Amit Segal
@amit_segal · Middle East
Amit Segal is followed by Storyz World for journalism and current affairs coverage across the Middle East chapter.
Bardugo’s appointment is a second slap in the face within a month to senior Likud officials
Translated from HebrewYou can encourage refusal, you can praise reservists, but that certainly does not work together. And certainly not when it involves a sea of money being invested without proper disclosure. Neither with regard to the recruitment ads in Makor Rishon nor with regard to the business connection to Yonatan Shalev’s family.
Translated from HebrewSince he is writing here already, even though he does not do so often, perhaps Gigi will tell us about his role in Brothers in Arms, and elaborate on whether he protested against the despicable refusal to serve as he protests against evasion of service, or whether in fact he enthusiastically collaborated with its organizers. He should also finally be transparent and tell us whether and how he was involved in the flood of advertisements in the religious-Zionist press against the draft law, without proper disclosure and without saying what contribution the funders of the ads about equal burden-sharing made to the threat to dismantle the IDF during the reform. Let him explain why the connection between the managers of this campaign and the protest was concealed. And above all — if he were my advocate, I would run to check where I went wrong.
Translated from HebrewMidterm grades: Eisenkot organized the center in the best possible way for him, Netanyahu still has not closed the Winter issue
Translated from HebrewThe latest polls teach us that there is no demand for the “unity merchandise.” If they had told us a year ago that a magnificent group of people would gather at the center of the political map: legendary reserve officers, reservists from every sector, bereaved families, Israeli symbols, media stars, and public-diplomacy artists. If they had said that a group of senior politicians would gather above them – defense ministers, senior Likud figures, ambassadors to the United Nations. If they had told us all this, how many mandates would we have estimated for the centrist stream? 10? 15? Maybe even a governing party? And yet the latest polls teach us that the public is not interested in the merchandise. According to them, all the following names – Shira Shapira, Elisaf Peretz, Yosef Haddad, Netaeli Shemtov, Oren Smadja and Hazi Nahama, Dedi Simchi and of course the top tier: Winter, Erdan, Edelstein, Gantz, Trooper – do not cross the electoral threshold, together or separately. The frustration grows for the group above when the polls turn out to be a mirage: the closer they get, the farther away the electoral threshold moves. The reservists crossed the electoral threshold and then collapsed. Those same polls indicated that if they united with Trooper they would cross it – only to dive below it again. The same thing happened to Erdan, earlier to Gantz, and later to Winter. They put up a building only to discover that it was built on a leviathan that had sailed away; they unite only to discover that anything multiplied by zero is zero. Even right now, the illusion continues. According to the polls, about ten percent are below the electoral threshold, an astonishing number of voters. Is this really the situation? Or do the fractions of a percentage point for each party represent more of a passing mood? Anyone who believes, as before October 7, that everything will once again come down to the question of Netanyahu, yes or no, has an easy task. He will simply explain that there was never any chance to begin with. But what about those who believed that there was indeed demand for the “unity merchandise” and the third way? Could it be, as the economists say, a supply-side problem? Or was it an illusion from the outset? The speed with which parties are launched into the world and then forced to align themselves with the right or left camp, declare allegiance or commit to a framework and then evaporate, shows that this may not yet be the round of conclusions. As in the 1973 election, another round may still be required for the market ripples of the surprise and the failure to strike the old political system’s fortifications and bring them down. Full column >>>
Translated from HebrewWinter's oath: If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget, I will not sit under Bennett and Lieberman
Translated from HebrewNoam Tibon supports a Palestinian state and thinks it is essential to Israel's security. In my view, this is a completely wrong and disastrous position, but it is his legitimate opinion. Why doesn't he tell his truth?
Translated from HebrewDon't miss: The senior figure in Bennett's party spoke passionately in favor of a Palestinian state- I asked him about his updated position
Translated from HebrewFirst report: Smotrich and Feiglin are in advanced talks to run in a technical bloc. Even before Netanyahu's initiative to unite Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power with Smotrich's Religious Zionism failed, a completely separate merger negotiation was underway: the chairman of Religious Zionism is holding advanced talks to unite with Moshe Feiglin's Identity party in a technical bloc. Feiglin is expected to receive the realistic No. 2 spot, as well as spots 8 and 10, although the issue has not yet been finally clarified. Identity, under his leadership, ran once, in 2019, and despite flattering polls collapsed at the last moment below the electoral threshold with about three percent. According to the polls, it currently enjoys about one percent of the vote, which effectively justifies reserving a slot for Feiglin. The aim of the talks is to ensure crossing the electoral threshold, against the backdrop of Ofer Winter joining the race, following which Religious Zionism is weakening and falls below the electoral threshold in most polls. Netanyahu is not privy to the secret talks for now, but he has heard about them and supports them in principle. Smotrich and Feiglin declined to comment specifically, but confirmed that talks on mergers are taking place.
Translated from HebrewThe Americans have spoken with almost every scumbag in the Middle East over the past year. “The Iranians are like the don of the crime family. Hamas is his debt collector, down at the bottom of the chain, on the streets of New Jersey.” When everyone focuses on the dons, the Americans are again talking to the debt collectors. Apparently, Hamas received a big prize. Jared Kushner met with senior figures of the murderous terrorist organization that murdered and kidnapped dozens of Americans on October 7. The Americans have an answer: Last year, we met with them to rescue fifty-six hostages. Now—the kidnapped Gaza Strip. “We are not as naive as you think,” they repeat over and over. We have repeatedly said that Hamas will have no weapons and no control over the Strip. The means are less important to us than the goal. People forget the meetings with senior Hamas officials, they say. And in this context they also mention that a very, very senior official in the security establishment spoke directly, by telephone, with the leaders of the Nazi organization during negotiations to release hostages. “Why are you allowed to do it and we aren’t?” they say. In Israel, they are horrified by the idea that Qatar and Turkey will be involved in the Strip. Contrary to what the opposition says, the two hostile countries will not send soldiers into the Strip. But their very presence on the oversight council, which is supposed to determine whether Israel is complying with the agreement or not, is absurd in practical and moral terms. Most of Israel’s concerns were resolved after discussions with the Americans. The concern remains that the international body, instead of demilitarizing Hamas, will separate the IDF and Hamas and effectively restrict Israel’s moves in the Strip. The White House is angry with Netanyahu, but has aligned itself with most of his demands. Trump himself, however, has conspicuously refrained for months from declaring support for him in the election. But his people are preparing the Likud a victory picture: handing over weapons in the Strip to the Americans before the election. The payment, in the form of a partial withdrawal, will be on credit, after the polls close. For the full column.
Translated from HebrewMillions for the military prosecutor in violation of the law — at our expense
Translated from HebrewGreat that the despicable monument was destroyed, too bad an MK did it and not a second lieutenant
Translated from HebrewWinter tried to defend himself in advance against Netanyahu’s attack — but he did not anticipate the intensity of the attack
Translated from HebrewWe know that Mansour Abbas supports a Palestinian state. The problem is what his party thinks about the Jewish state.
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