Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-18 at 03:06 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-18 at 03:06

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-18 at 03:06

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 HEADLINESBereaved reject veneer panel seek state commissionIsrael disqualifies ICC prosecutor amid disputeUN backs Moroccan autonomy plan Western SaharaThe time is now 10:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Israeli officials are facing renewed questions about accountability after the October 7 attacks as bereaved families and opposition leaders reject an independent inquiry and press for a state commission of inquiry. In Jerusalem, critics say the government-provided panel to study the October 7 events was established to offer a veneer of oversight rather than a full reckoning, while the bereaved and opposition lawmakers are insisting on a state-run commission that can command broad legitimacy and public confidence.In a parallel development, Israel has moved to disqualify the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, and to annul arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, arguing that the ICC process is biased against Israel. The case has taken on new contours after reports that Khan’s office relied on claims that some observers contend were unsubstantiated, a development that has prompted renewed questions about how international legal mechanisms are applied in the Israeli-Palestinian context. The matter underscores long-standing sensitivities between Israel and international legal bodies, and it comes as Israel stresses the need for security measures in a volatile regional environment.Back home, the broader diplomatic and security backdrop remains dominated by Israel’s security challenges and the allied stance of partners in the United States. Washington has consistently emphasized the importance of close security cooperation in a region marked by conflict and shifting alliances, even as debates continue about how best to pursue humanitarian and diplomatic goals alongside battlefield realities.In Los Angeles, pro-Israel organizations hosted the inaugural Pride for Israel conference, drawing about 120 LGBTQ activists and supporters from around the world. Emily Damari, a former hostage who was held by Hamas, spoke about the ordeal of concealing her lesbian identity under captivity and addressed the audience with a pointed message: “You guys may be for Palestine, but I can tell you, Palestine is not for you.” Organizers described the gathering as a celebration of Israel as a safe haven for LGBTQ people in the Middle East, while acknowledging domestic tensions about rights and funding. They cited budget cuts affecting Israel’s Aguda LGBTQ umbrella organization as a concern, noting that the Social Equality Ministry’s allocations have been pared back in recent years. Critics say those cuts complicate efforts to provide health services, shelters, and other support for LGBTQ youth, both Israeli and Palestinian. The conference aimed to showcase a diverse range of voices and to counter arguments that equate support for Israel with hostility to LGBTQ rights, while participants stressed the importance of inclusion across political lines.Palestinian and Jewish LGBTQ activists have long faced charges of pink-washing—the claim that Israel highlights its LGBTQ rights to obscure disputed policies in Gaza and the West Bank. StandWithUs and allied groups reject those charges, saying their work reflects a broader effort to defend the safety and rights of LGBTQ people in a region where such protections are often scarce. The event highlighted a spectrum of opinion within the Jewish and Israeli communities about how best to advance rights while confronting security challenges and political divisions at home.Turning to regional diplomacy, the United Nations Security Council endorsed a Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a move welcomed by Rabat as a path to stability and development but rejected by the Polisario Front, which continues to demand a UN-supervised referendum on self-determination. Supporters of the plan say it could unlock investment, create local governance structures, and accelerate economic activity in Laayoune and surrounding areas. Critics argue that the arrangement could constrain political freedoms and leave unresolved the core question of self-determination that has defined the decades-long conflict with Algeria-backed Sahrawi groups.In Europe, a German auction house canceled the sale of hundreds of artifacts tied to Holocaust victims after protests by survivors and calls from Poland and others to place such items in museums or memorial spaces. The decision was praised by those who argue that items of such gravity belong in institutions dedicated to memory and study, rather than private commerce.Within the Israeli-occupied territories, new reporting indicates a shift in attitudes toward development and security in Judea and Samaria. Officials confirmed that the demolition of an outpost was prompted in part by concerns that unauthorized construction on land designated for thousands ...
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