Dec. 14: Lapid accuses Levin of ‘engaging in criminal blackmail’ against High Court

In effective ultimatum, Levin tells court to accept his plan for appointing next chief

Shortly after his previous statement threatening to revive the judicial overhaul, Justice Minister Yariv Levin issues an effective ultimatum for the Supreme Court to take up a proposal he floated in August for choosing its next chief justice, which the court’s then-interim president rejected.

“The fair compromise proposal that I offered the judges is still on the table,” he says. “I once again emphasize what I’ve said the entire way — the way of consent and dialogue is and remains the best and most preferable. At the same time, there will be no acceptance of unilateral diktats that trample the majority of the people.”

If accepted at the time, Levin’s proposal would have delayed now interim Supreme Court President Isaac Amit’s ascension to the post, as the justice minister viewed him as too liberal, with Levin instead calling for conservative Justice Yosef Elron to first serve as the court’s top judge for a year before Amit, who would then serve another year.

Lapid accuses Levin of ‘engaging in criminal blackmail’ against High Court

Responding to Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s apparent threat to revive the government’s frozen judicial overhaul program, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid accuses the senior Likud politician of seeking to undermine Israeli democracy.

“Yariv Levin has offered nothing but destruction and devastation. As usual, he is engaging in criminal blackmail with threats to bring people who want to crush Israeli democracy into the High Court,” Lapid tweets.

The opposition won a majority on the Judicial Selection Committee “because even Levin’s coalition members recoil from his blatant destructiveness,” he states — arguing that because he would not win a vote in the committee in favor of his preferred candidate, Levin is “suddenly not in favor of ‘the will of the majority’ but is trying to take revenge on the entire system.”

“Our plans are to win these elections and repeal all the anti-democratic laws that this government is currently enacting, down to the last one. We will leave nothing of his coup d’état behind,” Lapid says.

Left us no choice: Levin seems to threaten resumption of judicial overhaul push

Justice Minister Yariv Levin attends a plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, in Jerusalem on November 6, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In an extended attack on the High Court posted to Facebook, Justice Minister Yariv Levin appears to threaten the revival of the government’s frozen judicial overhaul program.

“Immediately after the outbreak of the war, the coalition announced the freezing of all engagement with legal reform. At the time, I thought it was wrong to engage in controversial issues when the country was in a multi-front war,” Levin states.

However, the High Court has “effectively stripped me of the authority granted to me by law to set the agenda of the Judicial Selection Committee,” he claims, condemning the court’s recent ruling that he must hold a vote for a new chief justice by January 16.

Levin charges that since October 7, the court has “took over the powers of the Knesset” by striking down the government’s reasonableness limitation law — a key piece of judicial overhaul legislation — and issuing rulings related to the conditions of Palestinian prisoners and the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“The government acted responsibly and with the outbreak of the war suspended all engagement in reform. The court, with the utmost irresponsibility, decided to take advantage of this to continue to take over the powers of the Knesset and the government,” he continues, arguing that the government has “no choice at this time but to act to order to restore its powers.”

“They left us no choice. It cannot continue like this. We also have rights,” he declares.

NGO reports police wrongfully detained 5 residents of razed Bedouin village

Police demolish a mosque in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev on November 14, 2024 (The Regional Council for the Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev)

The Regional Council for Unrecognized Bedouin Villages in the Negev says five residents of Umm al-Hiran, which was razed last month, have been arrested over the past two weeks for allegedly damaging equipment being used to build a new Orthodox Jewish community on the site where their village stood.

The Council calls the allegations baseless and quotes the suspects as saying they did not set foot on the site. Police do not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One of those arrested is Salim Abu al-Qia’an, 67, a co-founder of the village’s local council. The regional council — a non-profit that advocates for impoverished communities — says police held him for six days, starting last Thursday, before releasing him to house arrest due to a medical condition.

According to a lawyer for the council, the arrest of the five suspects, all from the Abu al-Qia’an tribe, is meant to deter them from pressing for negotiations to find alternative housing for Umm al-Hiran’s roughly 300 displaced former residents. The council says the suspects want only to find a solution for the residents, not stop the construction of the new Jewish community.

The council accuses authorities of failing to honor a 2018 agreement between Umm al-Hiran and the Israel Land Authority that would provide the displaced residents, including about 100 children, new housing in the nearby Bedouin township of Hura.

Ex-hostage whose husband is held in Gaza urges deal that brings back all the captives

Israelis attend a rally calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, December 14, 2024.(Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Hundreds of people attend the Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s weekly rally at Hostages Square, amid recent indications that the government could sign a deal to bring back “humanitarian” hostages, namely those who are elderly, sick or female.

The forum has demanded that any deal bring back all the hostages at once, saying that after more than 400 days in captivity they are all humanitarian cases.

Former hostage Sharon Alony Cunio, whose husband David Cunio is still in Gaza, says Israel “must not aim for a partial deal — a deal that sentences those left behind to death.”

“A partial deal is a hole in the heart of this country,” she says. “A partial deal says we are willing to abandon David and all the other men there.”

“They are no less important, no less human,” she adds.

She says being separated from her husband during last November’s truce-hostage deal was “the hardest moment of my life.”

“David looked me in the eye and said in his most frightened voice: ‘Sharon, don’t give up on me, fight for me,'” she says. “I promised him then, and I promise him now.”

Itzik Horn, father of hostages Yair and Eitan, rails against ministers who have opposed a hostage deal as a “surrender agreement.”

“It’s easy to say that when your children are sitting around the table with you,” he says. “My children have been languishing for 14 months in Gaza’s tunnels.”

“Anything that doesn’t bring them home now is a surrender,” he adds.

Noting next week’s celebration of Hanukkah, he continues: “I don’t want a miracle. I want the State of Israel, which abandoned its citizens on October 7 and has continued abandoning them for more than 14 months, to get back to its senses and fulfill its first and foremost moral duty — to bring its citizens home now.”

The Hostages Square rally takes place as a more adversarial protest rages outside the IDF headquarters on Begin Road, a block away.

Ahead of that protest, some 1,000 anti-government protesters crammed into the Begin-Kaplan junction, also known as Democracy Square.

No fewer than three stages were set up there, with speakers perorating against the government in tandem, each with their own take on how it is ruining democracy.

At one stage, set up by a group registering volunteers to engage in non-violent civil disobedience in the future, a speaker said those signing up will be given a place to sit and disrupt traffic, possibly for days on end, at a moment’s notice. He estimates such a moment will occur if, or when, the government ousts Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara or Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

The anti-government protesters cleared out of the vital junction at 8 p.m. to join the hostage families outside the IDF headquarters.

Video shows Syrian rebel chief telling woman to cover her hair, raising questions over nature of new regime

In a video, Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who spearheaded the overthrow of the Assad regime, asks a woman to cover her hair before posing for a picture next to him.

The undated video, which has been circulating on social media over the past day, raises questions about the nature of the new regime in Syria and whether it will respect the rights of women and religious minorities.

Al-Sharaa, better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, publicly claimed in 2016 to break with al-Qaeda, which his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group is rooted in.

In 2015, he declared in an interview with Al Jazeera that if his rebels ever managed to take over Syria, he would impose Sharia law over the country. In that interview, he said he would force members of the Alawite and Druze minorities to convert to Islam, but Christians would be allowed to continue practicing their religion if they paid a tax.

While he recently said in an interview with CNN that he has abandoned his radical ideology, and some have touted him as a pragmatist who will focus on rebuilding Syria as a pluralistic country, questions remain on whether his government will respect the rights of women and minorities.

Red Flag — New #Syria ruler Ahmed Sharaa signals to a woman to cover her hair.
If the revolution was not about liberty, it was not worth all the sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/rGUSV6wJRX

— Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) December 13, 2024

Isak Andic, who founded Spanish fashion brand Mango, dies in accident

FILE - Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, arrives at the Fall-Winter 2011 Mango's fashion show in Paris, May 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

BARCELONA, Spain — Isak Andic, the founder of Spanish fashion brand Mango, has died after suffering an accident, the company says. He was 71.

“It is with deep regret that we announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive chairman and founder of Mango, in an accident that occurred this Saturday,” Mango CEO Toni Ruiz says in a statement, without providing details.

Spanish news agency EFE and other media outlets, including La Vanguardia newspaper, say Andic died following a fall while hiking near Barcelona.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pays tribute to Andic on social media, lauding his “hard work and business vision that transformed a Spanish brand into a global fashion leader.”

Andic’s Sephardic Jewish family moved from Turkey to Spain when he was young. He opened Mango’s first store in Barcelona in 1984 and over the following decades helped Mango grow into one of Europe’s leading fast fashion makers.

Mango has 2,700 stores in 120 markets around the world. It set a company record of 3.1 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in sales in 2023. It is currently expanding in the US and plans to have 65 stores there by the end of 2025.

Iran arrests singer after she performed virtually without a hijab

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian authorities have arrested a female singer who performed a virtual concert on YouTube, a lawyer says.

Milad Panahipour, an Iranian lawyer, says Parastoo Ahmady, 27, was arrested today in Sari City, the capital of the northern province of Mazandaran.

On Thursday, the judiciary had filed a case regarding Ahmady’s concert performance, in which she performed in a long black sleeveless and collarless dress, but no hijab. She was accompanied by four male musicians.

Ahmady had posted her concert on YouTube the day before, saying: “I am Parastoo, a girl who wants to sing for the people I love. This is a right I could not ignore; singing for the land I love passionately.”

The online concert has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.

Panahipour tells The Associated Press: “Unfortunately, we do not know the charges against Ms. Ahmady, who arrested her, or her place of detention, but we will follow up on the matter through legal authorities.”

He also says two musicians in Ahmady’s band — Soheil Faghih Nasiri and Ehsan Beiraghdar — were arrested in Tehran today.

Hostage mom to Netanyahu: I’ll be your ‘worst nightmare’ if my son isn’t returned alive

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 14, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Some 2,000 people gather outside the IDF headquarters on Tel Aviv’s Begin Road to rail against the government and demand a hostage deal, as the Hostages and Missing Families Families Forum holds its more staid weekly rally a block away at Hostages Square.

Speaking into a megaphone at the entrance to the army base, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of purposely derailing negotiations, saying she will be his “worst nightmare” should he fail to bring her son back alive.

“I know from talks with officials in the negotiations that you have no intent to being back Matan, that you lied to me,” she says. “That you have no intent to end the war in return for a comprehensive deal.”

“You said you are committed to bring back everyone, but you are planning to bring only a few home and kill the rest with military pressure,” she charges.

“I’m not threatening, I’m letting you know: you will have no forgiveness, no clemency,” Zangauker continues. “I, personally, will chase you if my Matan comes home in a body bag. I will be your worst nightmare.”

“Ben Gvir and Smotrich have made you into a rag, but I know how to handle rags like you,” she says.

Yifat Calderon, cousin of hostage Ofer Calderon, speaks before Zangauker, assailing the premier for alleging his wife and spokesman are being mistreated.

“Stop messing with the public’s head,” she says. “The victims are those who were murdered, raped and kidnapped on October 7.”

Lapid says government has no standing to criticize ex-prosecutor on ‘crossing a red line’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid attends a conference held by the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem on November 20, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet over their harsh condemnations of former state attorney Moshe Lador, who earlier today called for Israeli Air Force pilots to stop volunteering for reserve duty if the government resumes its controversial judicial overhaul plan.

While he “completely condemns” Lador’s comments, the “festival of condemnations…would have been more credible if this government had not forcibly dragged us back to October 6 and the days of the legal coup that brought us to the greatest disaster in our history,” Lapid declares.

“Is the government of disasters talking about crossing a red line? It crosses every possible red line every day,” he declares — adding that “of course, I am against all insubordination and evasion.”

Levin demands AG immediately order probe into ex-prosecutor’s remarks on volunteer reserve pilots

Justice Minister Yariv Levin speaks at a Knesset plenum session, December 4, 2024. (Chaim Goldbergl/Flash90)

Writing to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Justice Minister Yariv Levin demands that she open an investigation into former state attorney Moshe Lador over his declaration that IAF pilots should stop volunteering for reserve duty if the government resumes its controversial judicial overhaul plan.

Critics have pointed to several controversial initiatives by the coalition — including moves to allow the Knesset to appoint the state ombudsman for judges, fire ministerial legal advisers, and allow the justice minister to determine bar association membership dues — as evidence that it seeks to revive the judicial overhaul agenda frozen after the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

In a letter to the attorney general, Levin states that “calling for insubordination, during normal times and even more so in times of war, is a clear and serious violation of the law,” and therefore demands she “immediately order the opening of an investigation” into the matter.

Levin’s letter follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public appeal to Baharav-Miara “to take immediate action.”

Footage shows settlers throwing Molotov cocktails while attacking Palestinian village

Settlers from the illegal outpost of Givat Ronen raided the nearby Palestinian village of Burin in the northern West Bank, hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at residents and their property, footage shows.

A 68-year-old woman was also injured in the attack, according to Palestinian media.

The IDF arrived at the scene, but made no arrests, instead ordering local Palestinians to return to their homes, according to the left-wing Israeli activist group Looking at the Occupation in the Eye.

While settler attacks have become exceedingly common over the past year, arrests in such cases are rare which has led Western countries to begin sanctioning violent extremists.

🚨A video shows Israeli settler terrorists hurling Molotov cocktails at a Palestinian home in the village of Burin, Nablus, in the West Bank this evening, deliberately trying to engulf it in flames and burn the people inside alive. pic.twitter.com/Git8OJSF0O

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) December 14, 2024

Burin, (بورين), Nablus Governorate.
Today, the regular Shabbat ritual: Settlers arrive from Givaat Ronen and throw stones and Molotov cocktails at the home of a local family. The army arrives, scolds the homeowners, and urges them to come inside. The settlers have returned to… pic.twitter.com/MthUqGyjg0

— מסתכלים לכיבוש בעיניים (@Mistaclim) December 14, 2024

PM calls on AG to probe ex-prosecutor for saying pilots shouldn’t volunteer if overhaul advanced

Both coalition and opposition politicians issue strong condemnations of former state attorney Moshe Lador after he declares that IAF pilots should stop volunteering for reserve duty if the government resumes its controversial judicial overhaul plan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states that Lador’s words deserve condemnation “from all ends of the political spectrum.”

Netanyahu calls on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara “to take immediate action against this dangerous phenomenon,” saying that advocating for insubordination during wartime crosses a “red line that endangers democracy and undermines our future.”

Similarly, Defense Minister Israel Katz argues that Lador’s rhetoric “harms the security of the state” and that insubordination “cannot be accepted under any circumstances.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi goes as far as to claim Lador “wants to bring another October 7 upon us” and says that he should be arrested and questioned to set an example.

Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf tweets out a section of the Israel Defense Service Law prohibiting the solicitation of desertion.

Former IDF chief of staff and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who now heads the opposition National Unity party, argues that threatening insubordination “takes us back to October 6” and that such behavior ought to remain “out of bounds.”

In a statement, current IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi says that the IDF “must remain outside of any political controversy,” especially amid a fraught period for Israeli national security.

Netanyahu slams Hamas propaganda videos as ‘brutal and evil psychological terror’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounces the “brutal and evil psychological terror” of Hamas after the Palestinian terror group released a number of videos relating to the hostages in Gaza.

Netanyahu says he’s “in constant contact with the hostage families, who are living through a terrible and ongoing nightmare.”

“Whoever harms our hostages will have blood on his head,” adds the premier, while vowing to keep working for the return of all the captives.

Herzog leads condemnations of ex-prosecutor who said pilots should stop volunteering if overhaul revived

President Isaac Herzog issues a statement denouncing former state attorney Moshe Lador for saying IAF pilots should stop volunteering for reserve duty if the government advances plans to curb the judiciary’s independence.

“I forcefully condemn any call to insubordination or not to volunteer,” Herzog says and warns “We cannot return to the divisive and dangerous discourse that proceeded October 7.”

“We have one country and one army that must remain above any political divide.”

Several coalition members also denounce Lador, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who calls his remarks “irresponsible and worthy of unequivocal condemnation.”

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also weighs in, saying “insubordination in IDF service is never legitimate.”

Visiting Golan, IDF chief says Israel ‘not interfering with what’s happening in Syria’

This handout photo from the IDF shows Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (center) meeting with troops stationed in the Golan Heights, December 14, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Visiting Israeli troops in the Syrian Golan Heights, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi declares “We are not interfering with what’s happening in Syria.”

“There was an enemy country here. Its army collapsed,” Halevi says in a video released by the IDF, referring to the deposed Assad regime. “There is a threat that terror elements will reach here and we advanced so… extreme terror elements won’t settle close to the border with us.”

While stressing Israel “has no intention of managing Syria,” Halevi states the military “is unequivocally interfering” when it comes to ensuring the security of Israeli citizens with the IDF’s preparations along the Syrian border.

Hezbollah chief says supply route through Syria severed since Assad’s fall; hopes rebels won’t have ties with Israel

An image grab taken from Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV on November 29, 2024, shows Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem delivering a televised speech from an undisclosed location. (Al-Manar / AFP)

BEIRUT — Hezbollah head Naim Qassem says the Lebanese terror group has lost its supply route through Syria following the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad nearly a week ago by a sweeping rebel offensive.

Qassem doesn’t mention Assad by name and says the group cannot make a judgment on Syria’s new ruling power until the country stabilizes.

The Hezbollah chief also says Syria’s new rulers should not recognize neighboring Israel or establish ties with it.

“We hope that this new party in power will see Israel as an enemy and not normalize relations with it,” Qassem says in a televised speech, his first since was toppled Assad following an offensive launched on November 27, the same day that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect.

Brother of hostage urges Trump to ‘not let up on Netanyahu’ while pushing for deal

Danny Elgarat, whose brother Itzik Elgarat is held hostage by the Hamas terror group in Gaza, addresses protesters on Tel Aviv's Begin Road, calling for a deal to secure the release of Hamas's hostages, October 26, 2024. (Yoram Shpirer/Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

The brother of Itzik Elgarat, who was taken captive into Gaza during Hamas’s October 2023 terror onslaught in southern Israel, urges US President-elect Donald Trump to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a hostage-ceasefire deal.

“We believe in your strength to quickly bring about a deal. Don’t let up on Netanyahu, demand a comprehensive deal from him that will return everyone and end the war,” Danny Elgarat says alongside other hostage families during their weekly press appearance outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.

Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held hostage in Gaza, decries “political considerations” that she says are impacting the hostage negotiations.

“Because of the political considerations negotiations are being held on a partial deal and not a comprehensive deal,” she says, while bashing far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir for “pushing for the establishment of settlements in Gaza and not being ready to end the war.”

IDF says Gaza rocket that triggered sirens struck empty field in south

One rocket launched from the central Gaza Strip struck an open area in southern Israel, the military says.

Sirens had sounded in the border communities of Nirim, Ein HaShlosha amid the attack.

There are no injuries.

FMs of Egypt and Jordan demand Israel withdraw from DMZ along Syrian border

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan demand that Israel pull out of a demilitarized zone along the border with Syria.

They are speaking at a joint press conference in Jordan.

Blinken reveals US in ‘direct contact’ with leading Syrian rebel group despite terror designation

AQABA, Jordan — The United States has made “direct contact” with Syria’s victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels despite designating the group as terrorists, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says.

“We’ve been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken tells reporters after talks on Syria in Jordan, without specifying how it took place.

Rocket warning sirens sound in kibbutzim along Gaza border

Incoming rocket sirens sound in a pair of kibbutzim near the border with Gaza.

UK think tank says Hamas death toll appears to include Gazans who died of natural causes

The Hamas-run health ministry’s death toll for the Gaza war appears to include some 5,000 Palestinians who in fact died of natural causes, including cancer patients who later appeared on a list of those receiving continued medical care, according to a new report by a British think tank.

The Henry Jackson Society also found that most of the reported fatalities were men between the ages of 15-45, with many of their ages’ lowered by a year in an apparent effort to make it seem that more minors are being killed, the Telegraph said in a report on the research.

The think tank says the toll also includes Gazans killed by terrorists’ errant rocket or while food aid is being distributed, including in the latter case of a 17-year-old who was reportedly shot dead by Hamas last December while waiting to get food for his family.

IDF says threats from ‘northern front and Iran’ were a key focus of Halevi’s talks with US general

United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi hold an assessment at the IDF HQ in Tel Aviv, December 13, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

United States CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, who arrived in Israel earlier this week, held an assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on Friday, the Israeli military says.

The IDF says the assessment focused on “security-strategic issues as part of the response to threats in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the northern front and Iran.”

The two discussed “the latest operational events and possible scenarios on the northern front, to ensure joint readiness for any development,” the military adds.

Army releases video showing Hamas abusing inmates at Gaza City prison

The IDF releases new security camera footage it says was recovered at a Hamas prison in Gaza City’s upscale Rimal neighborhood, where members of the Palestinian terror group’s internal security forces can be seen abusing prisoners.

In the video, the Hamas operatives can be seen escorting a blindfolded prisoner on his knees into the facility, before throwing him down a set of stairs and violently beating him.

The clip separately shows a prisoner lying on the ground in a small cell that’s not much larger than his body, with the military saying he was being held in a suffocating room while in solitary confinement.

“Hamas attempts to distance itself from the Assad regime and the atrocities exposed in Syrian prisons, but the footage and previous revelations about Hamas’ torture investigations leave no room for doubt—Hamas is equally ruthless,” a statement from the IDF says. “The cruelty of Hamas prison guards exposed in this footage can no longer be hidden or denied. These harrowing videos are a stark reminder of the merciless abuse, oppression, and human rights violations inflicted on Gaza’s residents by the Hamas regime.”

צה"ל חושף תיעוד חדש מכלא העינויים של חמאס: פעילי הארגון מענים עצורים פלסטינים בכלא אל-כתיבה בעיר עזה; דובר צה''ל בערבית: "חמאס לא פחות אכזרי ממשטר אסד"@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/QPQA4E1vKt

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) December 14, 2024

IDF says Gaza mayor killed in airstrike was a member of Hamas military wing

An IDF airstrike earlier today in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the central Gaza Strip killed Diab Emad Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Jaro, the mayor of Deir al-Balah, who is accused of being a member of the military wing of Hamas.

According to the IDF and Shin Bet, al-Jaro “actively participated in the operations of Hamas’s government in the Deir al Balah area, maintained continuous contact with officials in Hamas’s military wing, and provided them with combat assistance against IDF troops.”

He was the mayor of Deir al Balah, head of the Hamas-run Emergency Committee in central Gaza, and responsible for Hamas’s political activity in the area, as well as various government offices, the military says.

Al-Jaro was targeted while at the Deir al Balah municipality building. The IDF says the building, in the humanitarian zone, was being used by Hamas operatives to plan and carry out attacks against troops in Gaza and against Israel.

The IDF says it took steps to mitigate harm to civilians in the strike, including using precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Palestinian media report at least 11 dead in the strike.

“Hamas continues to abuse civilian and humanitarian infrastructure for its terrorist activities, in violation of international law,” the military adds.

♦️عاجل| استشهاد رئيس بلدية دير البلح المهندس دياب الجرو بقصف صهيوني استهدف مبنى البلدية في #دير_البلح. pic.twitter.com/6CGUq0ZSUG

— قدس فيد (@quds_feed) December 14, 2024

Rebel leader: Israel has ‘no more excuses’ to strike, Syria won’t be dragged into war

Abu Mohammed al-Golani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, December 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that spearheaded the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime, declares that Israel has “no more excuses” to carry out airstrikes in Syria.

In an interview with the Syrian TV news channel, Al-Sharaa talks about Israel for the first time since the fall of Assad, saying that the recent IDF attacks on Syrian soil have crossed red lines and threatened an unjustified escalation in the region. During a major air bombing campaign this past week, the IDF struck over 350 targets in Syria to take out strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria, to prevent the former regime’s advanced weaponry from falling into hostile hands.

Without explicitly mentioning Israel, Al-Sharaa — who his better known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani — implies that under his leadership, Syria will not attack the Jewish state. He says that at this stage Syria will not be dragged into conflicts that may lead to further destruction, with reconstruction and stability the main priorities.

He adds that Iran’s presence in Syria posed a great danger to Syria itself, to neighboring countries and the Gulf. “We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria, but we are not enemies of the Iranian people.”

Senior UAE official stresses concerns over Syrian rebels’ Islamist ties, slams Israeli strikes

The diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates president, Anwar Gargash, arrives to attend the opening ceremony of the summit on peace in Ukraine, at the luxury Burgenstock resort, near Lucerne, Switzlernand, on June 15, 2024. (Denis Balibouse/Pool/AFP)

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A senior UAE official says that his government has concerns about the Islamist affiliation of the forces that ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

“We hear some reasonable, rational language about unity, not imposing a system on all Syrians” from the country’s new rulers, says Anwar Gargash, a presidential adviser in the United Arab Emirates, in remarks at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi.

But “the nature of the new forces, the affiliation with the [Muslim] Brotherhood, the affiliation with Al-Qaeda, I think these are all indicators that are quite worrying,” he says.

“We have to be optimistic on the one hand and help Syrians… but at the same time we can’t ignore the region has seen episodes like this before, so we need to be on guard,” adds Gargash, citing the “brutal adventures” of the Islamic State group over the past decade in both Syria and Iraq.

Islamist-led rebel forces toppled Assad on Sunday following a lightning offensive that ended his family’s five-decade rule and capped nearly 14 years of civil war.

The offensive was spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in al-Qaeda’s Syria branch and is designated a terrorist organization by many Western governments, but has sought to moderate its rhetoric.

A transitional government installed by the HTS-led forces has insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.

The presidential adviser also condemns a wave of Israeli airstrikes on strategic military sites in Syria.

“Using the crisis in Syria to structurally degrade Syrian capabilities might be seen a sensible thing from an Israeli practical point of view, but I think it’s dumb politics,” Gargash says.

“This is a new Syria that is creating itself,” he says, arguing that Israel “should have sent a different message. I don’t say a message of peace, because we are not there yet, but I think a different message.”

Syrian sources say Russia withdrawing from front lines but will remain at main Syria bases

Russian fighter jets on the tarmac at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, February 16, 2016. (AFP/Stringer)

TARTUS — Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in the country after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, four Syrian officials tell Reuters.

The ousting of Assad, who along with his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, had forged a close alliance with Moscow, has thrown the future of Russia’s bases – the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartus naval facility – into question.

Satellite footage from Friday shows what appeared to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, among the world’s largest cargo planes, at the Hmeimim base with their nose cones open, apparently preparing to load up.

At least one cargo plane flew out today for Libya, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility says.

Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians tell Reuters that Moscow is pulling back its forces from the front lines and withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior Syrian officers.

But the sources, who speak on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, say Russia is not pulling out of its two main bases and currently has no intention of doing so.

Some equipment is being shipped back to Moscow as are very senior officers from Assad’s military but the aim at this stage is to regroup and redeploy as dictated by developments on the ground, a senior Syrian army officer in touch with the Russian military tells Reuters.

A senior rebel official close to the new interim administration tells Reuters the issue of the Russian military presence in Syria and past agreements between the Assad government and Moscow are not under discussion.

“It is a matter for future talks and the Syrian people will have the final say,” says the official, adding that Moscow had set up communication channels.

“Our forces are also now in close vicinity of the Russian bases in Latakia,” he adds without elaborating.

IDF says video purporting to show Chabad delegation in Syria likely filmed in Israel

After a video shared online showed a group of members of the Chabad movement claiming to have entered Syria this week, the military tells The Times of Israel that it believes the clip was filmed in Israel.

“The incident was investigated by the relevant authorities and there is no known crossing of the border by those filmed,” the IDF Spokespersons Unit says in response to a query.

A military source says the IDF was unable to verify that the clip was actually filmed in Syria, and that the Chabad members had filed a request to enter Syria which was denied by the army.

The IDF had taken up forward positions inside a buffer zone in Syrian territory last week following the fall of the Assad regime. The area is a closed military zone and civilians are not permitted to enter.

הדפסת ולימוד ספר התניא בבית חב"ד החדש בכפר חדר שבחבל הבשן (סוריה) המשוחרר.
זו ארצנו כולה! לכבוש וליישב!! pic.twitter.com/hyck0n36Vm

— עמישב מלט (@amishav_) December 11, 2024

Georgia lawmakers elect hardline critic of West as new president amid major anti-government protests

Mikheil Kavelashvili (L) is congratulated by lawmakers after being elected as Georgian's new president at the parliament in Tbilisi on December 14, 2024. (Vano Shlamov/AFP)

TBILISI (Reuters) – Georgian lawmakers elect Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, as president, setting him up to replace a pro-Western incumbent amid major protests against the government over a halt to the country’s European Union accession talks last month.

The ruling Georgian Dream party’s move to freeze the EU accession process until 2028, abruptly halting a long-standing national goal that is written into the country’s constitution, has provoked widespread anger in Georgia, where opinion polls show that seeking EU membership is overwhelmingly popular.

Kavelashvili, a former professional soccer player, has strongly anti-Western, often conspiratorial views. In public speeches this year, he has repeatedly alleged that Western intelligence agencies are seeking to drive Georgia into war with Russia, which ruled Georgia for 200 years until 1991.

Hundreds of protesters gather in light snowfall outside parliament ahead of the presidential vote. Some play soccer in the street outside and wave red cards at the parliament building, a mocking reference to Kavelashvili’s sporting career.

Georgian presidents are picked by a college of electors composed of MPs and representatives of local government. Of 225 electors present, 224 vote for Kavelashvili, who was the only candidate nominated.

All opposition parties have boycotted parliament since an October election in which official results gave Georgian Dream almost 54 percent of the vote, but which the opposition says was fraudulent.

Former state attorney says IAF pilots should stop volunteering for reserve duty if judicial overhaul resumes

Former state attorney Moshe Lador attends a conference at the Knesset on December 11, 2019 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Former state attorney Moshe Lador says IAF pilots should stop volunteering for reserve duty if the government resumes its controversial judicial overhaul plan, according to Channel 13 news.

Speaking at an event in Beersheba, Lador believes refusing volunteer reserves duty is “a legitimate tool” to prevent the country from “turning from a democracy into a dictatorship.”

Lador was a vocal opponent of the radical reform agenda amid mass protests against it in 2023 before war erupted in Gaza with Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

At the time, hundreds of reservists signed a declaration announcing that they would no longer show up for volunteer reserve duty in protest of the government advancing its plans to overhaul the judiciary.

Blinken meets regional foreign ministers, EU, UN officials in Jordan to discuss new leadership in Syria

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, left, speaks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba, December 14, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP)

AQABA, Jordan — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says broad consensus exists among regional partners that Syria’s new government must be inclusive, respect women and minority rights, reject terrorism, and secure and destroy suspected Assad-era chemical weapons stockpiles.

Blinken is wrapping up a three-country regional tour in Aqaba after visiting Iraq, Turkey and Jordan once already this week.

The US is also making a renewed push for a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza.

His comments come during a meeting of some 12 foreign ministers and senior officials from the European Union and United Nations gathered in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to try to forge consensus on what new leadership in Syria should prioritize. No Syrian representatives are set to attend, however.

Earlier this morning in a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson, Blinken said he expected to talk about the challenges ahead for Syria and “our determination to work together to support a Syrian-led transition where the United Nations plays a critical role, particularly when it comes to the provision of assistance, to the protection of minorities.”

Pederson agreed, saying: “What is so critical in Syria is that we see a credible and inclusive political process that brings together all communities in Syria. And the second point is that we need to make sure that state institutions do not collapse, and that we get in humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible. And if we can achieve that, perhaps there is a new opportunity for the Syrian people.”

In announcing today’s meetings, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said the ministers would “discuss ways to support a comprehensive political process led by Syrians to achieve a transitional process,” which “ensures the reconstruction of Syrian state institutions, and preserves Syria’s unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty, security, stability, and the rights of all its citizens.”

Gilad Vital Shimon of Israeli music group Shotei Hanevuah dies in motorcycle accident in Sharon region

Israeli musician Gilad Vital Shimon, 54, was killed in a motorcycle accident yesterday in the Sharon region. He leaves behind his wife and son.

His wife Natalie is quoted eulogizing him by Hebrew media: “My beloved husband went out for his last motorcycle ride and will never return. Go in peace, my beloved, thank you for the time we had together.”

Vital Shimon was one of the founding members of the popular Israeli band Shotei Hanevuah. He was a singer, songwriter and producer.

עוד בשורה עצובה הבוקר: המוזיקאי והזמר גלעד ויטל, לשעבר חבר בלהקת "שוטי הנבואה" ומי שהתפרסם גם בשיר "חלום של כל גבר" של סאבלימינל, נהרג בתאונת אופנוע בגיל 54 ????

יהי זכרו ברוך ????

(הצילום מתוך דף הפייסבוק של ויטל) pic.twitter.com/ShVpmRGGAT

— הקופסה ???? (@Hakufsah) December 14, 2024

Israel said to reject release of Marwan Barghouti in hostage deal as Egyptian, US officials meet in Cairo

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi discusses efforts to reach a hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Sissi’s office says.

The officials who met Sissi in Cairo include US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk, it says.

The statement comes as Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar quotes an unnamed Egyptian official as saying that Israel has objected to some of the names of Palestinian security prisoners requests for release in exchange for hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, including popular Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.

Barghouti is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in planning three terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada.

Fatah terror chief Marwan Barghouti, serving five life terms for murder during the Second Intifada, is escorted by Israeli police into Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court to testify as part of a US civil lawsuit against the Palestinian leadership, in January 2012. (Flash90)

“Israel has a vision of alternative lists of Palestinian prisoners, including people who were recently arrested, which could delay the drafting of the agreement,” the Egyptian source is quoted as saying.

The source adds that Israel has requested that some of the Palestinian security prisoners be sent abroad instead of to the West Bank or Gaza, “which may be accepted by the mediators as a compromise to end this new obstacle.”

Report: Israel trying to gather intel on burial places in Syria of famous spy Eli Cohen, missing IDF soldiers

This undated photo shows Israeli spy Eli Cohen, in Syria, wearing a wristwatch recovered by the Mossad in 2018. (Prime Minister's Office)

Israeli authorities are taking advantage of the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria to attempt to find the burial place in Syria of legendary spy Eli Cohen, according to a Lebanese media report citing diplomatic sources.

Cohen was caught by Syria in 1965 and hanged in Damascus.

The Hezbollah-aligned paper says Israel has initiated contacts both inside Syria and abroad to try to find information on where the agent is buried.

Renewed Israeli efforts to locate the bodies of IDF soldiers Tzvi Feldman and Yehuda Katz, who were both declared missing after the Battle of Sultan Yacoub with Syrian forces in Lebanon in 1982, have also been launched, according to the report.

In February 2021, it was reported that Russia, in cooperation with Syrian authorities and under Israeli pressure, was searching the area of the Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Damascus for Cohen’s body in order to transfer it to Israel.

The following month, an object believed to have belonged to Cohen was reportedly transferred to Israel. Quoting an unnamed Syrian government source, Israeli reports said at the time that the item could be a document or an article of Cohen’s clothing.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied the reports at the time, and it remains unknown whether such an object actually existed.

IDF: Rocket fire at southern Israel last night originated near Gaza aid warehouses

Last night’s rocket fire from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel was carried out from close to humanitarian aid warehouses, the military says.

According to the IDF, the rocket launchers used to fire the two projectiles toward Ashkelon were positioned some 50 meters from warehouses used by international aid organizations operating in Gaza.

Overnight, Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes in the area, targeting weapons depots and terror operatives, the military says.

The IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area before launching the strikes.

https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1867887502264295747?s=19

Iran atomic organization says it won’t impede IAEA access to nuclear sites

File - A national flag of Iran waves in front of the building of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 17, 2021 (AP Photo/Michael Gruber, File)

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization says it won’t impede the UN nuclear watchdog’s access and inspection of its sites.

According to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier this week, Iran has agreed to tougher monitoring by the agency at its Fordow site after it greatly accelerated uranium enrichment to close to weapons-grade there.

Last week, the IAEA reported that Iran had multiplied the pace of its enrichment up to 60 percent purity, close to the 90% of weapons-grade, at Fordow.

“We have not created and will not create any obstacles for the agency’s inspections and access,” Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami is quoted as saying by Iranian media.

“We operate within the framework of safeguards, and the agency also acts according to regulations—no more, no less,” he adds.

IAF strikes in southern Lebanon target several primed rocket launchers aimed at Israel — military

The Israeli Air Force carried out drone strikes against several primed rocket launchers in southern Lebanon this morning, the military says.

The IDF says that the launchers were aimed at Israel, and were a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקף משגרים טעונים ומוכנים לשיגור שכוונו לשטח הארץ, תוך הפרת ההבנות בין ישראל ללבנון.

צה״ל ממשיך להיות מחויב להבנות שהתקבלו בנוגע להפסקת האש בלבנון, פרוס במרחב דרום לבנון ויפעל להסרת כל איום על מדינת ישראל ואזרחיה pic.twitter.com/3N8io7P962

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 14, 2024

Russian cargo plane seen departing Syria for Libya; official says more flights expected

An aerial photo shows military vehicles parked outside a building, reportedly used by the Russian Army, in the in the Syrian town of Al-Bassah in the Latakia province on December 12, 2024. (Aaref Watad/AFP)

LATAKIA, Syria  – A Russian cargo plane departed from Russia’s air base in the Syrian port city of Latakia for Libya today, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility says, following rebels’ overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last weekend.

The official tells Reuters that additional Russian departures from the Hmeimim air base in Syria’s coastal Latakia province are expected in the coming days.

Increased activity has been observed at the air base throughout the day. In addition to the departing cargo plane, an Ilyushin II-76 cargo plane and an Alligator helicopter have been seen landing at the base.

Helicopters have also been seen flying within the base, and a SU-34 jet landed for refueling. A Zeppelin hovered overhead, and two trucks carrying Russian flags were seen traveling within the base.

Yesterday, satellite images showed Russia moving military equipment at Hmeimim air base, with two Antonov AN-124 cargo planes visible.

Russia, a longstanding ally of Assad, granted the ousted Syrian leader asylum last weekend after helping him to flee his country as the rebels approached Damascus.

Moscow has said it hopes to maintain its two bases in Syria – the Hmeimim air base at Latakia and a naval base in Tartous – in order to keep up efforts against what it called international terrorism.

South Korea lawmakers vote to impeach president over failed martial law bid

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, December 7, 2024. (South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap via AP)

SEOUL (AFP) – South Korean lawmakers vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on allegations of insurrection over his failed martial law bid, with the opposition declaring a “victory of the people.”

The vote takes place as hundreds of thousands take to the streets of Seoul in rival rallies for and against Yoon, who launched a failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3.

With the impeachment, Yoon has been suspended from office while South Korea’s Constitutional Court deliberates on the vote. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is now the nation’s interim leader.

The court now has 180 days to rule on Yoon’s future.

The South Korean president has vowed to fight on and doubled down on unsubstantiated claims the opposition is in league with the country’s communist foes.

His approval rating — never very high — has plummeted to 11 percent, according to a Gallup Korea poll released yesterday. The same poll showed that 75 percent now support his impeachment.

Reports: Israel strikes near Damascus overnight targeted Iranian-made tunnels believed to store ballistic missiles

Israel reportedly carried out more strikes on missile warehouses and airports in Syria near the capital Damascus overnight, according to Arab media reports.

Earlier this week, military sources said the Israeli Air Force had carried out over 300 airstrikes on Syrian military targets since the collapse of the Assad regime, amid a wave of operations to take out advanced weapons and other capabilities lest they fall into hostile hands.

The latest series of 17 strikes targeted Iranian-made strategic tunnel complexes believed to be designed for storing and launching ballistic missiles, according to Jordan-based al-Ghad TV.

????
Israeli Air-Force carried out 17 airstrikes in the Qalamoun region near Damascus, targeting missile warehouses and Nasiriyah Airport. Several strikes aimed to destroy Iranian-built strategic tunnel complexes, intended for storing and launching ballistic missiles in the future. pic.twitter.com/AUYWwJK2kV

— Voice From The East (@EasternVoices) December 14, 2024

PA security forces reportedly kill Islamic Jihad commander in Jenin, sparking clashes with terror operatives

Palestinian media reports that PA security forces killed a commander of the Islamic Jihad terror group’s Jenin Brigade early this morning, sparking clashes in the West Bank city.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander is named in the reports as Yazid Jaysa, who is said to have been wanted by both the PA and Israel.

#BREAKING Palestinian Authority’s security forces have begun an operation in Jenin refugee camp against armed factions to “restore order”, in a rare action against rival groups pic.twitter.com/ShrPD1xtLQ

— Guy Elster (@guyelster) December 14, 2024

The PA says it has been operating against terror groups in Jenin for the past week to restore security and stability to the area.

The raids come amid high tensions in the West Bank after the PA arrested several terror operatives earlier this month, adding to already soaring violence in the area since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre triggered the ongoing war.

????BREAKING: The Palestinian security forces have initiated a large-scale operation in the Jenin refugee camp, north of the West Bank, aiming to eliminate Hamas and Islamic Jihad armed militias.

Last week, these militias set fire to the Jenin Governmental Hospital and detonated a… pic.twitter.com/qG7f2yqzKR

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) December 14, 2024

US military says top general discussed Syria with Israeli defense officials during visit

WASHINGTON — A top US military officer visited Israel from Wednesday to Friday, meeting with Israeli defense officials and discussing the situation in Syria, among other regional topics, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) says in a statement.

Army General Michael Kurilla, CENTCOM’s commander, met Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, along with Defense Minister Israel Katz, CENTCOM says.

“The leaders discussed a range of regional security issues, to include the ongoing situation in Syria, and preparedness against other strategic and regional threats,” the CENTCOM statement says.

CENTCOM says Kurilla also visited Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon in recent days.

IDF: Airstrike targeted terror operatives who were heading to attack troops in Gaza

The military releases an overnight statement saying an Israeli aircraft struck a cell of operatives in Gaza while “on their way to carry out terror [attack] plans against our forces in the Strip and toward Israeli territory in the immediate future.”

An IDF statement says the targeted operatives were at a school in Gaza City when struck, adding that “many measures were taken to reduce the chance of harm” to non-combatants.

The statement also accuses Palestinian terror groups of violating international law by operating in civilian facilities and using civilian shields, without specifying which factions the targeted operatives belonged to.

Appeals court rejects TikTok’s request to temporarily halt pending US ban

A TikTok sign is displayed on top of their building in Culver City, California, on December 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

WASHINGTON — A US appeals court rejects an emergency bid by TikTok to temporarily block a law that would require its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest the short-video app by January 19 or face a ban.

TikTok and ByteDance filed the emergency motion with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, asking for more time to make its case to the US Supreme Court.

The companies warned that without court action the law will “shut down TikTok — one of the nation’s most popular speech platforms — for its more than 170 million domestic monthly users.”

Alexander brother denied bail as US federal prosecutors warn of Israel flight risk

MIAMI — A federal judge orders that a prominent real estate broker be held without bond on sexual assault and trafficking charges, saying he is a flight risk as she rejects his family’s pledge of $115 million in real estate holdings to secure his release.

Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid’s ruling likely means that Tal Alexander’s brothers, twins Oren and Alon Alexander, will also be denied bail when they appear in Miami’s federal court next week as the proposed security package would have covered all three.

Earlier Friday, a Florida judge had granted Oren a $3 million bond and his twin $2 million on state charges stemming from the same investigation but they were ordered held pending their own federal hearing.

Reid agreed with the prosecution’s argument that Tal Alexander, because of the family’s wealth, would be a flight risk if released even if he was placed under house arrest and wore a GPS monitor, saying those provisions have “proven not to be foolproof” in other cases.

Federal prosecutor Lauren Astigarraga had argued that if Alexander, who is Jewish, fled to his parents’ homeland of Israel on a private jet, it would prove difficult to impossible to extradite him back to the United States. The 38-year-old is facing a likely life sentence if convicted on all counts.

Astigarraga also argued that the seriousness of the charges against Alexander shows that he is a danger to the community and that he could try to intimidate the victims who might testify against him at his trial. She compared his allegations to those against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is being held without bail on sex trafficking charges.

The Alexander brothers gained national attention after the accusations against them were made public months ago. Oren and Tal Alexander had risen to become stars in luxury real estate after co-founding their real estate firm, Official, which specialized in high-end properties in Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

Report: Trump’s Mideast envoy visited Saudi crown prince, normalization among the topics discussed

FILE - Steve Witkoff speaks on the final night of the Republican National Convention, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

US President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and met Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Axios reports, citing two sources with knowledge of the meeting.

One of the sources says that Witkoff and the Saudi royal, known by his initials MBS, discussed US-Saudi ties, the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, potential normalization between Riyadh and Jerusalem and other matters.

Massad Boulos, appointed by Trump as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle East issues, met the Qatari prime minister in Doha this week, Axios also reports.