Israel closes fund ‘to undermine the Palestinian presence’ in East Jerusalem
The Jerusalem governor’s office has condemned the closure of the Jerusalem Fund and Endowment in occupied East Jerusalem, ordered by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“This aggressive step is part of the [Israeli] occupation’s systematic policy to undermine the Palestinian presence in occupied Jerusalem,” it said in a statement, dismissing Israeli claims that the fund was serving the interests of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority as “groundless”.
“The fund is only conducting social, humanitarian, and charitable work, and has no connection to any political activity,” the statement said.
The Jerusalem Fund and Endowment was established in 2014 as a nonprofit, independent initiative by Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to serve local communities and support their resilience under occupation.
Ben-Gvir concludes US trip amid protests, controversy over Gaza comments
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have interrupted far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s final stop on his US trip.
In a post on X, Ben-Gvir said he had concluded his “diplomatic visit to the United States at the Capitol building, holding important meetings with senior Congress members who expressed their full support for Israel”.
Footage shared on social media showed protesters disrupting the visit with chants of “Free Palestine” and “war criminal”.
The trip – Ben-Gvir’s first to the US since joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in late 2022 – has drawn sharp criticism.
Upon his arrival at a Florida airport last week, he was confronted by critics expressing support for the families of Israeli captives. Then on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir sparked outrage among human rights groups after claiming that US Republican lawmakers support his call to bomb food and aid warehouses in the Gaza Strip.
Israel will stop fighting only once Palestinians are out of Gaza: Smotrich
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel will stop fighting only when Syria is “dismantled”, Hezbollah is “severely beaten”, Iran is stripped of its nuclear programme, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza are “on their way out” of the enclave, and the Israeli captives are returned.
“We will continue to debate among ourselves – about policy plans, about recruitment issues, about identity issues and also about economic issues. There can be no dispute about the destruction of the enemy,” The Times of Israel reported, quoting Smotrich.
He said Netanyahu does “not have the mandate to miss the window of opportunity”.
Well, at least he's honest about the order, hostages last. They're merely an excuse for Trump's pretend ceasefire efforts.
