A PSEUDO DEMOCRACY.....

 

Explainer: What Israel’s Arab Parties Stand For

Israel’s Arab parties, which represent roughly 20 percent of its population, secured an unprecedented 19 seats in the recent election. As debate continues over whether Jewish opposition leaders will partner with the Arab parties to bring down Prime Minister Netanyahu, this explainer breaks down what each of these parties – Hadash, Ta’al, Balad, and Ra’am – actually stands for. The Arab parties are not a monolith, and they have deep policy and ideological differences with the Jewish-led opposition parties. Understanding where they stand is vital to understanding both the challenges of forming a new government and the potential areas for cooperation.

The Joint List

The Joint List is a coalition of three Arab parties, Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad. Hadash and Ta’al have run together since 2015, while their alliance with Balad has been more volatile. The three parties ran together in 2026 to ensure they all crossed the electoral threshold.

All three parties emphasize equality for Israel’s Arab citizens and an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Hadash is an Arab-Jewish socialist party, Ta’al is a secular Arab party, and Balad is a Palestinian nationalist party. As part of its Palestinian nationalism, Balad has historically gone further than the other two parties in advocating for a fundamental redefinition of Israel’s identity as a Jewish state, but this is not reflected in the Joint List’s platform.

Leadership

Hadash: Dr. Yousef Jabareen is the leader of Hadash and chair of the Joint List. Jabareen, who holds a PhD in law from Georgetown University, was chosen to succeed Ayman Odeh as Hadash leader in May 2026.

Ta’al: Dr. Ahmad Tibi, a physician and former advisor to then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat, has served in the Knesset since 1999, including several terms as deputy speaker.

Balad: Sami Abu Shehadeh, a former Knesset member and historian from Jaffa, is Balad chairman. Last month, he withdrew his candidacy from the Israeli election after the Supreme Court indicated it would approve his disqualification over an article he published the day after October 7, describing the attack as an important historical event and suggesting that others could learn from Hamas’s success in surprising Israel. Abu Shehadeh has since expressed regret for the article and remains chairman, but was replaced on the Joint List by another Balad candidate, Bakhar Awawdeh.

Key Positions

Israel as a Jewish state: The Joint List advocates for Israel to provide full civic, national, and political equality to all its citizens.

West Bank: The Joint List supports a peace agreement that includes an end to the occupation and Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, as well as the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. This closely aligns with the PLO’s position.

Gaza: The Joint List describes the war in Gaza as a genocide and calls for an end to Israel’s military campaign there.

October 7: The Joint List unequivocally condemns the October 7 Hamas massacre. The Balad leader has apologized for an article he published the day after the massacre that did not condemn it.

Hamas as a terrorist organization: The Joint List declines to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, although it condemns Hamas’s killing of civilians.

Approach to the 2026 Election

The Joint List’s central goal in the 2026 election was to replace the Netanyahu government, with a particular focus on unseating far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Along with many Arab citizens, the Joint List’s leaders blame Ben-Gvir for the skyrocketing violent crime in the Arab community. That, combined with the Netanyahu government’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank, led Jabareen to say the Joint List was prepared to use “all available tools” to remove the government.

The Joint List’s leaders have offered a parliamentary safety net to an Eisenkot-led minority government, meaning they would support its formation and continued survival without formally joining the coalition. However, they have indicated that they would seek concessions on combating crime in the Arab community and on the Palestinian file in exchange for this support.

Areas of Agreement with the Eisenkot Bloc

The Joint List shares the Eisenkot bloc’s urgency to remove Netanyahu’s far-right government from power. It also agrees with the Eisenkot bloc on the need to protect Israel’s democratic institutions, undo elements of Netanyahu’s judicial coup, and establish a non-partisan state commission of inquiry into October 7. The final area of significant agreement is their shared focus on combating rising crime in the Arab community and improving government services in Arab municipalities.

Areas of Disagreement with the Eisenkot Bloc

Universal Conscription: The Joint List rejects both compulsory military service and civil service for Arab citizens, arguing that their rights should not be conditioned on service. The Eisenkot bloc supports passing a universal conscription law.

West Bank occupation, settlement construction, and Palestinian statehood: The Joint List calls for ending the occupation and Israeli settlement activity, and establishing an independent Palestinian state. This directly contradicts the positions of B’Yachad (Bennett) and Yisrael Beiteinu (Lieberman), both of which strongly oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state and support the annexation of Area C – roughly 60 percent of the West Bank. These positions also conflict with Yashar’s (Eisenkot) support for construction in settlements authorized by the Israeli government.

The war in Gaza: Whereas the Joint List describes Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide, the Jewish-led opposition parties remain broadly supportive of the IDF’s military tactics in the Strip. The Joint List’s leaders call for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. By contrast, Eisenkot has pledged that within 18 months of taking office, Hamas would either disarm through a political agreement (similar to the one already agreed to by Hamas with the Board of Peace) or Israel would disarm it by force. Lieberman and Bennett have gone further, calling for renewed military action aimed at decisively defeating Hamas.

Ra’am

Leadership: Mansour Abbas, a former dentist and practicing imam, leads the party and became the first Arab party leader to join an Israeli governing coalition in 2021. While serving in the Bennett-Lapid government, Abbas secured an unprecedented multibillion-dollar budget for the Arab community.

Key Positions

Ideology: Ra’am is a socially conservative party that previously functioned as the political wing of the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, which advocates for Islam in Israel. In July, Ra’am separated from the Islamic Movement and its guiding Shura Council, opening the door to non-Muslims. Ahead of the recent election, Abbas recruited his party’s first-ever Jewish candidate, Yoav Segalovitz, who resigned from the Yesh Atid party and now holds the number two spot on the Ra’am list. Segalovitz developed relationships within Arab society during his career in Israeli law enforcement and later as deputy public security minister in the Bennett-Lapid government.

Israel as a Jewish state: Unlike the other Arab parties, Ra’am has publicly acknowledged Israel’s Jewish character, even as it continues to affirm Palestinian national identity.

West Bank: Ra’am endorses the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital.

Gaza: Ra’am has called for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, but has not declared that it constitutes genocide.

October 7: Ra’am unequivocally condemns the October 7 Hamas massacre as contrary to the “values of Islam.”

Hamas as a terrorist organization: Ra’am supports disarming Hamas and holding it to account for its crimes, but has declined to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Approach to the 2026 Election

Ra’am’s central objective in the 2026 election was to return to government and secure greater investment in the Arab community, particularly to combat organized crime and improve housing, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. Unlike Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad, Ra’am declined to join the reconstituted Joint List and instead pursued an independent electoral strategy that emphasized its willingness to cooperate with Jewish-led opposition parties. Building on its participation in the 2021-22 Bennett-Lapid coalition, Abbas argued that Arab citizens could achieve more by participating directly in government than by remaining in the opposition.

Areas of Agreement with the Eisenkot Bloc

Ra’am shares the Eisenkot bloc’s interest in replacing the Netanyahu government and improving public security, particularly by strengthening law enforcement against rising crime in the Arab community. The parties also broadly agree on the importance of protecting democratic institutions, improving Arab-Jewish relations, and increasing investment in underserved Arab municipalities.

Areas of Disagreement with the Eisenkot Bloc

Universal Conscription: Like the Joint List, Ra’am opposes compulsory military service for Arab citizens. However, Mansour Abbas has said he is open to developing a civil service program that “meets both the needs of the Arab youth and broader Israeli expectations.” While he has at times been ambiguous about whether such a program should be mandatory or voluntary, he has since clarified that he supports voluntary service.

Ra’am disagrees with Eisenkot, Bennett, and Lieberman on West Bank policy. However, Abbas maintains that these disagreements over the conflict should not preclude cooperation on issues affecting Arab citizens.

Ra’am has consistently opposed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and has advocated for a diplomatic resolution based on Palestinian statehood. Unlike the other Arab party leaders, Abbas has generally avoided making the Gaza war a centerpiece of Ra’am’s strategy, instead emphasizing pragmatic cooperation on shared interests with potential Jewish coalition partners.

Conclusion

Israel’s four Arab parties largely agree on policy concerning Arab citizens and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even as they emphasize different issues. This week, the Joint List and Ra’am formally recommended Eisenkot to form the next government. It remains to be seen whether the Arab and Jewish opposition leaders can set aside their differences and form a coalition that finally ends Netanyahu’s reign and restores Israel’s democratic institutions. Arab-Jewish partnership in government would also likely advance the parties’ shared goal of protecting Arab citizens and could open the door to future progress on the Palestinian issue.

Avraham Spraragen and Liam Hamama

I got this detailed article by email, from a site called "Word on the street", very clear description of the new situation still developing in Israel after their recent elections, an excellent description of the Arab parties within Israel, mostly unfamiliar to most.... formatted for our blog for a better understanding of the entire situation governing this part of the world.

As always, my many thanks to all.
 

A NEW AMERICAN MINDSET........

                            

We did it, Michigan.
My name is Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, and I am proud and honored to be the Senator-elect from the great state of Michigan.
Up until this moment, you might have noticed that I always say ‘insha’Allah” or God Willing whenever the outcome of this race is mentioned.
Today, we turn that insha’Allah into Alhamdulillah — praise be to God.
This is ALL yours. Michigan, I can’t wait to serve you with the same big-heartedness, open-mindedness, grit, and earnestness you’ve shown me.
You welcomed me to your homes, your churches, your synagogues, your VFW, and union halls. You shared your moments of frustration and sadness and vulnerability with me.
You gave me grace and strength in my lowest moments, and the hope and inspiration that powered my best.
I hope to bring it all with me to Washington in your service. Thank you for your trust, your belief, and your kindness. I will take it all with me to Washington — and I hope to bring back the kind of leadership that more than earns it.
The last month has brought the stakes of this election into sharp relief. Ours is a movement built over the past year and a half campaigning across Michigan’s biggest cities and smallest towns. We spoke of a brighter, bigger, more hopeful Michigan. Theirs? An astroturfed corporate-funded advertising campaign to deceive and distract. They preached hate and fear.
Day by day, Trump’s insults became uglier and coarser. But I got to spend those days with you — learning about your struggles, your hopes, and the things that inspire you. A mom of two kids with a genetic lung disease in East Jordan, fighting the system to make sure her kids don’t lose the meds they rely on to stay alive. Her hope? That they don’t have to struggle with health insurance like she has.
A grandma on the East Side fighting to make sure the violence that took her son doesn’t take her grandson, too. Her hope? An America where boys get to grow up.
I met Josh, the UAW autoworker fighting the corporate bosses who hadn’t raised their wages in two decades — despite billions in profit. They won that fight. His hope? An America where every single worker gets the right to a union.
I met a small business owner fighting to make sure that another heart attack doesn’t take food off the table for his 30 employees or their families. His hope? That his workers don’t have to worry about how they’ll feed their families.
I didn’t get into this to defend myself. No. I got into this because their fights are my fight — and their hopes are all of ours.
We don’t do this work for ourselves. We do this work for each other. To defend us all from another generation’s youth, treasure, and opportunity squandered at the altar of endless war. To defend us all from corporate oligarchs who’ve bought and sold our government to rig the system against us. To defend us all from a healthcare system more interested in monetizing our illness than healing our bodies and minds. To defend us all from air too putrid to breathe and water too putrid to drink. To defend us all from losing our voting or reproductive or human rights.
I ran to defend us all from politicians who want to divide us rather than movements that work to dignify us. Across our primary and general election campaigns, they spent over 350 million dollars trying to beat us. That’s a record here in Michigan. 70 million alone in the primary, funded by all the same cats who funded the general election — that’s a record anywhere in this country!
But we built something bigger than a bank account. We built a movement. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
We showed that in a battle between the money and the many — that the many can win.
Mike, enjoy your retirement in Florida. You chose hate. Michigan chose hope. May we never have to see the likes of you in our state again.
JD, there’s a delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January. Wolverine 1 - Buckeye 0.
Donald, I know you’ve struggled with my name. After JD swears me in in January, you can just call me “Senator.”
To the Super PACs and special interests that tried to beat us, we’re coming for your system of politics. To AIPAC, who spent $42 million dollars against us, thank you for giving me the opportunity to beat you twice. They try to call you hateful if you believe that Palestinian kids should get to grow up in the land of their forefathers without being murdered by our tax dollars. If you believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination. That’s not hate. It’s love.
We showed that a movement of the people, by the people, and for the people will ultimately win — Michigan understands solidarity. It’s the people who decide who we send to Washington and what Washington will do. We decide — not the big money or their stooges. The people of Michigan will be heard.
We showed that we can defeat a record 70 million dollars of outside spending and an 11-1 money disadvantage in a primary election. That we can defeat a quarter of a billion dollars in a general election. We can defeat the cynicism of a politics that preys on our earnestness, undersells our intelligence, and exploits our disagreements.
Michigan, we beat a machine. And we proved once again how big America really is. Because where else but in America can a doctor named Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, a child of immigrants raised by his father and his daughter of the American revolution stepmother, get elected senator from America’s greatest state?
To all of us: this fight is not yet over. The day I jumped into this race, I promised you that I’d put in the work, fight the fights on your behalf. I asked for your time, your energy, your support over the last 19 months. Now, I’m asking for the next 6 years.
This work is bigger than one senator; it’s about changing our politics. So please, don’t send me to DC all by myself. Come with me. Winning a single US Senate seat was never the goal. The goal is to use that seat to transform our politics.
The beauty and soul of America is that we, the people, are what America is all about. We deserve an America for all of her kids.
Thank you,
Abdul
An affectionate and powerful message, from a winner, some including House Speaker Johnson calls it Marxism, but if this is Marxism, then the American people in its majority, went for and elected Marxism..... Call it whatever you like, it's a Nobel and factual message, fit for hopefully a new era in our history.....
As always, my profound many thanks to all.  

THE NEW REALISTIC REALITY.......

The Issue Israel’s Opposition Thinks It Can Avoid – But Can’t

A post-Netanyahu government may repair Israeli democracy. But without a credible path toward Palestinian freedom, Israel’s deeper strategic crisis will remain unresolved.

Jeremy Ben-Ami Jun 7 After decades of Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership – and nearly four years of the most extreme government in Israel’s history – there is a real chance Israeli voters will choose a different path. Poll after poll shows the governing ultra-right coalition unable to command a governing majority. That’s undeniably good news. One can see the outlines of a new coalition with a vital mandate: ending the Netanyahu era and halting the assault on Israel’s democratic institutions, judicial independence and international standing. It will confront a tangle of complex issues: the unresolved trauma and failures surrounding October 7, the relationship between religion and state, military service and burden-sharing, the independence of the courts and perhaps even the long-deferred question of a constitution. Tackling any of these challenges alone would be of epic importance, and strategic thinking is now underway in Israeli NGOs, think tanks and opposition circles to plan for what comes next. But I fear much of the planning is built around a profoundly dangerous assumption: that Israel can restore itself internally while continuing to defer any meaningful effort to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians. The theory goes something like this: when it comes to security and foreign affairs, a post-Netanyahu government can and should stop the worst excesses of the current coalition, crack down on settler terror on the West Bank, facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza, and improve relations with allies, Arab states and Democrats in Washington. But on the core issue itself – Palestinian freedom, statehood, rights and self-determination – the assumption is that very little can be done. Why? Because Israeli politics won’t permit it. No coalition cobbled together with 61 seats in the Knesset, the argument goes, can survive if it makes a serious effort to resolve the Palestinian issue. Israeli society is too traumatized after October 7. The words “Palestinian state” have become too politically radioactive. Better, therefore, to stabilize the situation and postpone the larger issue yet again. I understand the politics and don’t question the conventional wisdom tactically. Yet I think approaching the coming years this way would be a catastrophic strategic mistake. We have seen this movie before. The previous “change government” that briefly replaced Netanyahu advanced a doctrine of “shrinking” or “managing” the conflict. The idea was that with the Palestinian issue too difficult to solve, the best approach was a holding pattern of economic measures and limited improvements in daily life: more work permits, fewer checkpoints, somewhat stronger Palestinian finances and modest regional gestures. But a conflict rooted in national identity, statelessness and denial of political rights cannot be “managed” through technocratic adjustments. A people seeking freedom and dignity will not be satisfied with a few more permits and a friendlier face on a catastrophic occupation. I understand that Israelis are not ready to negotiate final borders or sign a peace treaty the day after the election. Clearly they are not. And that’s not even what’s required. Israeli politicians do not need to utter the words “two-state solution” again. J Street itself stopped using the term almost a decade ago and instead frames the goal in terms of a broader regional framework – a “23-state solution” – leading eventually to normalization, security and freedom for both peoples. But rhetoric is not the heart of the issue. The real question is whether the next Israeli government is prepared to say clearly – to Palestinians, neighboring Arab states, the United States and the world – that Israel does in fact envision a future in which Palestinians achieve genuine freedom, rights and independent political existence alongside Israel. Absent that commitment, I believe it will be impossible for Israel to achieve any of its larger strategic goals. The Arab states that would like deeper relations with Israel cannot normalize relations while Palestinians remain stateless. Europe will not simply “move on” from Gaza without a political horizon. Younger American Jews and many Democratic voters will not rally again to Israel’s side if permanent occupation and inequality are the end state Israel seems intent on preserving. And the broader international community will have little patience for the argument that Israel’s domestic political constraints excuse it from addressing the central conflict shaping its future. That, ultimately, is the strategic misunderstanding I fear guides many otherwise thoughtful people preparing for a post-Netanyahu era. They assume the world will empathize with their political plight and accept that the Palestinian issue is simply too difficult for Israelis to address right now. But countries do not get excused from confronting existential challenges because those challenges are politically hard. Particularly not when the can has arleady been kicked down the road for six decades. The world’s patience is at an end. Israel absolutely needs a government committed to democratic restoration after the damage of the Netanyahu years. It desperately needs leaders who will repair institutions, rebuild trust and end the politics of extremism and incitement. But none of that alone will secure Israel’s future if the country still cannot articulate a credible path toward eventual Palestinian freedom and statehood. If all a new government offers is a kinder, calmer and more competent version of “managing the conflict,” then Israel will remain on a path toward deepening isolation, intensifying international pressure and growing estrangement from much of world Jewry and from large parts of the American public. The next Israeli government does not need to solve the conflict overnight. But it does need the courage to admit what the central challenge to the country’s future actually is – and where the only sustainable resolution ultimately must lead. Indeed, a very realistic report by the outspoken Jeremy bin- Ami, reflecting more the new American Jewish youth and most international Jewish, ideas and ideologies, it is a logical and realistic outlook within the actual given situation and the actual development of the entire Middle Eastern/Palestinian/Israeli long overdue issue.  As always, my many thanks to all.

ILL-FATED APPOINTEES....

 Prem Thakker

This article is part of our series on the ‘Four Horsemen of the Trump-ocalypse.’ We believe this is the moment to capture the damage the Trump administration has inflicted throughout the U.S. and the world – and profile some of the people most responsible. You can read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 here. The only way we can report original, long-form stories like these is with your support. – Mehdi

Mike Huckabee in the Oval Office on April 23, 2026. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

It was 1973. Mike Huckabee, a God-fearing young man from Arkansas, had just graduated from high school, and his “very wealthy” friend wanted to go on a celebratory trip. So the pair went to Israel.

“When I was there it was like I was in a place that I felt at home even though I’d never been there before,” Huckabee said about his first trip to Israel, noting he “saw the pioneer’s spirit among the Israeli people.”

“Part of it, quite frankly, was spiritual for me because here I was in the land of the Bible for reasons that one day God will reveal, but a land that He had chosen,” he continued. “I think of all the real estate on planet earth, He picks this little spot of land about the size of New Jersey and says: This is mine, right here.”

“And if I wasn’t even a believer, I would still come to the conclusion that the only explanation for Israel is God.”

Five decades later, Huckabee, 71, is now the United States’ chief representative to Israel, tasked with negotiating and engaging with the nation, and protecting Americans if they are ever threatened there. So far, Huckabee’s critics say he’s represented Israel’s interests as much, if not more, than America’s – and he’s done so while actively denying Israel’s genocide in Gaza, its occupation of Palestine, and its project of apartheid. Meanwhile, his family’s business has continued to take people on pricey tourist trips to Israel.

The Huckabee family’s travel company has taken hundreds of people to Israel over the years in what used to be called “The Israel Experience with Governor Mike Huckabee.” Promotional materials and disclosures reviewed by Zeteo show the company, now operated by Huckabee’s son, is still taking Americans on trips to Israel, even as Huckabee serves as the U.S. ambassador to it.

The situation mirrors, in miniature, how Donald Trump, his family, and some of his top advisers have – at a historic, record-shattering rate – cashed in on his presidency, including on business in the Middle East, with little concern about ethics or the appearance of corruption.

It remains a brutal irony that Trump was elected again in part due to depressed voter enthusiasm resulting from the Biden-Harris administration’s nearly unconditional support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Now, back in power, Trump and his overtly Christian-nationalist and warmongering administration are not only supporting Israel’s constant violence against Palestine, as well as Lebanon; his top diplomat in Jerusalem, Huckabee, is a genocide denier who has gone as far as to say there is “no such thing as a Palestinian.” Critics say he has met those words with actions, as he constantly fails Palestinians and Americans at the behest of Israel.

Copied from the popular site Zeteo, a very appropriate analysis of a dangerous and actual situation, with the present administration, and all its failure appointees to the highest official posts, many of them were fired or left already, but the remaining unfortunately are not proving any different, here we're talking about a very sensitive situation concerning the US Ambassador to Israel, who is proving more fanatic and Zionist than the actual regime governing Israel. Not a good situation. 

As always, my gratitude to all.   

EXPECTED DEJA VU......

 

The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" published an article that addressed the primary Israeli elections.

Netanyahu's plan ignites Likud: Unprecedented demands to control the Knesset!

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking broad powers to shape the Likud party's list for the upcoming Knesset elections by demanding that 10 seats be reserved for candidates of his choosing, including four of the top eight spots after his own position on the list.
 
According to the newspaper, Likud officials described this demand as unprecedented, as it effectively gives Netanyahu control over half of the top ten positions. In addition to retaining the top spot, he is demanding that seats 2, 4, 6, and 8 be reserved for candidates of his personal selection, and he is also seeking to allocate seats 11, 15, 18, 22, and 29 to his chosen candidates.

Netanyahu's Likud party selects most of its Knesset candidates through internal primaries. "Reserved seats" allow the party leader to directly add candidates to the list without internal voting. The higher a candidate's position on the list, the greater their chances of entering the Knesset after the election.
 
Sources within Likud familiar with Netanyahu's plan told Yediot Ahronot that these demands will allow him to attract figures from outside the party, reshape its leadership structure, and relegate several current Likud MKs to lower positions with less guaranteed chances of winning.

The newspaper adds: "The internal confrontation over Netanyahu's demands is nearing a decisive stage. The committee was scheduled to meet today, Thursday. The Likud party, headed by Minister Haim Katz, is meeting to establish the rules governing the primaries expected to be held on August 4th. These rules are supposed to determine how Likud members will select the party's Knesset list and the number of seats Netanyahu will be allowed to reserve. However, Netanyahu has already postponed the committee meeting twice and requested a third postponement on Wednesday.
 
Senior Likud leaders say the delays are intended to "stall" and "waste time," ultimately rendering the party unable to hold primaries to choose its Knesset list. In that case, they add, Netanyahu might seek to have a smaller party committee select the list instead of a vote by party members.

A senior Likud official said, "Netanyahu is creating chaos that makes holding primaries impossible, and then he gets what he wants: a committee to arrange the list."
 
The extent of Netanyahu's demands has raised further concerns among Likud MKs. According to party sources, the plan would give him control over the most secure positions on the list, reducing the chances of some current Knesset members returning after the next election.
 
MK David Beitan, The head of the Knesset's Economics Committee, filed a petition with the party's internal court on Wednesday, demanding that the party approve rules for the primaries to prevent further delays. He also called for a secret ballot on the reserved seats demanded by Netanyahu, asserting that members of the party's central committee must be able to vote freely and without pressure.
 
Beitan had stated in recent days that Netanyahu's demand to reserve ten seats for himself "contradicts the party's principles and democracy. He said, "This large number of reserved seats is practically equivalent to forming a committee to arrange the list."
 
The newspaper continued, "In contrast, sources in Likud claim that Netanyahu reached a 'deal' with Haim Katz, who holds the positions of Chairman of the Central Committee and Chairman of the Constitution Committee, whereby he would grant a reserved seat in exchange for Katz's support for Netanyahu's plan.

According to these sources, Netanyahu will allocate a seat to a Knesset member. "Eti Atieh, politically aligned with Katz, is among those seeking the reserved seats. Likud officials estimate that Atieh's chances of winning in the primaries are very slim, if not nonexistent.
 
In return, sources say Katz will help Netanyahu pass the plan for reserved seats within the Constitution Committee and then in the party's Central Committee. However, Katz's office denied these claims Wednesday evening, stating in a brief statement: "This is nonsense. Any decision made will be presented to the party's institutions for ratification."

Just received this article published by a prominent Israeli newspaper, and translated by the site "Lebanon 24" I arranged it to fit our blog, explaining the power game within the Israeli political system, it's a recuring scene in many parts of the world nowadays, maybe in different forms, all trying to maintain power and solidify their positions, whether by creating eternal wars or manipulating existing rules and regulations or both, leaders asking for absolute loyalty to themselves and not safeguarding their countries best interests. And of course Netanyahu is one of the top masters of these games, and an excellent and prime influencer on other leaders, I'm saying it as an American, seeing his effects and manipulations of our policies, foreign or domestic. Anyways, the story has been killed and no media outlet has published a word about it..... The Israeli elections are coming in few days and we don't have a clue as to what or who will attain power, though nothing will change in Israel.

As always, my many thanks to all. 

NEW DEVELOPING TRENDS IN POLITICS

Something ugly happening behind the scenes at one of America's biggest TV networks.
Here's what Semafor reported yesterday:

Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News, has personally directed reporters to hunt for dirt on Abdul El-Sayed. The assignment: find a link between Abdul, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The 'evidence' is a tweet from 2012 by Abdul's younger half-sister recalling "an amazing talk with my mom about her activism" in Egypt in the early 1970s.
That's it. That's the whole case.

Abdul's parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his dad and stepmom. When a reporter pressed him on it, he said it was "insane" to extrapolate a connection, and asked the only decent question there is to ask:

"Judge me by my actions and my work — but please do not assume that because I might pray differently than anybody who's ever held this office, that somehow I am not deeply committed to this Constitution."

That's a Muslim American running for the United States Senate being told to prove he's not a terrorist because of his family's religion. It's not journalism, it's Islamophobia with a broadcast license.

And it's not an accident. Billionaire David Ellison, who bought CBS with his father Larry Ellison's billions after Trump's regulators green-lit the deal. Since then, she oversaw a story that critics say falsely insinuated Abdul had ties to the September 11 attacks. CBS's own new chief legal correspondent, Jan Crawford, publicly praised a Republican operative who heckled Abdul at a town hall, then deleted the post and apologized for violating her own network's standards.

Abdul El-Sayed is running for Senate to get money out of politics, put money back in people's pockets, and pass Medicare for All. THAT is what scares them. Not a tweet from 2012.

Sent to me by email, from Justin Strekal, people's policy director, the people united. a new site for me, but the message here is very indicative of a reigning atmosphere in the US, more so among a specific class of people, empowered by money and political power, an atmosphere of total islamophobia, serving white supremacy, Zionism and few other similar private interests. copied and formatted for our blog and a better understanding of the situation. 

As always, all my thanks to all.  

DOMINATING OR SAVING THE WORLD.....

 
The Invisible Empire: How America Punishes Russia and China with a Single Button and Why They Can't Even Retaliate

We think of America as a country. The truth is that America is not a country; America is the system itself.

When Washington imposes sanctions on Moscow or Beijing, it's not imposing a punishment; it's pressing a switch in the world's central control room, and the entire world shuts down on its adversary. This is the secret that isn't reported in the news.

First: America doesn't need to convince its allies; it controls their lifelines.

Britain and the 56 Commonwealth countries - the insurance weapon
Did you know that over 90 percent of Russia's oil trade was insured by a single London-based company called Lloyds? The US didn't prevent the sale of Russian oil; it simply contacted London and told them not to insure the tankers. Overnight, every Russian oil tanker at sea was uninsured, meaning it had no port to receive it. This is the influence wielded by the 56 countries that include Canada, Australia, India, Nigeria, Singapore, and South Africa.

France and the 14 other countries - currency as a weapon
Fourteen African countries consider themselves independent, but their central banks are not located in Africa. Their gold and foreign currency reserves are effectively held at the French central bank in Paris. France prints the CFA franc for them and takes 50% of their reserves as a deposit. These countries are Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Chad, the Central African Republic, and the Comoros. When the US wants to cripple a Chinese company in Africa, it is France that freezes the account.

Germany and the 27 European countries - the Swift weapon
The SWIFT system, which facilitates global money transfers, is based in Belgium and operates under European law. Germany effectively holds the key to its operation. When the US sanctioned Russia, it was Germany that cut off seven Russian banks from the global financial system. Russia didn't lose the US; it lost its ability to demand payment.

Saudi Arabia and the 12 OPEC countries - the pricing weapon
Every barrel of oil in the world is priced in dollars, even Russian and Iranian oil. Why? Because in 1974, Saudi Arabia agreed to sell all its oil exclusively in dollars in exchange for American protection. This is the petrodollar. As long as Saudi Arabia sells in dollars, all 12 OPEC countries—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Venezuela, Gabon, Algeria, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea—are obligated to sell in dollars. China wants to buy oil in yuan, but the seller itself wants dollars for the Pentagon's protection. With the OPEC+ allies, the number becomes 21 countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mexico.

Japan: The silent financial empire that doesn't wear a military uniform
People think of Japan as a peaceful country that makes cars and anime. The truth is, Japan is the largest creditor in human history. Japan has net foreign assets exceeding $3.3 trillion. Every country in Asia is indebted to Japan. Forty percent of all Japanese direct investment worldwide is in the Asia-Pacific region alone.

Japan doesn't have five allies; it has two continents financially. It is the number one financier of ten countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Brunei. These countries cannot build a port, a bridge, or a subway without a Japanese loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Moreover, Japan is the unofficial central bank for South Korea and Taiwan. Samsung and TSMC factories operate with Japanese machinery, equipment, and loans. Japan also founded the Asian Development Bank, headquartered in Tokyo, and 70 percent of its decisions are made by Japanese investors.

Politically, Japan leads an alliance of 17 countries without firing a shot: an eternal security alliance with America, a quad alliance with America, India and Australia, and a chip triangle with Korea and Taiwan that manufactures 92 percent of the world's advanced chips.

When America sanctions China, it is not the Pentagon that actually carries out the sanctions, but rather 17 countries within Japan's sphere of influence: the 10 ASEAN countries plus South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea. These countries represent 2.5 billion people and 35 percent of the world's economy, and all are pegged to the Japanese yen.

Japan is not a marginal ally of America. Japan is America's financial portfolio in Asia. America gives the orders, and Japan cuts off the funding.

America and the 22 countries of the Federation of the Americas - the backyard weapon
This is the blow everyone forgets. America doesn't just rule the world; it rules its entire continent through what's called the Americas system. Twenty-two countries, from Canada in the north to Chile in the south, are linked by free trade agreements, the dollar, and direct military bases with Washington.

These countries are Canada, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Barbados.

All 22 of these countries conduct their trade in dollars, hold their foreign debt in dollars, and their militaries train in American military academies. Any president who tries to defy this order is immediately strangled by the US OFAC financial sanctions regime. This is America's strategic reserve. When America says it will punish China, it ensures that these 22 countries on its continent will not only refrain from buying from China but will also boycott China along with it.

Second: Why are the sanctions against Russia and China ridiculous?
Because she is trying to punish the master while she is living in his house.

Russia punished Europe by cutting off its gas supply. The result? Europe bought liquefied natural gas from the US and Qatar at four times the price, and Russia lost its long-standing customer, for whom it had built pipelines costing $15 billion. Gas can't be packed away and taken to another customer.

China punished America by banning rare earth minerals. America laughed because these minerals are found everywhere, but 90% of its refineries are in China because refining is polluting. Within six months, America opened refineries in Texas and Australia, a Commonwealth member, and the game was over.

The shocking truth that no one dares to say
The world is not multipolar. The world has one pole with six arms.

America is the brain, Britain is the bank, France is the policeman of Africa, Germany is the factory of Europe, Japan is the factory of Asia, Saudi Arabia is the fuel tank, and the 22 countries of the Americas are the backyard, food storehouse, and human resource.

Russia and China are fighting against reason, and the bank, the factory, the policeman, the reservoir, and the garden are responding at the same time.

This is why America appears calm as it imposes sanctions, because it is not acting alone. And this is why the responses from China and Russia seem weak, because they are not responding to a single country, but to an entire planet interconnected by threads of dollars, undersea cables, and military bases.

Whoever owns the network does not need to own the army.

Maybe so, and probably exact, unfortunately America is managing brilliantly to destroy the system, more so under its present administration, plus of course some serious efforts from China, Russia and the BRICS group, our last efforts managed to alienate our best and closest allies, Canada, the EU and Nato, even Japan, and we're watching the entire system crumbling, with talks of a deteriorating Dollar, independent international trade and even military alliances, with our actual foreign policies the post world war 11 order and international law are all crumbling, resulting in short sighted temporary benefits to some individuals and countries, I could mention here few American billionaires, private and official, Israel's bizarre and deadly combination of fascist hegemonic politicians, and few other dictator type rulers, all benefiting from this actual chaos and chaotic atmosphere, the ramifications of whatever might be the outcome could be disastrous and fatal to most of humanity....

As always, my many thanks to all.