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Israeli Society is Becoming More Divided

This division was very apparent prior to October 7. However recent Israeli government decisions and choices have exacerbated these fractures. A round up of news articles of the past few days.

PBS.org

check the image at the link

Thousands of Jewish ultra-Orthodox men clashed with Israeli police in central Jerusalem on Sunday during a protest against a Supreme Court order for them to begin enlisting for military service.

The landmark decision last week ordering the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel wages war in Gaza.

Israeli’s stage mass protest against Netanyahu

Israeli anti-government groups blocked a major highway in central Israel on Thursday as part of a day of demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, calling for an immediate hostage deal and early elections.

Ynetnews

I’ve ignored the rhetoric that is intended to shame Israel’s citizenship into compliance to get to the heart of the matter.

Most of the people protesting against the government are everyday Israelis who deeply care about their country. They join the demonstrations out of a profound sense of urgency, genuinely concerned.

It’s important to acknowledge that this government and its leader have done everything to undermine public trust in decision-makers. Netanyahu is a prime minister more engaged in politics than in the plight of the hostages. He spent hours in talks with Knesset members to secure coalition stability, allowed the passage of corrupt laws, and personally dismantled the unity government. Last week, he sat in an exclusive interview in a friendly TV studio, speaking directly to his base. A prime minister responsible for the greatest debacle in our history. A prime minister who should step down.

Report: Israel army leaders support stopping Gaza war, keeping Hamas in power

Israel’s top army generals support ceasing the military offensive against the besieged Gaza Strip, even if it leads to keeping the Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, in power, the New York Times reported on Monday, citing six current and former security officials.

Arabweekly

A dozen former US government officials who quit over US support for Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday accused President Joe Biden’s administration of “undeniable complicity” in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.

In a joint statement, the 12 former government officials said the administration was violating US laws through its support for Israel and finding loopholes to continue shipping weapons to its ally.

US military and diplomatic support for its ally in a war that has so far killed nearly 38,000 people and created an humanitarian crisis.

Israel protects hate speech against Palestinian lawmakers

This ruling has exposed what many consider to be a glaring double standard at the highest level of Israeli society. Over the years, Arab lawmakers have faced a multitude of challenges, including attempts to disqualify them from running for office, verbal abuse and legislative efforts to restrict their political participation. Moreover, they have experienced a systematic suppression of their freedom of expression, with their speech often subject to heightened scrutiny and punitive measures not applied to their Jewish counterparts.

Israel has approved the largest land seizure of Palestinian land in over three decades

Peace Now said that authorities had recently approved the appropriation of nearly five square miles of land in the Jordan Valley. The group’s data indicate that it is the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Settler violence against Palestinians has surged in the West Bank since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 37,000 people.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month but only publicised today, follows the seizure of roughly three square miles of land in the West Bank in March and one square mile in February.

That makes 2024 by far the peak year for Israeli land seizures in the West Bank, Peace Now said.


The parcels of land are contiguous and located north-east of the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Western-backed Palestinian Authority is headquartered. By declaring them state lands, the Israeli government has opened them up to being leased to Israelis and prohibited private Palestinian ownership.

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