Netanyahu insists he has no plans to occupy Gaza
In a rebuke against right-wing members of his own coalition government, Israel’s prime minister has said his country has no plans to occupy Gaza and replace its Palestinian population.
The comments come after the U.S. and others criticized suggestions by some of Netanyahu’s ministers that Gazans should be “voluntarily” resettled in other countries to make way for Israelis. International law experts say that this would not be voluntary if Gaza is made unlivable, warning it could constitute a war crime.
Netanyahu spoke on the eve of Israel defending itself against accusations of genocide at the United Nations’ top court, the International Court of Justice.
“I want to make a few points absolutely clear: Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” Netanyahu said in an English-language video message released last night. “Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages,” he said. “Once this is achieved Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike.”
Florida welcomes students fleeing campus antisemitism, with little evidence that there’s demand
ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week directed the state’s universities to make it easier for out-of-state students facing antisemitism and other religious harassment in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war to transfer to Florida campuses.
DeSantis’ directive on Tuesday piggybacks on blowback some Ivy League leaders have faced in response to how they’re handling antisemitism and anti-Israel protests on their campuses. The governor’s office said there has been an increase in inquiries about transferring, without providing any numbers to back that up.
“With leaders of so-called elite universities enabling antisemitic activities, rather than protecting their students from threats and harassment,…
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