Wed, November 15, 2023
Palestinians inspect the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza
By Jason Lange and Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. public support for Israel's war against Hamas militants in Gaza is eroding and most Americans think Israel should call a ceasefire to a conflict that has ballooned into a humanitarian crisis, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Some 32% of respondents in the two-day opinion poll, which closed on Tuesday, said "the U.S. should support Israel" when asked what role the United States should take in the fighting. That was down from 41% who said the U.S. should back Israel in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 12-13.
The share saying "the U.S. should be a neutral mediator" rose to 39% in the new poll from 27% a month earlier. Four percent of respondents in the poll said the U.S. should support Palestinians and 15% said the U.S. shouldn't be involved at all, both similar readings to a month ago.
Israel has long counted on the U.S., its most powerful ally, for billions of dollars a year in military aid and international diplomatic support. An erosion of U.S. public support could be a worrisome sign for the Middle Eastern country, which faces not only Hamas militants in Gaza but the Hezbollah Islamist movement in Lebanon and has conducted a long-running “shadow war” with Iran, its regional arch-foe.
The drop in U.S. support, seen in the new poll among both Democrats and Republicans and especially among older respondents, follows weeks of heavy Israeli bombardment and ground combat against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 rampage by the Islamist militants in southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage.
Since then, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, around 40% of them children, in Israel's assault, according to counts by health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
The Gaza crisis has sparked an international outcry that has focused in recent days on the collapsing medical infrastructure in the crowded coastal enclave. Palestinians trapped inside Gaza's biggest hospital were digging a mass grave on Tuesday to bury patients who died under Israeli encirclement.
Some 68% of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they agreed with a statement that "Israel should call a ceasefire and try to negotiate."
About three-quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans in the poll supported the idea of a ceasefire, putting them at odds with Democratic President Joe Biden who has rebuffed calls from Arab leaders, including Palestinians, to pressure Israel into a ceasefire.
The Biden administration instead has urged Israel to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, something Israel says it is doing.
Israel has so far rejected any talk of implementing longer pauses or a ceasefire, saying Hamas would only use that time to regroup and harden its positions.
In a potentially worrisome sign for Israel, just 31% of poll respondents said they supported sending Israel weapons, while 43% opposed the idea. The rest said they were unsure. Support for sending Israel weapons was strongest among Republicans, while roughly half of Democrats were opposed.
By comparison, 41% of people answering the poll said they backed sending weapons to Ukraine in its fight against a nearly 21-month-old Russian invasion, compared to 32% who were opposed and the rest unsure. When it came to Ukraine, support for sending weapons was stronger among Democrats.
While most moderate Democrats in Congress have long supported military assistance to Israel, some progressives in Biden's own party have started to question whether there should be greater scrutiny as well as conditions attached to such aid.
U.S. officials have cautioned that funding for Ukraine military aid is running low as the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-majority Senate remain at odds over the Biden administration’s request for billions of dollars more in assistance to Kyiv.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and nationwide, gathering responses from 1,006 U.S. adults. It has a credibility interval, a margin of precision, of about four percentage points.
(Reporting by Jason Lange and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)
US support for Israel is declining amid ongoing war in Gaza: Survey
Nick Robertson
THE HILL
Wed, November 15, 2023
A majority of Americans now back a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, though the Biden administration has strongly spoken against such a move, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Wednesday.
Poll respondents showed less support for Israel than at the start of the conflict, showing changing opinions as the war reaches its sixth week. About 32 percent of respondents said the U.S. should support Israel, down from 41 percent in mid-October, days after the start of the war.
Many now believe that the U.S. should instead be a “neutral mediator” in the conflict instead of taking a side. The rate has increased to 39 percent from 27 percent a month ago.
Fifteen percent of respondents said the U.S. should back Palestinian interests in the war, which is largely unchanged.
The drop in support, most apparent among older respondents, comes after weeks of relentless airstrikes and a ground campaign in Gaza by the Israeli military, which has drawn criticism of much of the international community.
More than 11,100 Palestinians — including more than 4,600 children — have died in the conflict as of Friday, and humanitarian organizations, notably the United Nations, have led efforts for a cease-fire in order to assist Gazan civilians.
Much of the fighting in recent days has centered on the hospitals of Gaza City, where thousands have sheltered from Israeli airstrikes.
Nearly 70 percent of Americans said the Israeli government should pursue a cease-fire, including three-quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans.
Both Israel and Hamas have come out strongly against a cease-fire effort, and the Israeli government has refused to consider a long-term stop to the fighting. The country agreed to four-hour daily “humanitarian pauses” in fighting last week but has refused efforts for longer peace periods.
The poll also found that more Americans are willing to support the Ukrainian military with weapons against Russia than Israel. Just under a third of Americans backed weapons for Israel, while just more than 40 percent said they support the same for Ukraine.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll questioned about 1,000 people online this month and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
The results correspond with a recent recent Marist poll that found a larger proportion of Americans disapprove of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, saying it has gone “too far.”
The Marist poll found that 38 percent of Americans believe Israel has gone “too far” in its response to the initial Oct. 7 attack that sparked the conflict, compared to 26 holding that opinion at the outset of the war.
The survey also found that Democrats’ allegiances are split in the conflict, despite pro-Israel unity from most Democrats in Congress. A 45 percent share of Democrats have the most sympathy for Israel in the war, while another 45 percent said the same for Palestinians.
Texans fill downtown Austin streets to demand ceasefire in Gaza
Wed, November 15, 2023
A majority of Americans now back a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, though the Biden administration has strongly spoken against such a move, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Wednesday.
Poll respondents showed less support for Israel than at the start of the conflict, showing changing opinions as the war reaches its sixth week. About 32 percent of respondents said the U.S. should support Israel, down from 41 percent in mid-October, days after the start of the war.
Many now believe that the U.S. should instead be a “neutral mediator” in the conflict instead of taking a side. The rate has increased to 39 percent from 27 percent a month ago.
Fifteen percent of respondents said the U.S. should back Palestinian interests in the war, which is largely unchanged.
The drop in support, most apparent among older respondents, comes after weeks of relentless airstrikes and a ground campaign in Gaza by the Israeli military, which has drawn criticism of much of the international community.
More than 11,100 Palestinians — including more than 4,600 children — have died in the conflict as of Friday, and humanitarian organizations, notably the United Nations, have led efforts for a cease-fire in order to assist Gazan civilians.
Much of the fighting in recent days has centered on the hospitals of Gaza City, where thousands have sheltered from Israeli airstrikes.
Nearly 70 percent of Americans said the Israeli government should pursue a cease-fire, including three-quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans.
Both Israel and Hamas have come out strongly against a cease-fire effort, and the Israeli government has refused to consider a long-term stop to the fighting. The country agreed to four-hour daily “humanitarian pauses” in fighting last week but has refused efforts for longer peace periods.
The poll also found that more Americans are willing to support the Ukrainian military with weapons against Russia than Israel. Just under a third of Americans backed weapons for Israel, while just more than 40 percent said they support the same for Ukraine.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll questioned about 1,000 people online this month and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
The results correspond with a recent recent Marist poll that found a larger proportion of Americans disapprove of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza, saying it has gone “too far.”
The Marist poll found that 38 percent of Americans believe Israel has gone “too far” in its response to the initial Oct. 7 attack that sparked the conflict, compared to 26 holding that opinion at the outset of the war.
The survey also found that Democrats’ allegiances are split in the conflict, despite pro-Israel unity from most Democrats in Congress. A 45 percent share of Democrats have the most sympathy for Israel in the war, while another 45 percent said the same for Palestinians.
Texans fill downtown Austin streets to demand ceasefire in Gaza
Pooja Salhotra
Mon, November 13, 2023
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather on the grounds of the state Capitol in Austin to protest the Israel-Gaza war on Nov. 11, 2023.
Mon, November 13, 2023
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather on the grounds of the state Capitol in Austin to protest the Israel-Gaza war on Nov. 11, 2023.
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune
Thousands of Texans descended upon the state Capitol Sunday afternoon in support of Palestinians to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. and Texas aid to Israel.
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 10,000 people since conflict erupted on Oct. 7, when the militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack. Israel launched an intense ground invasion in neighboring Gaza, sparking outrage from the United Nations and many countries as the death toll has continued to rise. Two-thirds of those deaths are women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. Gaza residents face shortages of food, water and medical supplies.
Both the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott have affirmed their support for Israel, even as President Joe Biden faces growing pressure from members of his party over his support for the country.
Some Democrats in the Texas Legislature have urged President Biden to call a ceasefire. State Reps. Ron Reynolds of Missouri City, John Bryant of Dallas, Terry Meza of Irving and Ana-Maria Ramos sent a letter to Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa last week asking the leader to urge the Biden administration to secure additional humanitarian aid for Gaza and to work towards a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Abbott flew to Israel earlier this month to show his support for the Middle Eastern country. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the country’s minister of foreign affairs to discuss ways Texas could continue to support the country.
“Texas has always, and will always, support Israel and the Israeli people,” Abbott said in a statement after the visit. “During this trip, I saw firsthand the resilient spirit of the Israeli people … Texas will continue to help support Israel safeguard their freedom against brutal terrorist organizations like Hamas.”
On Sunday, protestors in Austin stood outside the Texas Capitol carrying signs accusing Biden of using tax dollars to fund a “genocide” and asking him to support a ceasefire. The protestors, many of whom had come from other Texas cities, then marched along San Jacinto Boulevard chanting “Ceasefire Now!” and “Free, Free Palestine Now!”
The crowd stretched across multiple blocks and spilled onto sidewalks. One group climbed onto a nearby parking garage and held banners over the roof. Another group carried a white banner that listed the names of every person killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. The protest was organized by a coalition of pro-Palestine groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
“Our tax dollars should stay here for the prosperity of our own children, not for the death and destruction of impoverished children halfway around the world,” said Cally Hibbs, an Austin resident who attended the protest and carried a sign asking people to call their representative and demand a ceasefire.
Texas Department of Public Safety officers stood along the perimeter of the march, which remained peaceful, to ensure attendees’ safety and to make sure the protest didn’t interfere with the Texas Book Festival, also taking place in downtown Austin.
“We need to clarify misconceptions about what is happening in the Middle East,” said Asif Shiraz, a protester from Austin. “We want people to realize that the U.S. policy is not fair towards Palestine.”
At one point, the march took particular aim at the governor, with some participants yelling: “Abbott, Abbott, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”
In October, the governor’s office allocated more than $4 million to 31 Jewish organizations in Texas for physical security enhancements and other safety improvements. He also issued an executive order directing state agencies to not purchase goods produced in or exported from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory whose borders are controlled by Israel and Egypt.
The Texas Comptroller’s Office also purchased $65 million in Israel bonds in recent weeks to help provide financial liquidity to respond to Hamas’ attack. Since 1994, Texas has invested in Israeli bonds yearly. The state holds about $140 million in Israel bonds, according to the comptroller’s office.
Clarification, Nov. 13, 2023 at 6:54 p.m. : An earlier version of this story said the Gaza Strip's borders are controlled by Israel; the Palestinian territory's southern border is controlled by Egypt.
Biden and US officials face growing calls for Gaza ceasefire from administration staff
Thousands of Texans descended upon the state Capitol Sunday afternoon in support of Palestinians to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. and Texas aid to Israel.
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 10,000 people since conflict erupted on Oct. 7, when the militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack. Israel launched an intense ground invasion in neighboring Gaza, sparking outrage from the United Nations and many countries as the death toll has continued to rise. Two-thirds of those deaths are women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. Gaza residents face shortages of food, water and medical supplies.
Both the Biden administration and Gov. Greg Abbott have affirmed their support for Israel, even as President Joe Biden faces growing pressure from members of his party over his support for the country.
Some Democrats in the Texas Legislature have urged President Biden to call a ceasefire. State Reps. Ron Reynolds of Missouri City, John Bryant of Dallas, Terry Meza of Irving and Ana-Maria Ramos sent a letter to Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa last week asking the leader to urge the Biden administration to secure additional humanitarian aid for Gaza and to work towards a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Abbott flew to Israel earlier this month to show his support for the Middle Eastern country. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the country’s minister of foreign affairs to discuss ways Texas could continue to support the country.
“Texas has always, and will always, support Israel and the Israeli people,” Abbott said in a statement after the visit. “During this trip, I saw firsthand the resilient spirit of the Israeli people … Texas will continue to help support Israel safeguard their freedom against brutal terrorist organizations like Hamas.”
On Sunday, protestors in Austin stood outside the Texas Capitol carrying signs accusing Biden of using tax dollars to fund a “genocide” and asking him to support a ceasefire. The protestors, many of whom had come from other Texas cities, then marched along San Jacinto Boulevard chanting “Ceasefire Now!” and “Free, Free Palestine Now!”
The crowd stretched across multiple blocks and spilled onto sidewalks. One group climbed onto a nearby parking garage and held banners over the roof. Another group carried a white banner that listed the names of every person killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. The protest was organized by a coalition of pro-Palestine groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
“Our tax dollars should stay here for the prosperity of our own children, not for the death and destruction of impoverished children halfway around the world,” said Cally Hibbs, an Austin resident who attended the protest and carried a sign asking people to call their representative and demand a ceasefire.
Texas Department of Public Safety officers stood along the perimeter of the march, which remained peaceful, to ensure attendees’ safety and to make sure the protest didn’t interfere with the Texas Book Festival, also taking place in downtown Austin.
“We need to clarify misconceptions about what is happening in the Middle East,” said Asif Shiraz, a protester from Austin. “We want people to realize that the U.S. policy is not fair towards Palestine.”
At one point, the march took particular aim at the governor, with some participants yelling: “Abbott, Abbott, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”
In October, the governor’s office allocated more than $4 million to 31 Jewish organizations in Texas for physical security enhancements and other safety improvements. He also issued an executive order directing state agencies to not purchase goods produced in or exported from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory whose borders are controlled by Israel and Egypt.
The Texas Comptroller’s Office also purchased $65 million in Israel bonds in recent weeks to help provide financial liquidity to respond to Hamas’ attack. Since 1994, Texas has invested in Israeli bonds yearly. The state holds about $140 million in Israel bonds, according to the comptroller’s office.
Clarification, Nov. 13, 2023 at 6:54 p.m. : An earlier version of this story said the Gaza Strip's borders are controlled by Israel; the Palestinian territory's southern border is controlled by Egypt.
Biden and US officials face growing calls for Gaza ceasefire from administration staff
Alex Woodward
Updated Tue, November 14, 2023
Hundreds of government workers, members of President Joe Biden’s campaign and Democratic Party employees have pressed the administration to support a ceasefire in Gaza following the deaths of thousands of civilians under Israel’s ongoing bombardments.
More than 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,500 children, have been killed during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in the wake of the 7 October attacks, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The US Department of State believes the death toll could be “even higher”.
The president has faced growing calls to support a ceasefire from more than 400 employees working within his administration as well as more than 500 people who helped him win the presidency in his 2020 campaign, joining a growing number of calls for a ceasefire from across the administration and in Congress directed at their powerful bosses.
One letter from more than 400 administration employees, including political appointees and White House staff, spans several cabinet-level agencies and the president’s office.
The letter, according to NBC News, calls on the president to “urgently demand a ceasefire” and “call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians” as well as “the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services” and “the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip.”
An open letter from more than 500 people from across the US who worked on Mr Biden’s 2020 campaign, including Democratic National Committee staff members, told the president that he wields “significant influence in this perilous moment” to support a ceasefire agreement.
“As you have said, silence in the face of human rights violations is tantamount to complicity,” they wrote. “With every passing day, we will continue to see more bloodshed, more war crimes, and more death. All people of conscience must call loudly and vociferously for a ceasefire now. As a person of conscience with enormous influence, you have a special responsibility to lead this call.”
The Independent has requested comment from the White House.
Updated Tue, November 14, 2023
Hundreds of government workers, members of President Joe Biden’s campaign and Democratic Party employees have pressed the administration to support a ceasefire in Gaza following the deaths of thousands of civilians under Israel’s ongoing bombardments.
More than 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,500 children, have been killed during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in the wake of the 7 October attacks, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The US Department of State believes the death toll could be “even higher”.
The president has faced growing calls to support a ceasefire from more than 400 employees working within his administration as well as more than 500 people who helped him win the presidency in his 2020 campaign, joining a growing number of calls for a ceasefire from across the administration and in Congress directed at their powerful bosses.
One letter from more than 400 administration employees, including political appointees and White House staff, spans several cabinet-level agencies and the president’s office.
The letter, according to NBC News, calls on the president to “urgently demand a ceasefire” and “call for de-escalation of the current conflict by securing the immediate release of the Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians” as well as “the restoration of water, fuel, electricity and other basic services” and “the passage of adequate humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip.”
An open letter from more than 500 people from across the US who worked on Mr Biden’s 2020 campaign, including Democratic National Committee staff members, told the president that he wields “significant influence in this perilous moment” to support a ceasefire agreement.
“As you have said, silence in the face of human rights violations is tantamount to complicity,” they wrote. “With every passing day, we will continue to see more bloodshed, more war crimes, and more death. All people of conscience must call loudly and vociferously for a ceasefire now. As a person of conscience with enormous influence, you have a special responsibility to lead this call.”
The Independent has requested comment from the White House.
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, left, watches Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson address a March for Israel rally where he said calls for a ceasefire in Gaza are ‘outrageous’ (EPA)
Another open letter from more than 1,000 officials with the US Agency for International Development, among the largest aid agencies in the world, authorised by Congress, have also signed an open letter urging Mr Biden’s support for a ceasefire.
Dozens of State Department employees signed internal memos to Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressing their sharp disagreement with the administration’s approach to Israel’s military campaign. Several internal cables have urged Mr Biden to call for a ceasefire, according to The New York Times.
One five-page memo signed by 100 State Department and USAID employees accuses Israel of committing “war crimes” in Gaza, while the Biden administartion’s support has made him “complicit in genocide”.
The State Department directed The Independent to comments from spokesperson Matthew Miller but added that the agency generally does not comment on internal communications.
“I’ll just reiterate that the Secretary wants to hear from those employees,” Mr Miller said on 13 November. “He wants to hear what their opinions are. I won’t comment on any dissent memos, but he has spoken in the past about how he welcomes the dissent channel, and thinks it’s a very valuable channel, and that he likes to get feedback through it. And he hopes that people will use it. “
A Palestinian man carries objects as he walks through debris on 14 November in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in Gaza (REUTERS)
Hundreds of Democratic aides in Congress have also pressed their bosses to support a ceasefire and staged a walkout from the US Capitol last week.
“Most of our bosses on Capitol hill are not listening to the people they represent,” one staffer said from the Capitol steps in front of a banner reading “ceasefire now” last week. “We demand our leaders speak up, call for a ceasefire, a release of all hostages and an immediate de-escalation now.”
Roughly 66 per cent of voters want the US to call for a ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in Gaza – a figure that includes at least 80 per cent of Democratic voters, according to polling from progressive thinktank Data for Progress.
It’s unclear whether the administration or members of Congress will respond to those calls, which have reportedly caught Democratic officials off guard. “I’ve never seen such a disconnect between where voters and constituents are and where Congress is, and that’s saying something because there’s always a disconnect,” one aide told HuffPost.
The president and administration officials, as well as nearly every US Senator, appear unmoved. When asked what chances exist for a Gaza ceasefire, the president said “none. No possibility.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, moments before joining Democratic and Republican members of Congress at a March for Israel in Washington DC on Tuesday, told The Independent that the US should instead focus on efforts to “radically reduce” the presence of Hamas in Gaza, free hostages, and “minimize civilian casualties”.
Israeli soldiers pictured amid ongoing battles with Hamas (AFP via Getty Images)
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, while speaking alongside Mr Schumer and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries during the rally, called support for a ceasefire “outrageous”.
The White House has instead supported daily four-hour “pauses” in Israel’s bombardments in northern Gaza.
“When we talk ceasefire vs pause, there’s a difference. We don’t support a ceasefire. We think that benefits Hamas. We do support these humanitarian pauses that the Israeli military has put in place,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.
Mr Kirby, speaking to reporters during Israel’s siege of Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza, added that “we don’t support attacks on hospitals.”
Israelis are arming up in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack. Some are worried it is playing to the far right’s vision for the country
Tara John and Adi Koplewitz, CNN
Tue, November 14, 2023
Behind tables laden with more than 50 assault rifles, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, smiled at a crowd of people who had come to the coastal city of Caesarea for a ceremony to receive the firearms.
The divisive politician has been crisscrossing Israel in the past weeks handing out guns to civilian members of security squads as he expands Israeli citizens’ access to guns in the wake of Hamas’ attack last month. The aim, according to the Ministry of National Security, is to create teams to respond to future terror incidents.
The successes of some volunteer security units in southern Israel, who were able to push Hamas gunmen back on October 7 in certain locales, have attracted new members to the initiative.
The Israeli government says around 700 volunteer security squads, which will operate under the command of Israeli police, have been established since then, tapping into the wellspring of insecurity in the country following Hamas militants’ massacre of an estimated 1,200 people in Israel that day.
“We saw this in the first days of the war, wherever there were weapons, the scale of the disaster was smaller,” Ben Gvir said in a press release.
Critics see it as part of a far-right vision to inflame Israeli-Palestinian relations in the country, especially in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Ben Gvir, who leads the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, pledged to give 10,000 guns to towns and cities across Israel, including Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, according to the New York Times.
“Weapons will be distributed to squads all around the country, with an emphasize on near- border fence communities in the north and south, mixed cities and settlements in Judea and Samaria,” Ben Gvir’s office said in a statement shared by the Jewish Power party and seen by CNN which used the biblical names for the West Bank.
Palestinians fear these guns will be used against them. Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian writer and policy analyst, described Ben Gvir’s pledge as “green lighting an intensification of killing Palestinians – although that has consistently been the reality in the West Bank,” she told CNN.
Violence has spiked in the West Bank since Israel declared war on Hamas last month and at least 176 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli forces or Jewish settlers, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The United Nations and many foreign countries consider the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied land and therefore view Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law. But Israel says the status of the West Bank is disputed and denies its settlements there are illegal; while it regards all of Jerusalem as sovereign Israeli territory. Some in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, such as Ben Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, support annexing the West Bank.
Abdelathim Wadi, who lives in Qusra, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, lost his brother and nephew to an attack by armed settlers as they made their way to a funeral for four other Palestinians, he said.
“There’s no one to defend us… Our movement is so restricted, we’re constantly living in fear that if we leave our house, we’ll be shot,” he said.
When CNN asked Ben Gvir at the Caesarea event last week whether his actions were inciting violence against Palestinians, CNN was kicked out of the ceremony.
A civilian security squad member holds a rifle at an event attended by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. - William Bonnett/CNN
In a later statement to CNN, Ben Gvir said “forming and arming the security squads will increase the probability that many Israeli families” will survive a similar attack to the one on October 7.
It added that the Israel Defense Forces is “the one responsible for arming and forming the squads in Judaea & Samaria,” and not the police under Ben Gvir.
“And to be clear, the minister’s vision and acts are to provide security to the citizens of Israel, (if) his views were met in the months prior the massacre, the present day could have been different and safer,” the statement added.
‘Causing chaos’
Ben Gvir, who has previously been convicted for supporting terrorism and inciting anti-Arab racism, loomed on the edges of the Israeli far-right before his party and other extremist figures shored up Netanyahu’s ruling coalition – the most right-wing in Israel’s history.
Ben Gvir’s party draws its core support from Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Last week, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, who is in Ben Gvir’s party, suggested that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza could be “one way” for Israel to deal with Hamas. Eliyahu said later he did not mean his answer to be taken literally.
Outside the sports hall, where the ceremony was taking place in Caesarea, a small group of demonstrators gathered against Ben Gvir’s arrival in their neighborhood. Amid chants of “fascist,” protester Roy Malkan accused the minister of “provoking the situation in the West Bank,” and “hoping for riots from the Israeli Palestinians,” Malkan told CNN.
Others against the mass distribution of arms believe the government should be shoring up the police force and the military instead, and not risk weapons falling into the wrong hands.
In a video shared on Ben Gvir’s Facebook page, controversial far-right rapper Yoav Eliasi was seen being embraced by the politician after he received a rifle at a Tel Aviv security squad weapons ceremony.
“The rapper for years has incited against Palestinians, against activists, and he also incited against me personally,” Ori Givati, a former tank commander for the Israeli military and advocacy director of NGO Breaking the Silence, told CNN. He adds that arming people like that “is only showing what he (Ben Gvir) is trying to cause, which is chaos.”
CNN has reached out to Eliasi for comment. He addressed criticism of him in a November 12 post on Instagram, saying: “I am certified and trained by the police.”
‘Go, arm yourself’
In addition to the hundreds of new volunteer units, Ben Gvir has called on individuals to “go, arm yourself.” Shooting ranges and gun stores in Israel have seen an increase in foot traffic as private gun licensing rules were relaxed by Ben Gvir in recent weeks, Reuters reported.
A press release by the Ministry of National Security said that Hebrew-speaking citizens who have military training, no criminal record, and live in an eligible area “can undergo a telephone interview instead of an in-person one, and be issued a firearm license within a week.”
A 2017 report from the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss nonprofit tracking global firearms holdings, found civilians owned approximately 557,000 registered and unregistered guns in Israel, or 6.7 guns per 100 people – a tiny fraction of America’s 120 guns per 100 people. Israeli officials in October estimated that at least 300,000 Israelis would be eligible for the new licenses.
Guy Ben-Porat, a politics professor at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, told CNN that while he does not want to discount the fear of the wider Israeli population, who “feel that they have been neglected by the military and the government and the instinct is to demand weapons,” he believes Ben Gvir has been “exploiting the opportunity to promote what he has wanted for a long time” that is “arming Jewish civilians.”
Protesters and an anti-protester argue outside an event attended by Ben-Gvir in Caesarea, Israel, in November 2023. - William Bonnett/CNN
What the country needs is a reduction in arms, he said, pointing to the issue of illegal guns fueling gang-related violence among Arab citizens of Israel. The community – which makes up 20% of the population – has been calling for more measures to help curb criminal violence to deaf years, according to Ben-Porat.
“There’s a gun culture because people are insecure, so they buy guns, and every local feud can turn into a gun battle,” Ben-Porat, who is also an expert on minority policing, said. “However, the answer is not to give guns to Jewish citizens, but to take the guns away.”
Security squad members at the Caesarea event believe the opposite, telling CNN that the process is regulated with a background check and proof of prior military experience. Those with prior police, national or civil service experience, or an exemption, is also accepted, according to a volunteer sign-up sheet. A large proportion of Israelis have undergone mandatory military service: Israel’s October call for 300,000 reservists, despite having a population 34 times smaller than the US, is nearly equal to the total size of the US’s military reserves.
One of the new recruits, educator Liat Eisner, stressed it was pragmatism that led her to join the volunteer security unit. “We are not fanatics. We’re not crazy for guns. We are concerned citizens who are not willing to be butchered again,” she said.
Eisner said she’s no fan of Israeli politics and previously protested Netanyahu’s attempt at judicial reform. But her priorities have changed since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas.
“Listen, I’m not going to sit like a duck waiting for someone to slaughter me,” she said while filling a rifle magazine with bullets outside the event. “The only thing is us – we have to win (against Hamas). This is survival.”
CNN’s Nada Bashir and Celine Alkhadi contributed to this report.
Tara John and Adi Koplewitz, CNN
Tue, November 14, 2023
Behind tables laden with more than 50 assault rifles, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, smiled at a crowd of people who had come to the coastal city of Caesarea for a ceremony to receive the firearms.
The divisive politician has been crisscrossing Israel in the past weeks handing out guns to civilian members of security squads as he expands Israeli citizens’ access to guns in the wake of Hamas’ attack last month. The aim, according to the Ministry of National Security, is to create teams to respond to future terror incidents.
The successes of some volunteer security units in southern Israel, who were able to push Hamas gunmen back on October 7 in certain locales, have attracted new members to the initiative.
The Israeli government says around 700 volunteer security squads, which will operate under the command of Israeli police, have been established since then, tapping into the wellspring of insecurity in the country following Hamas militants’ massacre of an estimated 1,200 people in Israel that day.
“We saw this in the first days of the war, wherever there were weapons, the scale of the disaster was smaller,” Ben Gvir said in a press release.
Critics see it as part of a far-right vision to inflame Israeli-Palestinian relations in the country, especially in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Ben Gvir, who leads the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, pledged to give 10,000 guns to towns and cities across Israel, including Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, according to the New York Times.
“Weapons will be distributed to squads all around the country, with an emphasize on near- border fence communities in the north and south, mixed cities and settlements in Judea and Samaria,” Ben Gvir’s office said in a statement shared by the Jewish Power party and seen by CNN which used the biblical names for the West Bank.
Palestinians fear these guns will be used against them. Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian writer and policy analyst, described Ben Gvir’s pledge as “green lighting an intensification of killing Palestinians – although that has consistently been the reality in the West Bank,” she told CNN.
Violence has spiked in the West Bank since Israel declared war on Hamas last month and at least 176 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli forces or Jewish settlers, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The United Nations and many foreign countries consider the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied land and therefore view Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law. But Israel says the status of the West Bank is disputed and denies its settlements there are illegal; while it regards all of Jerusalem as sovereign Israeli territory. Some in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, such as Ben Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, support annexing the West Bank.
Abdelathim Wadi, who lives in Qusra, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, lost his brother and nephew to an attack by armed settlers as they made their way to a funeral for four other Palestinians, he said.
“There’s no one to defend us… Our movement is so restricted, we’re constantly living in fear that if we leave our house, we’ll be shot,” he said.
When CNN asked Ben Gvir at the Caesarea event last week whether his actions were inciting violence against Palestinians, CNN was kicked out of the ceremony.
A civilian security squad member holds a rifle at an event attended by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. - William Bonnett/CNN
In a later statement to CNN, Ben Gvir said “forming and arming the security squads will increase the probability that many Israeli families” will survive a similar attack to the one on October 7.
It added that the Israel Defense Forces is “the one responsible for arming and forming the squads in Judaea & Samaria,” and not the police under Ben Gvir.
“And to be clear, the minister’s vision and acts are to provide security to the citizens of Israel, (if) his views were met in the months prior the massacre, the present day could have been different and safer,” the statement added.
‘Causing chaos’
Ben Gvir, who has previously been convicted for supporting terrorism and inciting anti-Arab racism, loomed on the edges of the Israeli far-right before his party and other extremist figures shored up Netanyahu’s ruling coalition – the most right-wing in Israel’s history.
Ben Gvir’s party draws its core support from Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Last week, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, who is in Ben Gvir’s party, suggested that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza could be “one way” for Israel to deal with Hamas. Eliyahu said later he did not mean his answer to be taken literally.
Outside the sports hall, where the ceremony was taking place in Caesarea, a small group of demonstrators gathered against Ben Gvir’s arrival in their neighborhood. Amid chants of “fascist,” protester Roy Malkan accused the minister of “provoking the situation in the West Bank,” and “hoping for riots from the Israeli Palestinians,” Malkan told CNN.
Others against the mass distribution of arms believe the government should be shoring up the police force and the military instead, and not risk weapons falling into the wrong hands.
In a video shared on Ben Gvir’s Facebook page, controversial far-right rapper Yoav Eliasi was seen being embraced by the politician after he received a rifle at a Tel Aviv security squad weapons ceremony.
“The rapper for years has incited against Palestinians, against activists, and he also incited against me personally,” Ori Givati, a former tank commander for the Israeli military and advocacy director of NGO Breaking the Silence, told CNN. He adds that arming people like that “is only showing what he (Ben Gvir) is trying to cause, which is chaos.”
CNN has reached out to Eliasi for comment. He addressed criticism of him in a November 12 post on Instagram, saying: “I am certified and trained by the police.”
‘Go, arm yourself’
In addition to the hundreds of new volunteer units, Ben Gvir has called on individuals to “go, arm yourself.” Shooting ranges and gun stores in Israel have seen an increase in foot traffic as private gun licensing rules were relaxed by Ben Gvir in recent weeks, Reuters reported.
A press release by the Ministry of National Security said that Hebrew-speaking citizens who have military training, no criminal record, and live in an eligible area “can undergo a telephone interview instead of an in-person one, and be issued a firearm license within a week.”
A 2017 report from the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss nonprofit tracking global firearms holdings, found civilians owned approximately 557,000 registered and unregistered guns in Israel, or 6.7 guns per 100 people – a tiny fraction of America’s 120 guns per 100 people. Israeli officials in October estimated that at least 300,000 Israelis would be eligible for the new licenses.
Guy Ben-Porat, a politics professor at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, told CNN that while he does not want to discount the fear of the wider Israeli population, who “feel that they have been neglected by the military and the government and the instinct is to demand weapons,” he believes Ben Gvir has been “exploiting the opportunity to promote what he has wanted for a long time” that is “arming Jewish civilians.”
Protesters and an anti-protester argue outside an event attended by Ben-Gvir in Caesarea, Israel, in November 2023. - William Bonnett/CNN
What the country needs is a reduction in arms, he said, pointing to the issue of illegal guns fueling gang-related violence among Arab citizens of Israel. The community – which makes up 20% of the population – has been calling for more measures to help curb criminal violence to deaf years, according to Ben-Porat.
“There’s a gun culture because people are insecure, so they buy guns, and every local feud can turn into a gun battle,” Ben-Porat, who is also an expert on minority policing, said. “However, the answer is not to give guns to Jewish citizens, but to take the guns away.”
Security squad members at the Caesarea event believe the opposite, telling CNN that the process is regulated with a background check and proof of prior military experience. Those with prior police, national or civil service experience, or an exemption, is also accepted, according to a volunteer sign-up sheet. A large proportion of Israelis have undergone mandatory military service: Israel’s October call for 300,000 reservists, despite having a population 34 times smaller than the US, is nearly equal to the total size of the US’s military reserves.
One of the new recruits, educator Liat Eisner, stressed it was pragmatism that led her to join the volunteer security unit. “We are not fanatics. We’re not crazy for guns. We are concerned citizens who are not willing to be butchered again,” she said.
Eisner said she’s no fan of Israeli politics and previously protested Netanyahu’s attempt at judicial reform. But her priorities have changed since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas.
“Listen, I’m not going to sit like a duck waiting for someone to slaughter me,” she said while filling a rifle magazine with bullets outside the event. “The only thing is us – we have to win (against Hamas). This is survival.”
CNN’s Nada Bashir and Celine Alkhadi contributed to this report.
