Netanyahu defies Biden’s advice

The White House on Monday called it unfortunate that Israel's parliament ratified part of Benjamin Netanyahu's contested judicial overhaul, defying US President Joe Biden, and again urged the prime minister to seek a broad political consensus.

Biden's administration reiterated its long-standing concerns after Israel's Knesset approved an initial bill aimed at curbing the Supreme Court's powers, despite months of street protests and appeals from the US and other countries to hold off and negotiate with the opposition.

The vote, driven by Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition, showed the limits of Biden's ability to rein in the divisive judicial overhaul, even after bringing to bear pressure from Israel's closest ally.

"As a lifelong friend of Israel, President Biden has publicly and privately expressed his views that major changes in a democracy to be enduring must have as broad a consensus as possible," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

"It is unfortunate that the vote today took place with the slimmest possible majority," she added.

Opposition members of parliament boycotted the vote backed by Netanyahu's coalition, which is considered the most far-right in Israel's history.

Hours after the vote, Netanyahu said in a televised address the courts will remain independent and he hopes to reach agreement with the opposition on judicial changes by the end of November.

Biden, who has had frosty relations with Netanyahu compared with former President Donald Trump, finally invited the prime minister last week for an official visit later this year. But US officials have yet to set a date or concur with Israeli statements that they would meet at the White House in September.

Biden had delayed extending the invitation out of concern over Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan and Jewish settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. The two leaders have occasionally clashed in public and in private.

Biden, a Democrat, has said Netanyahu must maintain Israel's independent judiciary as crucial to democracy, but some Republican lawmakers have accused him of meddling in Israeli domestic affairs.

However, there have been no signs Biden's criticism has hurt other key areas such as US-Israel military and intelligence cooperation.

"We have a long-standing friendship with the government of Israel that really transcends any one issue," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

At a regular White House briefing, Jean-Pierre repeated Biden's pledge that the US commitment to Israel remains iron-clad and gave no indication Washington was prepared to use billions of dollars in military aid to Israel as leverage.

"The United States will continue to support the efforts of President (Isaac) Herzog and other Israeli leaders as they seek to build a broader consensus through political dialogue," she said.

 

Crisis in Israel getting deeper

For the 29th week in a row, thousands of Israeli settlers demonstrated against the regime’s hardline cabinet, led by Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, West al-Quds, Beersheva, Herzliya, and Kfar Saba.

In a last-ditch show of force against a disputed judicial reform plan pushed by Netanyahu, the demonstrators approached al-Quds while carrying Israeli flags, water bottles, and umbrellas to protect them from the sweltering sun. 

They then began to assemble close to the parliament and the Supreme Court.

After a multi-day march that started in Tel Aviv earlier this week, the demonstrators had reached the holy city.

Meanwhile, some 10,000 reservists have said they’ll halt their volunteer duty if the bill becomes a law.

“We all share a responsibility to stop the deep division, polarization and rift among the people,” the reservists said in a declaration whose signatories included 235 fighter pilots, 173 drone operators, and 85 commando soldiers.

They called on Netanyahu’s cabinet to arrive at a broad consensus, strengthen the trust of the people in the judicial system and maintain its independence.

The signatories stated that any legislation implemented unreasonably would undermine their willingness to continue risking their lives and would compel them to suspend their voluntary reserve service.

Towards the end of the day on Thursday, Netanyahu stated that he was still trying to reach an agreement with the opposition, primarily about the reasonability clause.

The goal of the judicial overhaul plan is to deny the Israeli Supreme Court the ability to overturn political decisions made by the ruling party. 

Additionally, it aims to give the government more control over the selection of judges for the court.

Supporters claim that the proposal will put a stop to decades of judicial overreach, while detractors say it will do away with important restraints on political authority.

Netanyahu, who is on trial for many counts of corruption, has also been accused by detractors of seeking to use the plan to overturn potential convictions.

Protesters have vowed to keep holding the monumental rallies until the cabinet decides against pushing through with the plan.

Those who support the plan claim that it brings some balance in the power that the various parts of the regime possess.

However, according to the plan’s detractors, approval would give the ruling class more authority to operate in an authoritarian manner.

According to pro-Netanyahu legislators, the new measure would be a much milder version of earlier bills that tried to almost completely pull down the Supreme Court’s authority to overturn presidential decisions. 

However, the opposition claims that the proposed measure would still provide room for corruption.

 

 

United States and Britain block Iran from hosting International Maritime Organization

Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) has condemned the actions of the United States and UK Britain governments blocking Iran from hosting International Maritime Organization (IMO), a parallel event of World Maritime Day.

According to Reuters the United States has blocked Iran from hosting the annual meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in October this year.

Reacting to this action, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Friday that the US once again demonstrated its coercive and arrogant nature by hindering Iran to host the International Maritime Organization conference.

Strongly condemning the US move, Kanaani said the US move, supported by Britain, showed that there are no limits to the political exploitation of technical and specialized institutions of the United Nations by Washington, even if it tarnishes the international credibility of these organizations.

Following is the text of the PMO statement reacting to this action:

The Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) as the duly authorized maritime administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran reacted against the actions of the Governments of the United States and Britain in preventing the Iranian hosting of the IMO Parallel Event of World Maritime Day in 2023, and declared in an official statement, “Such an action is a clear sign of desperation and pettiness of a few treacherous and oppressive governments, and will not weaken the resolve of the Iranian government and nation, and the port and maritime community thereof, to participate actively in IMO activities and progress toward sea-based economy.”

According to the official news website of the PMO, the above statements continued, “The hosting of the mentioned event in October 2023 was cancelled under the vain efforts of the US and British governments, and the support of a few western governments foolishly following the US government, under groundless accusations that Iran intended to jeopardize maritime safety and security.

Iran as an undisputed regional power continuously strives to promote maritime safety and security, and protect the marine environment, as confirmed and commended by the IMO in 2011.

The US and British governments have always resorted to threats, intimidation and even destructive operations, whether in territorial and regional waters or high seas, in order to violate the rights of this country to its vessels and cargos, against international laws, and disrupt such peaceful maritime commerce, while threatening safety and security of the seafarers.

It is our firm belief that such illegal, immoral and non-technical actions led by two oppressive governments, against an event of festivity and commendation of seafarers and maritime community, arises from their outrageous failures and fiascos in exerting economic pressure and sanctions against Iran, focusing on the petroleum and maritime industries, which further proves their evil intentions and desperation in the face of the honorable Iranian nation on one side, and their manipulation and abuse of international specialized and technical organizations for their political agendas on the other.

We are certain that such actions as a clear sign of desperation and pettiness of a few treacherous and oppressive governments will not weaken the resolve of the Iranian government and nation, and the port and maritime community thereof, to participate actively in IMO activities and progress toward sea-based economy.

 

 

India: When state fails people take law in their hands

Furious women set fire to the houses of two Indian men accused of parading two women naked in a state where months of ethnic clashes have left at least 120 dead.

A clip went viral Wednesday showing two women reported to be from the Kuki tribal group walking naked along a street while being jeered at and harassed by a mob reportedly from the Meitei community.

Violence erupted in the northeastern state of Manipur between the mainly Christian Kuki and the predominantly Hindu Meitei in May over job quotas and land rights, and intermittent clashes have continued since.

The emergence of footage of the women’s humiliation — which happened in May — triggered outrage across the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it had “shamed India”.

Police arrested four suspects Thursday, and the same day a group of women activists put stacks of hay into the house of one of the men in Imphal and set it on fire.

As the fire raged, the women — from the Meitei community, like the accused — broke down the walls and roof of the house with sticks.

Another mob of women destroyed the house of a second accused, reducing it to ash and bars.

India is generally traditionalist, conservative and patriarchal, but the Meitei have a history of women’s activism, with women having a more prominent role in society than elsewhere.

The video of the naked women sparked protests across India on Friday, with demonstrators calling for the state’s chief minister to step down over the delay in taking action.

“Can normal people do these things?… Even cats, dogs, animal(s) never committed these kind of filthy act,” said one demonstrator near Imphal, where hundreds of women gathered to protest.

“This is not even how human beings treat other human,” she said.

India’s Supreme Court warned Modi’s government Thursday that if it does not act, “we will”.

Authorities in Manipur, led by the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said police had taken action as soon as the video surfaced on social media.

A “thorough investigation” was under way, the state’s chief minister N Biren Singh tweeted Thursday.

“We will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment,” he added.

The Manipur violence came after the Kuki community protested Meitei demands for reserved public job quotas and college admissions as a form of affirmative action, stoking long-held fears that they might also be allowed to acquire land in areas currently reserved for tribal groups.

Homes and churches were torched, with tens of thousands of people fleeing to government-run camps.

In a detailed report to the Supreme Court in June, civil society group Manipur Tribal Forum said many gruesome acts of violence, including rape and beheading, had not been investigated by state authorities.

Footage of one such incident was shared on Twitter Thursday, reportedly showing an aide to a BJP lawmaker in the state holding a victim’s severed head, before it disappeared from the platform within hours.

 

India-ADNOC sign agreement for supply of LNG

ADNOC Gas (ADNOC Gas), a world-class integrated gas processing company, has signed a 14-year supply agreement with Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for the export of up to 1.2 million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India’s largest integrated and diversified energy company.

The agreement, valued in the range of US$7 billion to US$9 billion over its 14-year term, signifies a major step forward in the partnership between the two industry leaders.

The landmark deal marks another significant milestone for ADNOC Gas as it expands its global reach, reinforcing its position as a global LNG export partner of choice, and reaffirming IOCL as its key strategic partner in the LNG market.

Commenting on the agreement, Ahmed Alebri, Chief Executive Officer of ADNOC Gas said, “We are pleased to announce this long-term LNG sale, further strengthening the long-standing partnership with IOCL. We look forward to expanding our collaboration and take pride in the knowledge that ADNOC Gas’ LNG exports will further support the development of IOCL and contribute to India’s growth story.”

Under the terms of the agreement, ADNOC Gas will deliver up to 1.2 mmtpa of LNG to IOCL to India. The deal serves as a testament to ADNOC Gas’ ability to meet the growing global demand for LNG, a critical fuel in the energy transition.

 

G20 members fail to reach agreement on cutting fossil oil use

According to Reuters, the Group of 20 (G20) major economies meeting in India failed on Saturday to reach consensus on phasing down fossil fuels following objections by some producer nations.

Major fossil fuel producers Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, South Africa and Indonesia are all known to oppose the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity this decade.

Scientists and campaigners are exasperated by international bodies' foot-dragging on action to curb global warming even as extreme weather from China to the United States underlines the climate crisis facing the world.

The G20 member countries together account for over three-quarters of global emissions and gross domestic product, and a cumulative effort by the group to decarbonize is crucial in the global fight against climate change.

However, disagreements including the intended tripling of renewable energy capacities by 2030 resulted in officials issuing an outcome statement and a chair summary instead of a joint communiqué at the end of their four-day meeting in Bambolim, in the Indian coastal state of Goa.

A joint communiqué will be issued when there is complete agreement between member nations on all issues.

"We had a complete agreement on 22 out of 29 paragraphs, and seven paragraphs constitute the Chair summary," Indian Power Minister R.K. Singh said.

Sections urging developed countries to deliver on the goal of jointly mobilizing US$100 billion per year for climate action in developing economies for 2020-25, and description of the war in Ukraine, also eluded consensus.

Fossil fuel use became a lightning rod in day-long discussions, but officials failed to reach consensus over curbing unabated use and argued over the language to describe the pathway to cut emissions.

A draft late on Friday reviewed by Reuters read, "The importance of making efforts towards phase down of unabated fossil fuels, in line with different national circumstances, was emphasized."

However, the chair statement released on Saturday evening included concerns from some member nations which were missing in the Friday draft, noting that "others had different views on the matter that abatement and removal technologies will address such concerns".

Singh, in a press briefing after the conference, said some countries wanted to use carbon capture instead of a phase down of fossil fuels. He did not name the countries.

United States picks first woman to lead Navy

US President Joe Biden on Friday picked Adm. Lisa Franchetti to be the next chief of naval operations after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin passed over her when recommending for the role.

The promotion of Franchetti, who has been vice chief of naval operations since last fall, will be the first time a woman has the spot of the Navy’s highest-ranking officer and she will be the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Biden, in announcing his nomination, noted that Franchetti has already made history as the second woman ever to achieve the rank of four-star admiral in the United States Navy. She would replace current Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, whose four-year term is over this fall.  

Austin in June reportedly recommended that Adm. Samuel Paparo become the next chief of naval operations despite Franchetti being considered the front-runner for the top position as the Navy’s No. 2 officer. Biden on Friday nominated Paparo for commander of Indo-Pacific Command.

The president also nominated Vice Adm. James Kilby for vice chief of naval operations and Vice Adm. Stephen “Web” Koehler for commander of US Pacific Fleet.

He also urged the Senate to quickly confirm these nominations and the other pending military nominations that have been held up by Sen. Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville is blocking the Senate from moving on military promotions in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policy, which allows for paid leave and travel reimbursement for abortions. 

“It has long been an article of faith in this country that supporting our service members and their families, and providing for the strength of our national defense, transcends politics. What Senator Tuberville is doing is not only wrong — it is dangerous,” Biden said Friday.

Biden also called out Republicans in Senate for not stopping Tuberville from continuing the hold and said the Alabama Republican is risking our ability to ensure that the United States Armed Forces remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.