Latest news with #IsaacHerzog
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former hostage Agam Berger performs at Air Force pilot's graduation ceremony
Berger performed the song "They Will Always Wait for You" alongside the IDF's military band. Former Gaza hostage Agam Berger performed the song "They Will Always Wait for You" on the violin alongside the IDF's military band at the 190th Air Force graduation ceremony on Thursday. The Israel Air Force's Wing Ceremony took place at Hatzerim base with President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington at the time of the ceremony. Berger, an IDF observer who was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz base on October 7, noted, was released in January 2025. Berger enlisted after a year of preparatory military service at "Gal" in Akko with the "Acharei" program. While training to be an observer, she was selected to be the platoon commander's assistant, and was chosen as a candidate for the 'Stars' track, which identifies candidates for command positions. When asked to explain why she deserved to join the track, she wrote that she saw the role as a mission and wanted to provide soldiers with a sense of faith and security. During the course, Agam was stationed at the Kerem Shalom outpost, and one week before the end of the course, her assignment was changed, and she arrived at Nahal Oz. Berger was kidnapped along with her fellow observers Naama Levy, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Ori Megidish, and Noa Marciano. Karina, Daniella, Naama, and Liri were released in the second wave of the exchange that same month. Ori was rescued in a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet, and Noa Marciano was murdered in captivity.
The National
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Labour politicians fail to declare all-expenses-paid trip to Israel
Five MPs, alongside Labour peer Luciana Berger, were taken on an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel and Palestine in May by the lobbying group Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) where they posed for a photo with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, who has backed the genocide of Palestinians. Speaking at a press conference 10 days after the Hamas attack of October 7, Herzog said: 'It is an entire nation out there that is responsible.' The group of politicians also met Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel, leader of the opposition Yair Lapid and IDF reserve major general Yair Golan, according to Declassified UK. READ MORE: 'Humanitarian city' will be concentration camp, says ex-Israel prime minister Two of the MPs who took part – Jon Pearce and Mark Sewards – have registered the trip and put its value at £2600. Peter Prinsley, Kevin McKenna and Cat Eccles have all failed to do so. This week, an LFI parliamentary delegation visited Israel & Palestine as we marked 600 days since 7 Oct 2023. We called for a renewed ceasefire & hostage deal, unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gazans, an end to Hamas rule, and progress towards a two-state solution and regional… — Labour Friends of Israel (@_LFI) May 30, 2025 In a statement following the visit, Pearce, chair of the LFI, said: 'It's more important than ever for British Members of Parliament to visit Israel and Palestine to show solidarity and hear directly from people on the ground.' He added: 'We left the region more convinced than ever of the need to secure the release [of] the remaining 58 hostages, massively increase humanitarian aid into Gaza, and see Hamas relinquish control of Gaza.' READ MORE: Six children among 10 people killed by Israel at water collection point It comes as pressure mounts on Israel over brutal war crimes in Palestine, as it emerged this weekend that Israeli soldiers killed six children who were collecting water at a humanitarian aid point. Elsewhere, fury is mounting – including within Israel itself – over plans to force Palestinians into a concentration camp on the ruins of the city of Rafah. Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert told The Guardian: 'If they [Palestinians] will be deported into the new 'humanitarian city', then you can say that this is part of an ethnic cleansing.' In a post on social media, the LFI set out how it visited Jerusalem, Ramallah and Tel Aviv and Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the south of the country as well as the site of the massacre at the Nova music festival. The Kibbutz was among the places which came under attack from Hamas on October 7.
Morocco World
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Mosque in Netherlands Suspends Imam After Jerusalem Visit, Meeting with Israel President
Rabat – The Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, has announced the immediate suspension of Imam Youssef Msibih following his controversial meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem. Reports identified the suspended cleric as a Moroccan-Dutch imam, who was suspended from his duties after he joined a delegation of European Muslim leaders who met with Herzog on July 7. The European Leadership Network, an NGO that advocates for ties between Europe and Israel, organized the event. The visit sparked outrage and frustration among pro-Palestinians, who demanded an explanation from the mosque. In response, the mosque issued a statement in which it stressed that 'there is no place for the imam within the mosque.' The mosque's 'board bears no responsibility whatsoever for his statements or actions outside the mosque,' the statement added, noting that there is no longer any formal or substantive ties between the imam and the Bilal Alkmaar Mosque. Emphasizing that the case of the imam has already been addressed, the mosque emphasized that the suspended cleric acted in a personal capacity. 'His actions are entirely separate from the vision of the mosque,' the statement said, urging everyone not to place pressure on or interfere with the mosque's board, or its volunteers and members. The statement highlighted that the mosque promotes peace, adding that the deliberate spreading of rumors and false information could have serious consequences. It also warned that it explicitly reserves the right to take appropriate legal action in cases of defamation, slander, or incitement against individuals or groups who endanger the peace, dignity, or safety of the mosque or its community. Tags: imamIslam in the Netherlands
Ya Biladi
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan-Dutch imam suspended after controversial visit to Israel and meeting with Herzog
Moroccan-Dutch imam Youssef Msibih has made headlines this week following a controversial visit to Israel. Msibih, who had been serving at the Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar, Netherlands, was suspended from his duties after joining a delegation of European Muslim leaders that met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on July 7. The visit was organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET), an NGO «dedicated to strengthening Europe-Israel relations». The Bilal Mosque responded swiftly, announcing on Instagram that its board had suspended Msibih «with immediate effect». In a follow-up statement published on its website, the mosque clarified: «There is no place for the imam within the mosque. The board bears no responsibility for his statements or actions outside the mosque. There is no longer any formal or substantive relationship between him and the Bilal Alkmaar Mosque». The statement stressed that Msibih acted «in a personal capacity and completely separate from the vision of the mosque and its community», adding: «There is no room for troublemakers or division». Photos and video footage shared by the Israeli President's official X (formerly Twitter) account show Msibih dressed in traditional Moroccan attire, singing a reinterpreted version of the Israeli national anthem in Arabic during the meeting. The delegation included 15 Muslim religious figures from across Europe—France, Italy, Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands. Their itinerary featured visits to the Knesset, religious sites in East Jerusalem, and meetings with Israeli military officials and survivors of attacks. They are also scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, and the site of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv. President Isaac Herzog welcomed the group by underscoring the importance of Jewish-Muslim dialogue, framing the visit as a symbol of progress against «radical forces». 'You represent the world of brotherhood, humanity, and liberty'. The words of Imam Hassen Chalghoumi from France to me today. I was moved and inspired to meet him and a delegation led by @elnet_global of Imams and Muslim community leaders from across Europe. They stand bravely… — יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 7, 2025 Another Moroccan imam The group was led by Hassen Chalghoumi, a polarizing imam from Drancy, France, known for his pro-Israel stance. Other members included Noor Dahri, a UK-based counterterrorism commentator affiliated with the Henry Jackson Society, and Ali El Aarja, an imam of Moroccan descent based in Turin, Italy. Speaking to the Times of Israel, El Aarja, who heads the newly formed Italian Islamic Confederation (CIIN), said that «Morocco is a country open to all religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews live together. We are here to send a message of peace—for our Palestinian brothers and our Jewish brothers. We do not want war; we hope we can return to dialogue». The Times of Israel also noted that Youssef Msibih has served as a religious leader in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway for nearly 20 years. According to a biography shared by ELNET, Msibih pursued Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University in Egypt before continuing his training at the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams and Mourchidines in Rabat, Morocco. A visit denounced in the Netherlands and Morocco The visit triggered strong backlash from Muslim clerics in the Netherlands. On July 7, the Initiative of Imams and Preachers in the Netherlands issued a scathing condemnation, calling the trip a «morally reprehensible act» that violates the principles of Islam and human dignity. The body accused the delegation of helping the «Zionist occupation regime» whitewash its image «tainted with the blood of innocent men, women, and children». Meanwhile in Morocco, The Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization condemned the visit as a «beyond-normalization crime», calling it a betrayal of religion and human values amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Five Israeli soldiers killed amid ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas
Five Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday, in one of the deadliest days for Israeli forces in the Palestinian territory this year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lamented a "difficult morning" as he visited Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who is pressing for a ceasefire in the more than 21-month-long war. "All of Israel bows its head and mourns the fall of our heroic soldiers, who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages," Mr Netanyahu posted on X. The Israeli military said the five soldiers, aged between 20 and 28, "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip". Two others were severely wounded and "evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment", it said, adding their families had been notified. Israeli military correspondents reported the deaths occurred when improvised explosive devices detonated in the area of Beit Hanun in the north of the territory. During attempts to evacuate the wounded, soldiers reportedly came under fire. Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, said "the complex Beit Hanun operation is yet another blow delivered by our valiant fighters". "The war of attrition our fighters are waging against the enemy — from the north of the Strip to its south — will inflict additional losses on it every day," the spokesman of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement. In a post on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said "the unbearable news of the fall of five heroic sons in Gaza — most of them fighters of the ultra-Orthodox 'Netzach Yehuda' battalion — pierces the heart". Opposition leader Yair Lapid meanwhile wrote: "For the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel: this war must be ended." Qatar said on Tuesday more time was needed for negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after the US president voiced optimism about a possible breakthrough. Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was set to join the talks in Doha this week. Israel and Hamas began the latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives seated in separate rooms within the same building. Qatar, a mediator along with the United States and Egypt, said the meetings in Doha were focused on a framework for the talks, while a Palestinian official close to the negotiations said no breakthrough had been achieved so far. "We have to have a ceasefire in Gaza in coming weeks, if intolerable situation continues then the UK government will go further in taking measures against Israel," UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said. The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. AFP/ Reuters
