Author: Orit ben Tzvi

Orit is Israel Rising's regional and threat analyst. She has a degree from IDC in Middle East Diplomacy and has served both intelligence related activities for the IDF as well as advised privately for firms doing business in the region.
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WITCH HUNT: Yair Lapid is the Police’s Expert Witness Against Bibi Netanyahu

With the police recommending to indict Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday,  Israel appears to be headed into a period of political uncertainty.  The job of actually deciding to indict the Prime Minister falls to Israel’s Attorney General.  Regardless of his decision and no one actually knows what that decision will be, some background info has been released about the police’s case against the Prime Minister.

One of the more absurd elements of the case is that Yair Lapid, the arch-nemesis and political rival of the Prime Minister has now been revealed to be the police’s key witness. All along Bibi Netanyahu has insisted this is a political witch hunt.  Using the testimony of a political opportunist certainly confirms the Prime Minister’s viewpoint.

Remember, Case 1000 is about the Prime Minister accepting so-called “bribes” in the form of wine and cigars from his friend Arnon Milchan over a 8 year period.  In exchange, Bibi voted to shut down channel 10, costing Milchan his stake in the company.  That does not sound like the gifts influenced Bibi’s positions.  The only thing the police have been able to find is that Bibi helped Milchan get a visa.  Not such damning evidence of bribery.

Then there is Case 2000, which claims that a form of bribery took place between Bibi and Nuni Mozes, owner of leftist rag, Yediot Ahranot.  The claim is that Bibi was to exchange a vote in favor of curtailing Sheldon Adelson’s Israel HaYom if Yediot Ahranot would give the Prime Minister favorable coverage.  It’s true there is a recording of this conversation, but nothing came from it.  To be honest, the media has never played the entire recoding in its entirety, so we are without context.

If there is bribery in these two cases, the police would have to recommend indictments for both Milchan and Mozes, but until now there has been nothing.  This too furthers the suspicions that this is one giant witch hunt.




So why are the police doing this?  Ultimately the police in Israel has been in the pocket of the Deep State since the beginning of the state.  Remember, Israel’s Deep State differs from America’s as it is controlled by 18 oligarch families with fingers in everything.  Bibi has been the one politician that has been able to wrest control of most of the governing apparatus from the hands of these 18 families and in doing so created a long list of enemies.

It’s true that often times this falls along the right-left paradigm, but that is only because these 18 families lean heavily to the left, because they understand the right hs its own ethos.  Bibi as Prime Minister tends to be populist in his tone and in fact has done a lot to return the daily functioning of the country back to a broad swath of citizenry.  Israel is not perfect, but compared to where it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it is economically far more open.  Bibi has almost everything to do with these changes, both internally and abroad.

The recommendation to indict Bibi Netanyahu is the last gasp of a failing leftist and former socialist bureaucracy that is giving way to an Israel that is fast becoming a global powerhouse and a light to the world. One can carry a title of police chief or judge or investigator, but in this battle between truth and falsehood, these positions carry little weight if they are backed by a sinister agenda and bureacratic tyranny.  It is too early to know if Bibi can make it through this attempt to force a soft coup. If he does, expect a serious reforming of the police forces, which is long overdue.

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WAR IS COMING: Israel Moves More Air Defense Systems North

The first direct battle between Iran and Israel opened up the need for Jerusalem to move more missile defense systems north in preparation for what appears to be a fast approaching confrontation with Hezbollah, Iran, and Syria.

With no confirmation from the IDF, eye witnesses are reporting seeing a number of these missile batteries moving up north.  Considering the fast consolidation between proxies working with US and Russia, Israel can no longer assume Putin has an interest in following through on his prearrangements with Bibi.

The Prime Minister was clear on the seriousness of the security situation:

The White House is standing squarely behind Israel against Iran.




Meanwhile US Defense Secretary James Mattis said the following on the brewing conflict between Israel and Syria/Iran:

“Israel has an absolute right to defend itself, and I think that’s what happened yesterday,” he said in response to a question about Saturday’s military crisis, warning also about a growing Iranian influence in the region. 

“So when Syria, which has made no… excuse for what they’re doing alongside Iran, when they are providing throughout for Iran to give weapons, including more sophisticated weapons, to the Lebanese Hezbollah, Israel has an absolute right to defend themselves,” he stated.

“If you live in the region, there’s no doubt what Iran is doing.”

All of this points to a very real possibilty to a serious large scale conflict about to blow open. With the SDF pushing heavily back against Turkey in northern Syria as well as the US directly bombing Syrian regime soldiers, Hezbollah, and Russian mercenaries in eastern Syria, the conflict in Israel’s north must be seen in the larger context of moves being made between America and Russia.

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President Rivlin Visits Injured Pilot and Navigator

(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)

President Reuven Rivlin today, (Sunday) visited the pilot and navigator injured yesterday during an operation in the north of Israel, and who were being treated at Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

During his visit, the President visited the bedside of the combat pilot whose condition was graded as moderate, and met his family; his wife and infant son, and his parents.

The President sat and spoke at length with the navigator who was lightly injured and was due to be released from hospital later in the day. The President was accompanied on his visit by the hospital’s director and deputy director, Prof. Rafi Beyar and Dr. Mickey Halbertal, the doctor who operated on the pilot, Dr. Hany Bahouth, and head of ICU, Dr. Yaron Bar-Lavie.

The President thanked the pilot and navigator, and spoke with their families about the moments of anxiety, and the relief at their recovery.

Before departing, the President spoke with the media gathered at the hospital. He said, “I was pleased to see the two airmen together, and that each of them were recovering at a swift pace. This is an opportunity to thank Rambam hospital for their ability, and uncompromising dedication to care for our soldiers.”

He added, “Once again we saw our teams in operation after much training, and demonstrating their DNA of devotion to achieving the goal – not returning home until the mission is completed.   This is the most important value against our enemies. All those who wish us ill should know we will not allow them to disrupt the lives of the citizens of our country, and that we will not stand by in the face of those who seek to do so. My thanks go to all the security forces, and specifically to the air crews, for their uncompromising commitment.”

When asked on the involvement of Iran, the President said, “We constantly warn our friends in the world who think they can reach an arrangement with Iran. As far as we are concerned, we are not only talking about a nuclear danger, but also about a state that supports terrorism. We have Hizbullah in the north, we have Hamas in the south, and we have Iran behind them, and Israel will not stand by as Iran wishes us ill and says so outright. The Prime Minister was right yesterday, when he warned that everyone in the world, the powers and countries, know that we cannot accept Iran’s involvement here in our borders, at our gates.”

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PEACE PROCESS: Saudi Arabia Allows Air India Flights Bound for Israel to Use its Airspace

After a 70 year ban on commercial flights using its airspace to fly to Israel, Saudi Arabia has granted for the first time permission for Air India flights bound for Israel to be able to fly over the Kingdom.

The decision, which will be implemented in March, means that the flights from New Delhi to Tel Aviv would be shortened by two and a half hours. It also means cheaper tickets for passengers.

The move is credited to the growing alliance and working relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel. It is also a testament to the growing influence India has in the Middle East.  India’s upgraded partnership with Israel to that of a strategic alliance has shuffled reltionships across the Arab world.  Between Trump’s pushing and prodding and India’s PM Modi’s ripping up of the “Palestinian” narrative, the Crown Prince Muhammed Bin-Salman has found it necessary to begin forging ties with Israel.




The Saudi government had banned flights headed to Israel from using its airspace for 70 years. While it is no secret that private jets can fly from Saudi and other Gulf airports to Israel, they could not use the direct route and had to make a stop-over in Amman airport first.

The move by Saudi Arabia also confirms the Palestinian Authority’s worst fears that it is being pushed to the side in search for a real and lasting peace.  Afterall, in the eyes of many in the Arab world, the times have changed and no longer are the “Palestinian” a necessary component of Arab nationalism.  A smaller world has led to the realization that Israel is here to stay and furthermore can play an important roll in a Middle East that has moved byond sectarian tunnel vision.

Modi’s push for Air India to be able to fly over Saudi Arabia  to Israel is beyond Trump’s peace moves, but rather reflects a changing world where traditional indigenous powers have come of age. It also reelcts Israel’s diversification in relationships.

 

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Trump Administration Begins to Cut Off Iraq

The Obama administration’s policy of simply turning a blind eye on Iraq’s willingness to work with Iran while using American equipment seems to be on its way out under the Trump administration.

According to an unnamed source in the al-Ghad Press: “The American tank company [General Dynamics] withdrew from its position at Muthanna airport in Baghdad, after considering that Iraq is in violation of the contract with it, which states that the Iraqi army is the only side that’s authorized to use the Abrams.”

The squeeze is on and the beginning of the letting loose of America’s “allies” as they act as trojan horses for the growing Shiite menace is beginning.  Discussed here on Israel Rising was the great pivot Trump’ admnistration is undergoing towards placing its long term strategy for stablizing the Middle East under Kurdish and Israeli spheres of influence.

The move by General Dynamics is the beginning of this pivot.

With Iraq on its way out,  the assumption is that the KRG in Iraq will be back as a real alternative to past US allies.