[IsraelTimes] Madrid’s position is an outlier, likely a product of internal politics, experts say; rest of NATO unlikely to cut off a top weapons supplier just as it looks to rearm against Russia
On October 10, 2023, the Spanish government okayed an agreement to purchase 12 multiple rocket launcher systems based on the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems’ PULS platform, as part of a deal worth €700 million ($825 million).
The systems, which would be built by a Spanish consortium and known locally as SILAM, were meant to replace the Cold War-era Teruel rocket launcher array which had been mothballed by Madrid over a decade earlier.
In Israel, the move drew little attention. Days earlier, thousands of Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... -led murderous Moslems had stormed across the Gazoo
.ld lead Spain to cancel the contract. Unlike the largely overlooked deal by Madrid in 2023, the first such move by a NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... member implementing a broad arms embargo on Israel is being closely watched in Jerusalem as a possible harbinger of Europe’s increased willingness to push back against Israel both diplomatically and economically.
"The focus may not yet be on the defense industries, but the pressure is mounting in the international arena," Pnina Sharvit Baruch, a senior research associate at the Institute for National Security Studies, told The Times of Israel. "The situation is already going bad... This is one example."
The canceled contract would have been worth €150 million ($176 million) to Elbit, according to Israeli business daily Globes, just a small fraction of the company’s overall business activity, which included an order backlog of $22.6 billion in 2024. Elbit declined a request for comment on the matter.
While not a major blow to Israel’s defense sector overall, Spain’s cancellations have mounted rapidly: a separate €285 million ($325 million) deal with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems was scrapped in June, followed by another worth $207 million last month.
The cancellations came a day after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared an arms embargo and partial import ban, accusing Israel of "genocide in Gaza." The sanctions also bar Israeli-bound weapons shipments from Spanish ports and airspace, block imports from West Bank settlements, and restrict entry to Spain for individuals accused of involvement in the war.
Spain has been among Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel, but as the war drags on, there are concerns that its moves presage a coming breakup with the continent writ large, shriveling economic ties with Israel’s largest trading partner and blocking off a key conduit for arms supplies.
"We do have to acknowledge that having ties with Israel today is becoming something with a [higher] cost," whether for leaders who oppose Israel’s actions in Gaza on moral grounds or because of mounting domestic political pressure, said Sharvit Baruch.
Spain’s stance highlights a growing rift inside Europe, where governments face mounting public pressure to punish Israel diplomatically while balancing urgent security needs. Last month, the European Commission proposed sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers and a partial suspension of Israel’s association agreement with the EU, moves Israel denounced as "morally and politically distorted."
However,
women are made to be loved, not understood... experts say there are reasons to see Spain as more of an outlier than the leading edge of a gathering European winter, with Madrid’s moves seemingly driven in part by internal political machinations and the Continent keen to redouble its defense posture in response to Russian threats.
"I would presume that the last thing they would like to do is sanction weapons purchases," Sharvit Baruch said of NATO members in Europe. "They will do other things first."
DOMESTIC CHALLENGE
Aside from Madrid taking the lead in opposing Jerusalem, Spain has also emerged as a focal point for high-profile anti-Israel protests. Most recently, on September 14, the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race was shut down after thousands of anti-Israel protesters clashed with police and blocked the route in Madrid — the latest in a string of disruptions to the Grand Tour.
Just two days later, Spanish state broadcaster RTVE’s board voted to withdraw from the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is allowed to participate.
Analysts have argued that Spain’s move to become the first NATO member to impose an arms embargo on Israel is rooted as much in domestic politics as foreign policy.
Sanchez is under growing domestic pressure, and his minority coalition is increasingly reliant on far-left factions, leading him to tap into growing anti-Israel sentiment on the street. That political calculus, analysts say, has pushed Madrid into adopting a harder line against Israel than many of its other Western allies.
"Whether due to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez believing Hamas propaganda or the cynical politics of distraction, the Spanish prime minister is doing long-term damage to his relations with Israel," said David May, a senior research analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
In polls, Sanchez’s party has fallen sharply from over 29 percent support in May to 27% in September — its weakest showing in nearly two years, according to Politico. Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Count Guido had been cornered by the banditti... the conservative opposition People’s Party has consolidated its lead at 34% and the far-right Vox has risen steadily to 16 percent.
"As his party slips in the polls, Sanchez seems to be using the well-worn method of shifting attention away from his failures and onto the Jewish state," May said.
NATO NEEDS ARMS
Spain’s embargo and the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... ’s threats land at a time when Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... has become Israel’s fastest-growing arms market.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel ranked as Europe’s fifth-largest arms supplier from 2020 to 2024 — the only non-NATO country in the top five apart from South Korea.
Under heavy pressure from US President Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... , NATO members recently agreed to a sweeping new defense spending target of 5% of GDP by 2035, up from the long-standing 2% benchmark. The plan is expected to channel hundreds of billions of euros into weapons procurement and security investments over the next decade.
The buildup comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine is reshaping European security, scrambling governments to scale up procurement quickly. Israel has become a key supplier in that race: its defense exports hit a record $14.8 billion in 2024, according to Defense Ministry figures released in June, with more than half of sales going to Europe.
But Israelis may face more of an uphill battle to win those contracts than in the past, with many unable to even display their wares at defense expos.
In recent months, Israeli defense companies have been barred from major arms fairs in the Netherlands and La Belle France. In another worrying sign for defense ties, the UK has announced it will prohibit Israeli officers from enrolling in its prestigious defense academy starting next year.
Nonetheless, Sharvit Baruch believes countries looking to punish Israel are more likely to target sectors where Israel’s role is less critical — such as culture or the economy.
"I don’t think the Spanish model is the main threat to Israel," she said.
"Everything today is a black and white analysis... that’s not the situation," she said. "Everything in general is very complex. There is no black and white."
However,
women are made to be loved, not understood... she cautioned that unless things changed regarding how Israel is fighting or dealing with Gaza, the country’s defense sector and its broader diplomatic standing could be vulnerable too.
"If Israel continues with its existing policy, I think we will go from bad to worse," she said.
AVOIDING SPARTA
In a now-infamous speech on September 16, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is facing growing isolation on the world stage, warning that the country will need to become a more self-reliant "super-Sparta" in the years ahead.
"There’s no choice; in the coming years, at least, we will have to deal with these attempts to isolate us," he said at a conference of the Finance Ministry’s accountant general in Jerusalem.
Sharvit Baruch criticized the attempts to pressure Israel via boycotts and embargoes, but with Europe and the rest of the world unlikely to slacken pressure, noted that Israel would have to change if it wanted to avoid Netanyahu’s vision of the future.
"The international arena is trying to pressure Israel to change its behavior... They’re using different tools, but [all] these tools have the problem of strengthening Hamas and strengthening the forces of Evil inside Israel," she said.
Hardline figures within Israel interpret international sanctions and recognition of Paleostine as validation that "the world is already against us."
"It will be very difficult to reverse [the damage]," she acknowledged. "But I also think it can be reversed."
#1
...Were the Israeli government to ask me - they haven't, and more's the pity; my rates are quite reasonable - to talk to the Japanese.
They are about to get their first female prime minister, and she's supposedly a strong admirer of our POTUS. They are also very, very good at building weapons and very, very discreet about it.
[FoxNews] Trump's 'war-ravaged Portland' National Guard deployment halted by federal judge over authority concerns
A U.S. District Court on Saturday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the Trump administration from deploying 200 National Guardsmen to Portland, Oregon, amid violent anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests.
The lawsuit, brought by the State of Oregon and City of Portland, argued the deployment was unlawful, exceeding the president’s statutory and constitutional authority.
Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019, granted the TRO blocking the federal action.
Trump in June issued a memorandum authorizing the federalization of National Guard troops, citing threats to federal employees and property during protests against immigration enforcement.
While violence was reported near a Portland ICE facility in June, the state alleged that, by late summer, protests had become small and largely peaceful.
On Sept. 27, Trump announced via Truth Social he was directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to deploy troops to "war-ravaged Portland" to protect against "Antifa and other domestic terrorists" and authorized "full force, if necessary."
The following day, Hegseth ordered the federalization of 200 Oregon National Guard members over the objection of Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, who insisted there was no public safety emergency.
Despite increasing violence and numerous arrests, the State of Oregon and the City of Portland filed suit, arguing that the deployment was unlawful and unconstitutional.
Immergut ruled Saturday that Trump's federalization order exceeded his authority because the law only allows the president to call in the National Guard under exceptional circumstances, including invasion, rebellion or an inability to execute federal law using regular forces.
The court found none of those conditions existed in Oregon, determining that local and federal law enforcement were capable of maintaining order.
Further, because Immergut ruled Trump acted outside statutory limits, she found the order also violated the 10th Amendment by infringing on Oregon’s sovereign right to control its own National Guard.
In addressing irreparable harm, Immergut said the state faced constitutional injury from loss of control over its Guard, operational harm from diversion of troops trained for state emergencies and public safety risks.
The court held the public interest favored restraint, emphasizing the importance of maintaining civilian control and avoiding military intrusion.
"This country has a longstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach, especially in the form of military intrusion into civil affairs," Immergut wrote in her decision. "This historical tradition boils down to a simple proposition: this is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law."
In granting the TRO, the court blocked the federalization and deployment of National Guard troops to Portland.
The order will remain in effect for 14 days, until Oct. 18, unless extended.
Immergut also denied the government’s request to stay or pause the order.
#6
The stick doesn't work very well with federal judges, so try the carrot. The annual salary for federal judges is about $250,000 a year plus the usual benefits. Impose on Elon to offer the far-left judges $2,500,000 a year to join Tesla's legal department. You'd get some takers.
Posted by: Matt ||
10/05/2025 11:28 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2019
Blue Slips by Senators need to go away
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/05/2025 12:22 Comments ||
Top||
"Hamas’ recent response to President Trump’s plan to end the war — which Israel had accepted — is unfortunately predictable. A classic “Yes, but.”" pic.twitter.com/dtVukcam3O
Sux to be Greta...
[Regnum] Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who was detained by Israeli authorities, complained of dehydration, lack of food, and a bedbug-infested cell. This was reported on October 4 by the British newspaper The Guardian.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry sent an email to the activist's family. The letter was written by an official who visited Thunberg in prison.
"The embassy was able to meet with Greta. She reported dehydration. She wasn't receiving enough water or food. She also stated that she had developed a rash, which she suspects was caused by bedbugs," the letter states. Or crabs.
The activist also spoke about the abuse and said she sat on hard surfaces for long periods of time.
Another activist detained by Israel told his country's embassy that he saw Thunberg being forced to hold some flags and being photographed.
In his message, the official also noted that Israeli authorities had asked the activist to sign a document. However, Thunberg refused to sign it because she couldn't understand its meaning.
On October 2, Israeli forces intercepted 13 vessels of the "Sumud Flotilla," which was heading to the shores of the Gaza Strip on a humanitarian mission. Thunberg, among others, was participating. She and approximately 190 other activists were detained. The Israeli government announced it intends to place the Swedish environmental activist in a terrorist prison after she attempted to enter the Gaza Strip.
Thunberg previously claimed that dozens of ships carrying humanitarian aid would attempt to break the Gaza blockade on August 31. According to her, the ships would depart from Spain.
‘We were treated like animals,’ complain deported Gaza flotilla activists
[GEO.TV] International activists who arrived in Istanbul after being deported from Israel following the military's interception of their Gaza-bound flotilla said Saturday they had been subjected to violence and "treated like animals". Appropriately
"We were intercepted by a huge number of military vessels," Paolo Romano, a regional councillor from Lombardy in Italy, told AFP at Istanbul airport.
"Some boats were also hit by water cannon. All of the boats were taken by very heavily armed people and brought to shore," the 29-year-old said.
"They put us on our knees, facing down. And if we moved, they hit us. They were laughing at us, insulting us and hitting us," he said.
"They were using both psychological and physical violence."
Romano said they tried to force them to admit they had entered Israel illegally.
"But we never entered Israel illegally. We were in international waters and it was our right to be there."
"They were opening the door during the night and shouting at us with guns to scare us," he said.
Another 137 activists from the flotilla that attempted to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip have been deported to The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... , Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday, accusing them of "provocation in the service of Hamas ..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,... " and obstructing the deportation process.
The deportation came after CBS News reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had approved dronezaps on two of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessels in Tunisian waters earlier this month.
The 137 activists, whom the Foreign Ministry called "provocateurs," were sent to Istanbul on a special Ottoman Turkish Airlines flight Saturday afternoon from Ramon Airport near Eilat in southern Israel.
They included nationals of the United States, Italia, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... , Tunisia and Turkey.
Sources in Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told Rooters that 36 of the activists are Ottoman Turkish nationals. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X that 26 Italians were on board while 15 others did not sign the voluntary release form and would wait for their judicial expulsion due next week, according to the minister.
The Foreign Ministry said the flotilla activists that had "arrived under the guise of ’humanitarian aid,’ made it clear — through their actions, their rejection of all proposals by Israel, Italia, and Greece to peacefully transfer the aid, and the small quantity of aid they actually carried on their boats — that their true goal was provocation in the service of Hamas, not humanitarian assistance."
"Israel seeks to expedite the deportation of all provocateurs. However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package... some of them are deliberately obstructing the legal deportation process, preferring instead to linger in Israel," said the ministry. "At the same time, several foreign governments have shown reluctance to accept flights that would return these provocateurs."
"Nevertheless, all participants in this publicity stunt will be deported as swiftly as possible," the ministry added.
On Friday, four Italian nationals detained while trying to reach Gaza were deported. In all, more than 470 activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta "Pippi" Thunberg ...an autistic sixteen year old Swedish expert on climate change, though I guess she's older now... , were detained in the 42 Sumud vessels that were intercepted by the Israeli Navy this week.
#5
Israeli taxpayers are not happy to have had to pay for flights for all of these degenerates.
Bedbugs LOL. I got those once from a skeezy hotel bed and they are devilishly hard to get rid of.
Some more unwelcome invaders for Greta to take back with her.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Hamas agreed to partial implementation of Trump's points on a ceasefire, exchange of hostages and establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza, and Israel stopped bombing Gaza at Trump's request. Hamas refused to hand over weapons at Trump's request. Weapons will not be surrendered before the creation of a Palestinian state.
The official statement of Hamas:
"After comprehensive consideration, the mediators were given the following response: Hamas appreciates the efforts of the Arab, Islamic and international parties, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump, aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip, exchanging prisoners, immediately introducing humanitarian aid, preventing the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of our Palestinian people from its land.
In this context, and with the aim of achieving a cessation of hostilities and a complete withdrawal of troops from the Strip The Gaza movement declares its agreement to release all Israeli hostages
- both alive and dead
- in accordance with the exchange formula contained in the proposal of President Trump, provided that the necessary conditions are met on the ground.
Palestinian consensus and support of the Arab and Islamic world. raised in the proposal of President Trump and concerning the future of the Gaza Strip and the genuine rights of the Palestinian people, are related to the common national position and, relying on the relevant international laws and resolutions, will be discussed within the framework of a comprehensive Palestinian national platform in which Hamas will participate and take full responsibility"
Member of the Hamas political bureau Musa Abu Marzouk said in an interview with Al Jazeera:
- We have reached a national agreement on the transfer of control of Gaza The priority is to stop the war and the massacre, and from this point of view, the transfer of prisoners is theoretical and unrealistic in the current conditions. The future of the Palestinian people is not decided by itself.
- Hamas is a liberation movement, not a terrorist movement.
Exactly backward, ie.a lie.
- We agreed with the general features of the plan, but their implementation requires negotiations.
* * * A member of the Hamas political bureau, Osama Hamdan, said:
- We are ready to start negotiations on the exchange of prisoners.
- We do not accept that any non-Palestinian party manages the affairs of Gaza.
Oh well.
- There is a real situation on the ground concerning living and dead prisoners, which must be taken into account.
- We believe that it takes more than 72 hours to exchange prisoners, and this issue will be resolved by reaching mutual understanding.
Turn ‘em over, then we’ll talk.
- The arrival of a foreign administration or foreign troops in Gaza is unacceptable.
Oh well.
- We do not accept foreign management of the Gaza Strip, and an independent national body must be created for this task.
- There is a Palestinian national agreement on the management of Gaza by the Palestinian Authority.
- There are questions to which Hamas does not have a monopoly right to answer, and they require a broad Palestinian framework. The movement cannot answer them alone.
- Attempts to remove Hamas from the Palestinian political process are unsuccessful.
In general, how about the Minsk agreements. Everyone has their own vision of "settlement in the Middle East." Of course, there will not be a big and lasting peace as Trump preaches. Just another pause until the next time, as the fundamental issues related to the creation of the Palestinian state have not been resolved.
Quite probably.
More from regnum.ru Netanyahu has given several days for hostage talks in Gaza.
Israeli authorities have approved the dispatch of a negotiating team to Egypt and expect to free all hostages in Gaza within days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement in a televised address to his fellow citizens on October 4.
"I have instructed a negotiating team led by Israeli Strategic Planning Minister Ron Dermer to travel to Egypt to finalize the technical details of the release of our hostages. We and our American friends intend to complete this negotiation process within a few days," the Israeli prime minister emphasized, as quoted by The Times of Israel.
The Israeli prime minister also expressed agreement with US President Donald Trump's statement, noting that he would not tolerate delays, evasions, or other similar maneuvers from Hamas.
Netanyahu also suggested that the prisoners would be released in the coming days, during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which is celebrated this year from October 6 to 13.
According to the latest data, Hamas is holding 20 living hostages and 28 dead bodies of captives in the Gaza Strip.
It was previously reported that negotiations to resolve the military conflict in the Gaza Strip and free hostages held by the Palestinian movement Hamas, as part of US President Trump's plan, are scheduled to take place on October 5 in Egypt.
On October 3, Hamas announced its willingness to consider the terms of the deal. The movement also agreed to transfer governance of the Gaza Strip to an independent Palestinian authority composed of non-partisan technical experts. The formation of this authority must be approved by all Palestinian forces, with the support of Arab and Islamic countries.
Following Hamas's announcement, Trump called on Israeli authorities to halt airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. On October 4, the Palestinian movement emphasized that the organization's agreement with the US plan does not imply the surrender of arms by the resistance.
On September 29, the White House published a 20-point plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip. According to the document, Israel must withdraw its military units from Palestinian territories and completely cease military operations. These measures are offered in exchange for the release of hostages.
"I hope that in the coming days we will be able to bring back all our hostages... during the Sukkot holidays," Netanyahu said in a televised statement, adding that "military and diplomatic pressure" had compelled Hamas to agree to release the captives.
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot begins on Monday and lasts until the following Monday.
[GEO.TV] Egypt has welcomed Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... 's response to US President Donald Trump ...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party... 's ceasefire plan for Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , describing it as a step towards ending the conflict.
In a statement on Saturday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said it ''expresses its appreciation for the statement issued by the Hamas movement in response to Trump's plan regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.''
The ministry added that the Hamas response ''reflects a commitment by Hamas and all Paleostinian factions to spare the blood of the Paleostinian people, protect the lives of innocent civilians, and a sincere desire to end a dark chapter in the region's history.''
It further said the response showed ''an awareness of the necessity of ending this war and lays the foundation for moving forward toward achieving the Paleostinian people's aspirations for the realisation of their state.''
The statement also praised Trump's ''vision for achieving peace and stability in the region,'' including his ''full commitment to ending the war in Gaza, his total rejection of the annexation of the West Bank or the displacement of the Paleostinian people from their land, and his launch of a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip while ensuring Paleostinians remain in their territories and allowing those who wish to return to do so.''
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Moussa Abu Marzouk said Hamas ''accepts in principle the main facets'' of the US proposal to end the war, though he voiced reservations about some of its terms.
He singled out the demand that all remaining hostages be released within 72 hours, calling it ''unrealistic under the current circumstances.''
In past communications with Arab mediators, Hamas has indicated that it does not know the locations of all the bodies of slain hostages, a situation that could delay the handover of remains to Israel.
Islamic Jihad's approval of the plan could help facilitate the release of hostages held by both groups in Gaza.
"Hamas' (reaction) to Trump's plan represents the position of the Palestinian resistance factions, and the Islamic Jihad participated responsibly in the consultations that led to this decision," it said in a statement.
Gazans hail Trump ceasefire call as Hamas agrees to free hostages
[GEO.TV] Smoke billowed over Gaza City, yet for the first time in months, residents felt a ceasefire was within reach as they welcomed US President Donald Trump's call for Israel to stop bombing.
"Trump's announcement was very surprising to me, as he has always been biased toward Israel," said 24-year-old Jamila al-Sayyid, from Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood.
Despite Trumps appeal, she said "the planes did not stop" bombing, but still felt good about her decision not to flee from the territory's largest urban centre.
"The most important thing is that the ceasefire will take effect and the Israeli prisoners will be released, as they are a pretext for Israel to continue its occupation," she added.
For Sami Adas of Gaza City, however, it was a "day of joy, a great day".
The 50-year-old, who has been living in a tent with his family in the west of Gaza City, the focus area of Israeli military's aggression in recent weeks, said any ceasefire would improve his lot.
"The best thing is that President Trump himself announced a ceasefire, and Netanyahu will not be able to escape this time," Adas said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/05/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1792 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
He already counting his share from Egypt's profits rearming Hamas.
Interim leader Sharaa will directly appoint one third of legislators, also controls process for choosing the rest
Syria will select members of its first post-Assad parliament on Sunday in a process criticized as undemocratic, with a third of the members appointed by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The assembly’s formation is set to consolidate the power of Sharaa, whose Islamist forces led a coalition that toppled longtime ruler Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now... in December after more than 13 years of civil war and five decades of one-family rule.
According to the organizing committee, more than 1,500 candidates — just 14 percent of them women — are running for the assembly, which will have a renewable 30-month mandate.
Sharaa is to appoint 70 representatives out of the 210-member body.
The other two-thirds will be selected by local committees appointed by the electoral commission, which itself was appointed by Sharaa.
But southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province, which suffered sectarian bloodshed in July, and the country’s Kurdish-held northeast are excluded from the process for now as they are outside Damascus’s control, and their 32 seats will remain empty.
’NOT ELECTIONS’
Around 6,000 people are taking part in Sunday’s selection process.
Preliminary results are expected to emerge after it ends, with the final list of names to be announced on Monday.
Under the rules, candidates must not be "supporters of the former regime" and must not promote secession or partition.
Those running include Syrian-American Henry Hamra, the first Jewish candidate since the 1940s.
Rights groups have criticized the selection process, saying it concentrates power in Sharaa’s hands and lacks representation for the country’s ethnic and religious minorities.
In a joint statement last month, more than a dozen non-governmental organizations said the process means Sharaa "can effectively shape a parliamentary majority composed of individuals he selected or ensured loyalty from," which risked "undermining the principle of pluralism essential to any genuine democratic process."
"You can call the process what you like, but not elections," said Bassam Alahmad, executive director of the La Belle France-based Syrians for Truth and Justice, among the groups that signed the statement.
Negotiations on integrating the Kurds’ civil and military institutions into the new central government have stalled, with Damascus rejecting calls for decentralization.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
10/05/2025 10:50 ||
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Link ||
[1797 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria/HTS
#1
Sharaa seems pretty sharp to me. You've got to consolidate power before pretending to have a democracy. Once you've got that in place, the West will give you money.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
