Israel-Palestine Live Blog (19 October): A Centre-Left Alternative to Netanyahu?

1540 GMT: Former Israeli Ambassador to UN, Gabriella Shalev, says in an interview with the Israeli daily Haaretz that she is “more Zionist, feminist and critical” after her return to Israel. 

To summarize, Shalev strongly criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “unilateral” Iranian policy, his “support” to the US President Barack Obama’s Republican rival Mitt Romney; all of which Shalev says make Israel “become a burden instead of an asset” in the eyes of the “great, important and true friend”, the United States.

After framing the complicated relations at the UN, Shalev says that the reason of Israel’s delegitimization is the “failure to recognize the right of the Jewish people to exist in Zion” and adds that “without the United States Israel would be denounced and isolated”. On the other hand, Shalev recognizes the “importance of the Iranian threat”, calls Iran as a "terrible country" that "will not sit by quietly."

 

The "need" for Israel's dependence on Washington on the traditional values of Zionism can be clearly seen in Shalev’s sentence: “The State of Israel cannot exist as an independent state here, in this small and pathetic territory that we received.”

1400 GMT: In a statement, the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine says Free Syrian Army rebels shot dead its leader Adel Hasan in Deraa refugee camp.

1345 GMT: After it had been reported that four Hamas activists were detained in the West Bank by the Palestinian Authority security officers on Thursday, Ramallah said that it was Hamas that detained its six former security officials last week.

1330 GMT: In response to a statement made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu earlier this week Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor has declared that the government will no longer plan to adopt the Levy Report. The Levy Report which found that Jews have an equal right to live in the Judea and Samaria territories caused upset in the across the opposition between the Labour, Meretz, Kadima and Arab parties. 

1330 GMT: It has been announced that the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border with Egypt will be open throughout the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha for the first time.

1300 GMT: Israeli forces have demolished the Negev Bedouin village. This will have been the 43rd time the village has been taken down by authorities on claims that residents cannot prove land ownership. 

1050 GMT: The IDF's Naftali camp near the Golani junction has been infiltrated. Four unknown individuals tied up the guard on duty and continued to steal four weapons early Friday morning.

08:30 GMT: Palestinians situated in the West Bank will take to the polls in local elections this Saturday for the first time in around 7 years.

The Israeli Elections

As former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert considers a return to politics along with Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister in his adminstration, expectations are rising that a center-left party could be an alternative to Netanyahu's Likud.

Speaking at Thursday’s convention of the Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization, Livni said that she would run the campaign if Olmert did not stand. 

In a speech to his party’s council in Petah Tikva on Thursday night, the Kadima party's current chairman Shaul Mofaz said:

The media says there is no alternative to Netanyahu, but I totally disagree. There are better, more suitable people than him: Olmert would be better than Netanyahu. Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan would be better than Netanyahu. Gabi Ashkenazi would be better than Netanyahu, and Livni would be better than Netanyahu.

UN Warning Over Lebanon

United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that the Hezbollah-sent drone downed by Israeli forces earlier this month could risk the stability of Labanon. Invoking UN Security Council Resolution 1559 --- which called in 2004 for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon, the disbanding of all militias in Lebanon, followed by the extension of the Lebanese Government control across the country --- Ban called Hezbollah’s launch of the drone into Israel “a reckless provocation” and urged the Israel Air Forces to stop overflights. 

Hamas-Israel Relations

On the anniversary of the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Hamas vowed to abduct more Israeli soldiers and hold them as bargaining chips for militants in Israeli jails.