Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman
A parliamentary committee on Wednesday rebuked Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman for calling Haneen Zoabi, an Arab member of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), a “terrorist”.
“The Ethics Committee, chaired by Knesset member Yitzhak Vaknin (of the Shas party), issued a reprimand against Lieberman following a complaint filed by Zoabi (of the Arab Joint List) after Liberman called her a “terrorist” on his Twitter account,” read a statement issued by the assembly on Wednesday.
In early June, Lieberman tweeted: “The terrorist Haneen Zoabi is in the Knesset and promoting terrorism against IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] soldiers and citizens of the State of Israel...”
An Egyptian security delegation has managed to reach a de-escalation deal between Israel and Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, according to a Palestinian source.“The Egyptian mediation succeeded in halting the escalation that broke out early today in Gaza,” the source told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.According to the source, the delegation made intensive contacts with faction leaders in Gaza and Israeli officials with a view to restoring calm.Palestinian gov’t condemns Israeli attacks in GazaThe delegation arrived in Gaza on Tuesday for talks with Hamas leaders on inter-Palestinian reconciliation and truce with Israel.On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire into southern Israel.One person was martyred in the Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.The Israeli army said it bombed 20 targets throughout Gaza, including an underground tunnel, going on to hold Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, responsible for the escalation. Israel using Saudi statements on Khashoggi: OfficialIsraeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also announced on Wednesday that all crossings into Gaza were being shut and the fishing zone around the Palestinian territory was being limited.Since March, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred and thousands more injured by Israeli army fire in anti-occupation protests along Gaza border. Demonstrators demand an end to Israel’s 12-year Gaza blockade and the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.Palestinian factions slam rocket fire into IsraelGazan martyred in fresh Israeli airstrikeIsrael conducts airstrike on Gaza Strip
Egypt brokers de-escalation deal in Gaza: Source
But in a Wednesday decision, the Ethics Committee said Lieberman’s use of the word “terrorist” to describe Zoabi constituted “incitement against Arab Knesset members in general and against her in particular”.
“The Ethics Committee has repeatedly clarified that such comments… have no place in legitimate public discourse and that such remarks constitute a breach of ethical rules,” it asserted.
The committee added: “Considering the fact that Minister Lieberman did not retract the comment mentioned in the complaint, the Ethics Committee has decided… to issue a reprimand to Minister Lieberman.”
Israel’s 120-member Knesset currently has 13 Arab members, all of whom belong to the Arab Joint List.
Lieberman frequently criticizes Arab Knesset members, calling for their expulsion from the assembly due to their stated support for Palestinian statehood.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian government on Wednesday condemned Israeli airstrikes in the blockaded Gaza Strip.“The non-stop escalation in Gaza is part of [Israel’s] escalation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” government spokesman Yousef al-Mahmoud said in a statement.He held the Israeli government responsible for the safety of Palestinians and their property in the seaside enclave.Palestinian factions slam rocket fire into Israel“Israel is continuing to violate international law and regulations and is committing crimes against the Palestinian people,” he said.Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in response to rocket fire into southern Israel.One person was killed in the Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.The Israeli army said it bombed 20 targets throughout Gaza, including an underground tunnel, going on to hold Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, for the escalation.Gazan martyred in fresh Israeli airstrikeIsraeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also announced on Wednesday that all crossings into Gaza were being shut and the fishing zone around the Palestinian territory was being limited.Since March, more than 200 Palestinians have been martyred and thousands more injured by Israeli army fire in anti-occupation protests along Gaza border. Demonstrators demand an end to Israel’s 12-year Gaza blockade and the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. Israel conducts airstrike on Gaza Strip
Palestinian gov’t condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza
An Israeli security official said Israel is relying on official statements coming from Saudi Arabia regarding missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi."Tel Aviv is counting on statements made by Saudi Arabia, not stories coming out from Turkey," the official told the London-based Elaph newspaper, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.The Israeli official argued that reports emerging from Turkey “were not based on evidence” and that Tel Aviv indirectly stood with Riyadh over the case.Recordings reveal Khashoggi tortured then dismembered while still aliveHe said Israel was waiting for the completion of a Saudi-Turkish joint probe into Khashoggi’s disappearance.The security official claimed that international media was counting on social media accounts while reporting on Khashoggi’s case, instead of Saudi sources.The official’s statement is the first reaction coming from Israel regarding the disappearance of the veteran Saudi journalist.Five Khashoggi suspects linked to crown prince: NY TimesAccording to Elaph, the Israeli media did not give much coverage to the case.Yossi Melman, a security analyst from Israel's Maariv Daily, had previously argued that Israeli intelligence service Mossad might have been involved in Khashoggi’s case."I hope that Mossad doesn't have a hand in the murder of Khashoggi, not even indirectly," he had said.He cited that Mossad had been involved in the abduction of Mehdi Ben Berka, a Moroccan opposition leader who disappeared in Paris in 1956.Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post newspaper, has long been feared killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul after he entered on Oct. 2 and was never seen exiting.US's Pompeo to meet President Erdoğan, Turkish counterpartOn Monday, Turkish and Saudi officials searched the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after the start of a joint probe into the missing journalist.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of what happened to Khashoggi, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K. -- are pressing for the mystery to be cleared up as soon as possible.
Israel using Saudi statements on Khashoggi: Official