By Romana Rubeo 
The Israeli President, who said in October that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, is now calling for the removal of far-right ministers from the Israeli government.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Saturday that “Kahanism needs to be removed from the government,” Israeli media reported.
The comments were reportedly made near his home in Tel Aviv, as he was confronted by a group of activists.
According to the Times of Israel, one of the activists told the president: “You’re the president of a Kahanist government, you should be up in arms about it!” The reference was to Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a proud follower of rabbi Meir Kahane.
“Of course, Kahanism needs to be removed from the government,” Herzog was quoted as saying.
When asked to condemn the violent rampage carried out by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank in recent days, however, Herzog said that of the “half a million Israeli citizens” who live in West Bank settlements, “99 percent are law-abiding,” according to the Israeli paper.
The president also reportedly added that he believes in “the State of Israel and Israeli society and Israeli democracy.”
הבוקר בצהלה: נשיא המדינה יצחק הרצוג מתבכיין שבכלל עושים לו עוול! (רחמים). לדבריו הוא הנשיא של כולם, והוא לא אמור לנקוט עמדה.
לא אמור לנקוט עמדה מוסרית, בזמן שממשלת חניבעל מקריבה למוות 115 חטופים ישראלים, מחסלת את הדמוקרטיה, את הכלכלה ואת הביטחון, מאפשרת למחבלים יהודים לבצע… pic.twitter.com/VTyRVLNaZN
— Nava Rozolyo נאווה רוזוליו (@rozolyo) August 17, 2024
Ben-Gvir, along with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has firmly opposed an agreement that includes the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli captives and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
On October 13, Herzog suggested at a press conference that civilians in Gaza are legitimate targets.
“It is an entire nation out there that is responsible,” he said. “It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not being aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true. They could have risen up. They could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d’etat.”
Two months later, in December, a photo circulated widely on social media, showing President Isaac Herzog writing the phrase “I rely on you” on a shell destined to be fired on Gaza.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 40,005 Palestinians have been killed, and 92,401 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and the managing editor of The Palestine Chronicle. Her articles appeared in many online newspapers and academic journals. She holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and Literature and specializes in audio-visual and journalism translation.
Anybody who signs a bomb should be attached to it, so they can have a taste of their own poison.
Agreed. I’ve long wanted to hear that Netanyahu was being dropped on an Iranian nuclear site, to see if he was dense enough to damage the nuclear reactors. Sadly he doesn’t seem interested in doing that.
Too bad that one was a dud…
The lying, deflection and ‘shapeshifting’ in general now is close to full on. Their blameless narrative is defunct.
Time to urinate all over the place and whatever soulmates come within their radius.
Despicable stuff.
Is there really much of a difference between Ben-Gvir and Herzog? They both come from the same horribly evil, genocidal Zionist Satanic cult that all the other Zionists come from. The only difference is that Ben-Gvir is always ready to go out with his terrorist police officers to find defenseless Palestinian civilians that they can commit brutal physical violence against. On the other hand, Herzog would rather sign U.S.-supplied bombs that are being used in Israel’s holocaust against the defenseless Palestinian civilians of Gaza.