Netanyahu Ready to ‘Resign’ but Wants to Set Regional Peace Plan First

Benjamin Netanyahu during his inspection of the Rafael Defense Company in Haifa (dpa)
Benjamin Netanyahu during his inspection of the Rafael Defense Company in Haifa (dpa)
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Netanyahu Ready to ‘Resign’ but Wants to Set Regional Peace Plan First

Benjamin Netanyahu during his inspection of the Rafael Defense Company in Haifa (dpa)
Benjamin Netanyahu during his inspection of the Rafael Defense Company in Haifa (dpa)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering the possibility of resigning, but he is first devising a plan to remain in position for months to come to achieve a comprehensive regional peace plan together with US President Joe Biden, said political sources.

Several polls have shown that Netanyahu's days in office are numbered.

Political sources close to Netanyahu said the plan includes a settlement for his trial on corruption charges.

The Public Prosecution began two years ago, negotiating with Netanyahu on a judicial package for his trial, where he would be convicted and sentenced to suspended imprisonment on the condition that he confess to the charges and retire from politics for seven years.

However, he refused.

The PM is considering retiring, but not immediately after the war. Following Biden's vision, he aims to achieve victory and engage in comprehensive regional negotiations.

The sources estimated that the Hamas movement will now begin bringing members of the international media to the Gaza Strip during the truce as part of an intense propaganda campaign to convey images of the destruction caused by Israel.

The movement is hoping to restore international pressure on Israel to end the fighting intensively, with a high possibility that the US will join the demand for a long-term ceasefire and begin global communications to achieve a political settlement that determines the status of the Strip.

According to Netanyahu's estimates, the centrist party, headed by Benny Gantz, will withdraw from the government, and people will launch a march on the streets demanding Netanyahu's resignation.

A source familiar with the matter said that the talks are still preliminary.

The future of the deal with Hamas and the future of the war in Gaza will affect the decision-making process, he said, adding that Netanyahu will decide based on the developments and the emerging public-political situation.

Netanyahu's office was quick to deny the reports, saying they were baseless.

The statement said Netanyahu asserts the war will not stop and is focused on completing all of the war's goals until its end: liquidating Hamas, releasing the captives, and creating a reality in which Gaza no longer threatens Israel.

Journalist Uri Misgav said Netanyahu still acts as if he is the savior of the people of Israel.

Misgav stated that Netanyahu does not understand that the Israelis view him as the problem and not the solution, adding that a person like him should be on trial for financial, political, and security corruption that brought Israel "the calamity of Oct. 7" referring to the al-Aqsa Flood operation.

The journalist asserted that Netanyahu must resign immediately and not wait until the war ends.

The Friday weekly opinion poll of Maariv newspaper indicated an additional decline in Likud seats. The party would win just 18 seats compared to the 32 it won in November 2022.

If elections were to be held in Israel today, extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's party would fail to win the 3.25 percent vote minimum to enter the Knesset.

According to the survey, parties in the current government, which together won 64 seats in November 2022, would crash to just 41 seats out of 120 if elections were to be held today, the lowest percentage the right has obtained all year.

Gantz's National Unity party has continued to rise in popularity and would secure 43 seats compared to the 12 it currently holds.

Accordingly, if elections were held for the Knesset now, the opposition parties combined in the "change" alliance merged with the Arab Hadash-Taal would soar to 79. They could form a sufficient coalition to form a government led by Gantz.

Regarding whether Netanyahu or Gantz is more suited to be prime minister, 52 percent of respondents said Gantz, and 27 percent said Netanyahu.

When the question was directed at Likud voters, 56 percent said Netanyahu should lead the country, while 26 percent said they would back Gantz.

The Arab parties are united in two blocs, each of which currently has five seats and will also obtain five seats if the elections were held today, according to the poll.



‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
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‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump says "mistakes were made" but he's satisfied with the investigation into his near-assassination a year ago, as the Secret Service announced disciplinary actions Thursday against six staff members.

In excerpts of an interview on Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump" show, airing Saturday, Trump, 79, said the elite close-protection service "had a bad day."

"There were mistakes made. And that shouldn't have happened," Trump said in the interview conducted by his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who has her own show on the Trump-friendly news channel.

The Republican -- whose ear was nicked by a bullet while he addressed an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania -- noted that the would-be assassin had access to a "prime building" overlooking the rally.

One bystander was killed and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a counter-sniper killed the gunman -- 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

The sniper "was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn't do that, you would have had an even worse situation," Trump said. "His name is David and he did a fantastic job."

Speaking of the post-incident investigation and "the larger plot," Trump said "I'm satisfied with it."

"It was unforgettable," he said, recalling the drama. "I didn't know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There's no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming."

The Secret Service said in a statement that the July 13, 2024, attack was "nothing short of a tragedy" and "an operational failure that the Secret Service will carry as a reminder of the critical importance of its zero-fail mission."

The agency cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.

Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, the Secret Service said. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days suspension without pay and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.

Among measures beefing up security, is an expansion of the fleet of armored golf carts to carry the president. Trump spends frequent weekends at his golf courses and in September last year was allegedly the target of a failed assassination plot while playing in Florida.

"The agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement.