twelve justices, voting to strike down the law.

Once struck down, however, the Knesset can vote to override the court and restore the law, with at least 61 MKs voting to override.

Yisrael Beitenu party chief MK Avidgor Liberman slammed the government after the vote, predicting it would lead to the restoration of the 2017 ultra-Orthodox draft law. “Override Clause IN – sharing the burden OUT,” Liberman tweeted.

“The passing of the Override Clause is a slap in the face of the IDF soldiers and reserve officers. This is another stage of this crazy government on the way to a deep rift among the people of Israel and splitting it in two. As Gafni said – between those who will go to the army and risk their lives and those who will go to yeshiva.”

“While the coalition is busy telling the reservists to go to hell, it promotes ruthless legislation that promotes the refusal of tens of thousands of young people to serve under the protection of the law,” he added.

“We will not allow the sacred values of ‘sharing of the burden’ and ‘the people’s army’ to be overrun and we will continue to fight to keep the State of Israel Jewish, Zionist and liberal.”

Hours earlier, on Monday night, the Knesset voted 61 to 51 to approve the first reading of the Incapacitation Law, which would bar the Attorney General from declaring a prime minister unfit to serve.

The post Knesset passes Override Clause, limiting Supreme Court’s power, in first reading appeared first on World Israel News.

The remarks came ahead of a bill that Yisrael Beytenu will present to the Knesset on Wednesday.

By World Israel News Staff

Applying sovereignty over the Jordan Valley is the answer to Palestinian terrorism, Yisrael Beitenu party chair Avigdor Liberman said ahead of a bill he is slated to present on the matter on Wednesday.

“These areas enjoy a very broad national consensus, going back decades,” Liberman said in an interview with Israel National News. “This area is of great strategic importance, especially given the recent rise in terrorist activity in the Jericho and Jordan Valley area.”

Earlier this month, Liberman tweeted: “The answer to the wave of terrorism and instability in the Palestinian Authority should be clear – the application of Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley.”

The Yisrael Beitenu head, who sits in the opposition, slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for neglecting the plan to apply Israeli law to the area, which was one of the prime minister’s stated campaign commitments. Netanyahu had called the strategic valley a “key defensive wall in the east”.

“The only thing that is complicating matters is a prime minister who keeps getting himself embroiled in one mess after another,” Liberman said.

Addressing missile attacks from Gaza and an ongoing wave of Palestinian terrorism, including a shooting attack two weeks ago in the Jordan Valley that claimed the life of 26-year-old U.S. citizen Elan Ganeles, Liberman continued:

“What does Netanyahu do? He begs [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] to keep things quiet and then meets with the Jordanians in Aqaba and promises to transfer tax revenues to the PA, taxes levied at the Allenby Bridge. When I served as Finance Minister under [Yair] Lapid, I refused to transfer even a dime of those tax revenues, despite the pressure he brought to bear on me,” Liberman told the outlet.

Almost 13,000 Israelis live in the Jordan Valley, along with around 50,000 Palestinians. According to Liberman’s proposal, the Palestinian population would be offered Israeli citizenship.

“Of course, whoever wants to remain a citizen of the Palestinian Authority has the right to do so,” he said.

Asked by Israel National News whether it was wise to give tens of thousands of Palestinians full rights as Israeli citizens, Liberman responded:

“We already have this problem with not just tens but hundreds of thousands [of Arabs] with [Israeli] blue identity cards in the Jerusalem area. Nonetheless, we have to make a decision; it’s a matter of priorities. And right now, with all the unrest, with diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and Jordan at the strategic security level, the Jordan Valley is extremely important. I’m not even saying anything controversial here.”

According to Liberman, the move “should begin with a preliminary vote in the Knesset and only then explain our position to the international community.”

“We are constantly scaring ourselves about possible consequences, and we shouldn’t be afraid,” he said.
“We need to be consistent and determined. In the past, when I was in the opposition, I told Netanyahu to submit a bill and we would support it. But this government is all talk and no action.”

In January, another bill presented by Likud MK Danny Danon was rejected in a ministerial committee vote.

At the time, Netanyahu told USA Today that he would not make such a move without “the understanding and support of the United States.”

The Biden administration has made it clear that it opposes any such action on Israel’s part.

The Sovereignty Movement, led by Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover, is a civilian-led campaign pushing for the inclusion of the Jordan Valley in sovereign Israel and has been gaining steam in recent months. Katsover told World Israel News earlier this year that the time to act was now.

“The Jordan Valley is our longest border that has to be the protective wall of the country. As long as there is no sovereignty, it’s a problem,” she said.

“Very few Arabs live there, so absorbing them will not change anything demographically for Israel. And there is large consensus in the country for this.”

The post Liberman: Applying sovereignty over Jordan Valley is the answer to Palestinian terrorism appeared first on World Israel News.

Both Opposition and coalition members are proposing Knesset bills on the issue.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Pressure is being felt, both politically and among civilians, for Israeli sovereignty to be declared over the Jordan Valley – and soon.

Israel’s former ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, who returned to the Likud bench in the Knesset in the last election, has already prepared a bill for the legislature to consider.

“The annexation of the Jordan Valley is a significant issue for Israel from a historical, economical as well as, crucially, a security perspective,” Danon said. “We know that there is support for the application of Israel’s sovereignty of the Jordan Valley, both in the government’s coalition as well as in the opposition.”

“I am optimistic that many MKs on both sides of the aisle will voice their support. There is no better time to apply sovereignty, and we must join forces to do so imminently,” he said.

On Tuesday, former finance minister Avigdor Liberman, who heads the opposition Israel Beiteinu party, officially offered the Knesset an updated version of a Jordan Valley sovereignty bill that his faction had pushed before the March 2020 elections.

Former defense minister Benny Gantz, chief of the opposition National Unity party and then-head of the now-defunct Blue and White, also voiced support at the time for applying sovereignty over the eastern border regionl.

Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced his intention to extend Israeli law to at least portions of Area C in Judea and Samaria, including the Jordan valley – especially before the March 2020 election – he told USA Today ahead of the most recent national vote that he would not make such a move unilaterally.

“I would not, because I would like to do it with the understanding and support of the United States,” he said in the exclusive interview.

The Biden administration has made it clear that it opposes any such action on Israel’s part.

There is also a civilian-led campaign gaining steam to formally include the Jordan Valley in sovereign Israel. The Sovereignty Movement, led by Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover, supports anyone from whichever party who works to apply Israeli law to Judea and Samaria.

The Movement’s youth members have begun collecting signatures of high school and university students in a petition to the prime minister. The initative was launched immediately after Netanyahu criticized a UN resolution last month calling on the International Court of Justice in The Hague to weigh in on the legal consequences of the Israeli ‘occupation‘ of Judea and Samaria.

“The Jewish people are not conquerors in their own land, and they are not conquerors in their eternal capital, Jerusalem. No United Nations decision can distort this historical truth,” Netanyahu stated.

The petition, quoting his words, called on Netanyahu and the government “to respond as soon as possible with the necessary political step of applying sovereignty over the Jordan Valley as a first step that enjoys a broad national consensus.

“In that way you will provide a response to the United Nations’ manipulation and help realize the historical truth that this is our country.”

The petition to date has over a thousand signatures, with more being gathered every day.

Speaking to World Israel News by phone on Wednesday on her way to lobby in the Knesset for the new law, Katsover stressed the need to act now.

“The Jordan Valley is our longest border that has to be protective wall of the country. As long as there is no sovereignty, it’s a problem,” she said.

“Very few Arabs live there, so absorbing them will not change anything demographically for Israel. And there is large consensus in the country for this.”

Furthermore, “Netanyahu said he was in favor of sovereignty over the Jordan Valley in past elections, and in the former government, Sharren Haskel of the New Hope party proposed a bill for it,” she noted.

In a survey published last year by the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), a lion’s share of Jewish respondents (67%) said they support application of Israeli sovereignty over all of Area C of Judea and Samaria. In fact, 26% of the Arab respondents answered positively, bringing the average to a 58% majority. The Jordan Valley constitutes 30% of the region.

The post Pressure building up for Israeli sovereignty over Jordan Valley – and soon appeared first on World Israel News.