Benjamin Netanyahu

By Pesach Benson • December 4, 2025

Jerusalem, 4 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Mossad will have a new Director after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his military Secretary, Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, is his choice to lead Israel’s intelligence agency. The appointment comes ahead of the scheduled conclusion of current Mossad Chief David Barnea’s five-year term in June 2026.

“Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman is an officer of great merit,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “His appointment as the Military Secretary to the Prime Minister in the midst of the War of Redemption proved his exceptional professional capabilities, from his rapid entry into the role to his immediate and significant involvement in the seven theaters of the war. His success is our success.”

The Mossad is responsible for foreign intelligence gathering, preventing attacks against Israeli citizens and interests abroad, and covert operations. The agency is sometimes involved in rescue or security operations to protect endangered Diaspora Jewish communities.

Gofman was a commander in the Armored Corps, Battalion Commander of Battalion 75 in the 7th Brigade, Commander of the Etzion Brigade, Commander of the 7th Brigade, and Commander of the HaBashan Division, among other roles.

“Maj.-Gen. Gofman has demonstrated creativity, initiative, stratagem, deep recognition of the enemy, absolute discretion, and the safeguarding of secrets. These qualities, as well as his leadership and courage, were evident at the outbreak of the war, when he rushed from his home and fought in person against Hamas terrorists in the Western Negev, where he was severely wounded,” Netanyahu said.

Currently serving as Netanyahu’s Military Secretary, Gofman has been in continuous contact with Israel’s intelligence and security services, including the Mossad.

The appointment will be vetted by the Advisory Committee for Senior Appointments.

By Pesach Benson • December 3, 2025

Jerusalem, 3 december, 2025 (TPS-IL) — In an unusual announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Deputy Head of Israel’s National Security Council to send a representative to a meeting with government officials in Lebanon, his office said Wednesday. The brief statement described the move as “a first attempt to create a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”

The announcement comes one day after Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Lebanon affairs, Morgan Ortagus, in Jerusalem.

Under the terms of a year-old ceasefire, the Lebanese government is committed to disarming Hezbollah, but Israeli officials have criticized Beirut’s measures as unsatisfactory. Israel has launched frequent airstrikes on Hezbollah as the Iran-backed terror group tries to rebuild.

Under the terms of the ceasefire that went into effect on November 27, 2024, Hezbollah is required to withdraw its armed forces from southern Lebanon. According to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the group is prohibited from operating south of the Litani River.

Israel and Lebanon do not have diplomatic relations, and Lebanese nationals are prohibited from being in contact with Israelis.

By Pesach Benson • November 30, 2025

Jerusalem, 30 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s political landscape erupted on Sunday following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s unprecedented request for a pardon from President Isaac Herzog. In a signed one-page letter, Netanyahu did not admit wrongdoing or apologize for any alleged offenses but instead emphasized his “broad public and ethical responsibility” for the political tensions surrounding his ongoing corruption trial.

The 111-page application — one letter signed by Netanyahu and a second, more detailed letter signed by his attorney, Amit Hadad — asked Herzog to end the corruption trial of Netanyahu, saying it hampers his ability to lead the country and is in the public interest.

“In recent years, tensions and disputes have increased between different segments of the nation and between the various branches of the state,” Netanyahu wrote. “I am aware that the proceedings being conducted in my case have become a focal point for confrontations. I bear broad public and ethical responsibility, with an understanding of the consequences of all these events.”

The prime minister, who is facing charges including fraud, breach of trust, and bribery, argued that despite his personal desire to continue the trial and prove his innocence, the public interest necessitates a different course. “Closing down the trial will lower the flames of political disagreement,” he said, adding that Israel’s current security challenges and diplomatic opportunities demand unity.

Netanyahu’s request immediately sparked a torrent of political reactions, sharply dividing Israeli leaders along ideological lines.

Senior members of Netanyahu’s government voiced strong support for the pardon. Defense Minister Israel Katz called the request essential to National Security, asserting that “Israel is facing a more complex security reality today than ever before.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “Netanyahu has been persecuted for years by a corrupt judicial system that fabricated political cases against him,” and insisted his right-wing Religious Zionism party will continue pushing for a controversial judicial overhaul regardless of the pardon.

Opposition figures, however, painted a starkly different picture. In a public appeal to Herzog, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said granting a pardon without an admission of guilt or a complete withdrawal from political life would undermine the rule of law.

“The president cannot pardon Netanyahu without accountability,” Lapid insisted.

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, called the request a blatant avoidance of responsibility, insisting that “only the guilty seek a pardon” and urging Netanyahu to resign from public life. Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beytenu, criticized Netanyahu for diverting attention from pressing national concerns such as the economy, military operations, and the ongoing Haredi draft controversy.

The Movement for Quality Government also weighed in, warning that granting a pardon mid-trial would constitute “a deadly blow to the rule of law and to the principle of equality before the law, the very soul of Israeli democracy.” The group described the request as a potential signal that some citizens could be placed above the law.

The move comes on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s unprecedented letter urging Herzog to grant clemency to Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption. Herzog responded to Trump that no pardon could be considered unless Netanyahu first formally admits guilt and requests clemency. Netanyahu has previously ruled out requesting clemency if it means admitting guilt. His application did not contain an admission of guilt.

Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, accepting bribes, and breach of trust stemming from three separate police investigations. He denies all wrongdoing.

In the case known as the “Bezeq Affair,” Netanyahu, while serving as communications minister, is accused of granting regulatory benefits to the Bezeq telecom giant. In return, Bezeq’s majority shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, allegedly provided Netanyahu with favorable coverage on the Walla news site, which he owned.

In the second investigation, known as the “Yediot Affair,” Netanyahu allegedly helped *Yediot Aharonot* publisher Arnon Mozes by advancing regulations on newspaper distribution to Mozes’s advantage. In exchange, Mozes is accused of offering Netanyahu favorable coverage.

In a separate investigation known as the “Gifts Affair,” Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting $200,000 in gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for assistance with a U.S. visa and changes to tax provisions benefiting Milchan. This case is widely regarded as the most serious one against Netanyahu.

Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing and has insisted in the past that the trial would not interfere with his public responsibilities.

No serving Israeli prime minister has ever been indicted on criminal charges. Ehud Olmert stepped down in 2008 ahead of his own indictment for corruption. Olmert was eventually convicted and served two-thirds of a 27-month prison sentence.

By Pesach Benson • November 30, 2025

Jerusalem, 30 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — In an unprecedented move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted an “extraordinary” pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, the president’s office announced on Sunday. The move comes on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s unprecedented letter urging Herzog to grant clemency to Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.

The 111-page application — one letter signed by Netanyahu and a second, more detailed letter, signed by his attorney, Amit Hadad — asked Herzog to end the corruption trial of Netanyahu, saying it hampers his ability to lead the country and is in the public interest.

“Granting this request will allow the prime minister to devote all of his time, abilities, and energy to advancing Israel in these critical times,” wrote Hadad, “and to deal with the challenges and opportunities that lie before it. In addition, granting the request will help mend rifts between different sectors of the public, open the door to lowering the intensity of tensions, all for the purpose of strengthening the country’s national resilience.”

In response to Trump’s request in mid-November, Herzog responded that no pardon could be considered unless Netanyahu first formally admits guilt and requests clemency. Netanyahu has previously ruled out requesting clemency if it means admitting guilt. His application did not contain an admission of guilt.

The application also argued that Herzog has the authority to grant clemency, even before a conviction.

“The President’s Office notes that this is an extraordinary pardon request with significant implications. After receiving all the opinions, the President of the State will consider it responsibly and seriously,” Herzog’s office said after receiving Netanyahu’s request.

“In light of the importance of the extraordinary request and its implications, the documents are hereby distributed to the public,” the announcement added.

Netanyahu’s request was also forwarded to the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department at the Ministry of Justice, which will also gather the relevant opinions from within the ministry in preparation for a legal opinion to be presented to Herzog.

Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, accepting bribes, and breach of trust stemming from three separate police investigations. He denies all wrongdoing.

In the case known as the “Bezeq Affair,” Netanyahu, while serving as communications minister, is accused of granting regulatory benefits to the Bezeq telecom giant. In return, Bezeq’s majority shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, allegedly provided Netanyahu with favorable coverage on the Walla news site, which he owned.

In the second investigation, known as the “Yediot Affair,” Netanyahu allegedly helped *Yediot Aharonot* publisher Arnon Mozes by advancing regulations on newspaper distribution to Mozes’s advantage. In exchange, Mozes is accused of offering Netanyahu favorable coverage.

In a separate investigation known as the “Gifts Affair,” Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting $200,000 in gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for assistance with a U.S. visa and changes to tax provisions benefiting Milchan. This case is widely regarded as the most serious one against Netanyahu.

Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing and has insisted in the past that the trial would not interfere with his public responsibilities.

No serving Israeli Prime Minister has ever been indicted on criminal charges. Ehud Olmert stepped down in 2008 ahead of his own indictment for corruption. Olmert was eventually convicted and served two-thirds of a 27-month prison sentence.

By Pesach Benson • November 25, 2025

Jerusalem, 25 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Opposition leader Yair Lapid announced on Tuesday that he will bring a motion to the Knesset next week calling for Israel to adopt U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, a move designed to support Washington while putting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on the spot.

“The entire Israeli people are grateful to President Trump for leading a courageous deal to free the hostages. We support him and strengthen his hand in efforts to implement the steps of the plan. I expect all parties to vote in favor of the president’s plan,” Lapid said.

The plan lays out a phased strategy to end the conflict, including the return of all hostages—living and deceased—within 72 hours of agreement implementation. It envisions a temporary, technocratic Palestinian committee to manage day-to-day affairs in Gaza under the oversight of a new international body, the “Peace Council.” The council would coordinate redevelopment and financing until the Palestinian Authority completes its reform program and can safely resume governance.

Although Trump’s plan frames Palestinian statehood as a distant possibility contingent on reforms and security guarantees, it still explicitly acknowledges “a credible pathway to self-determination and a Palestinian state.” Netanyahu and many coalition members have consistently opposed any notion of a Palestinian state, viewing it as incompatible with Israel’s long-term security and territorial goals.

The U.S. plan also lays the groundwork for the eventual return of the Palestinian Authority to governing Gaza. Many coalition ministers are skeptical or outright opposed to empowering the P.A.

“This is a chance to strengthen Trump’s hand and support a clear framework for ending the conflict,” Lapid said. “It is also a test of whether the government is ready to stand with Israel’s interests — or with political expediency.”

It is uncertain whether Lapid’s motion will pass, which could embarrass Netanyahu.

After the United Nations Security Council adopted the Trump plan, Netanyahu called the plan “a framework that will lead to peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarization, disarmament, and the deradicalization of Gaza.”

Around 1,200 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The bodies of two Israelis and one Thai national are still held in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • November 25, 2025

Jerusalem, 25 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday condemned what he called an unacceptable delay by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in returning the body of a hostage found in central Gaza, saying the hold-up violates existing understandings.

“In light of the Islamic Jihad’s announcement regarding the location of findings related to a deceased hostage, Israel views with severity the delay in their immediate transfer into its hands,” Netanyahu’s office said. “This constitutes a further violation of the agreement. Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.”

More than 24 hours have passed since Islamic Jihad confirmed Al Jazeera’s report that the body of a hostage was discovered near Nuseirat on Monday.

Hamas typically announces plans to transfer recovered remains, even when they are held by Islamic Jihad. However, Hamas has not issued any statement, and Islamic Jihad has given no indication it intends to hand over the body. Neither terror group has been in touch with the International Red Cross, which transfers remains between the terror groups and the Israel Defense Forces.

Around 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The bodies of two Israelis — Dror Or and Master Sgt. Ran Gvili — and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak are still in Gaza.

By Pesach Benson • November 23, 2025

Jerusalem, 23 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s government on Sunday approved a series of temporary ministerial appointments to fill posts left vacant after the country’s Orthodox parties quit the coalition.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin will assume responsibility for the Labor, Religious Services and Jerusalem ministries. Levin, who is already serving as Interior Minister, will hand that portfolio to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on an interim basis.

While the Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Shas parties are no longer part of the government, they have agreed to support the Cabinet reshuffle.

The Knesset is scheduled to vote on the arrangement on Monday.

Levin is not the only minister taking on multiple roles. Haim Katz currently leads the Construction and Housing, Tourism, Health and Welfare ministries, reflecting the government’s continued reliance on overlapping appointments during a period of political flux.

Legislation currently in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee seeks to formalize Orthodox community exemptions from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Committee chairman Boaz Bismuth has indicated that the revised draft is expected to continue exempting full-time yeshiva students from military service for the foreseeable future.

The military began making plans to draft yeshiva students after Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that exemptions for the Haredi community were illegal.

Haredi Orthodox men in Israel are generally exempt from mandatory military service if they study full-time in religious seminaries, known as yeshivot. The issue has long divided Israeli society and remains politically sensitive, especially during wartime. Shas and UTJ insist on preserving these exemptions as a matter of religious principle and community identity.

However, public opposition has grown. After two years of war, many Israelis view the policy as unequal.

Military service is compulsory for all Israeli citizens. However, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and the country’s leading rabbis agreed to a status quo that deferred military service for Haredi men studying in yeshivot, or religious institutions. At the time, no more than several hundred men were studying in yeshivot.

By Pesach Benson • November 23, 2025

Jerusalem, 23 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — India’s Minister of commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal concluded a three-day visit to Israel on Sunday with meetings with both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.

“Israel and India are strengthening our strategic partnership, more investments, more innovation, and a strong economic corridor from India through Israel to Europe. Together we are building economic power,” Netanyahu tweeted afterwards.

Goyal briefed Netanyahu on the outcomes of the India-Israel Business Forum and CEOs Forum, which brought more than 60 Indian business leaders to Israel. The two also discussed negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, which were officially resumed on Thursday with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Earlier, Goyal met President Isaac Herzog, who welcomed the progress toward a deeper economic relationship. “I’m especially happy that you’re here to sign an MOU… the sky’s the limit. We have to work hard on it, but I think we are like-minded in so many things,” Herzog told Goyal. He added: “The impact of India and the affection towards India in Israel is outstanding… I think the relations are excellent, but we can even upgrade them more.”

During the meeting, Goyal conveyed “the warm greetings of the people of India” and highlighted the strong outcomes from the Business Forum and CEOs Forum, describing them as the “first big step” toward FTA talks. He emphasized India’s “robust growth story” and expanding opportunities for Israeli companies in innovation, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and investment.

Goyal led a delegation of around 100 representatives from nearly 70 Indian companies, India’s largest ever trade delegation to Israel.

India, the world’s fifth-largest economy with a population of roughly 1.4 billion, is a strategic destination for Israeli exports. Exports of Israeli goods and services to India reached about $3.1 billion in 2024, growing 56% over four years despite regional conflicts. A free trade agreement is expected to reduce high tariffs and trade barriers while also addressing digital trade, services, intellectual property, government procurement, and other areas essential for deepening cooperation.

On Friday, Goyal met Agriculture and Food Security Minister Avi Dichter, who outlined Israel’s 25-year food-security roadmap, its advanced seed-improvement capabilities, and world-leading water-reuse technologies. A day earlier, Goyal met his Israeli counterpart, Nir Barkat, to review trade flows and identify new areas of collaboration. Goyal later posted that their discussions covered “the full spectrum of our strategic partnership… and the first big step towards FTA negotiations.”

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to advancing FTA negotiations and accelerating cooperation in investment, technology, and industrial innovation. Bilateral trade, which stood at $200 million in 1992, reached a peak of $10.7 billion in 2022-23 (excluding defence).

Since the outbreak of the October 7 war, Israeli-Indian trade declined as airlines cut back on flights to Tel Aviv and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen disrupted international shipping in the Red Sea.

Israel and India signed a bilateral investment agreement in September, which Israeli officials hailed as the first of its kind between India and a Western-oriented member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister and the ministers stood for a moment of silence in memory of Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg-Ikar, of blessed memory, who passed away last Friday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Sunday, 23 November 2025), at the start of the Government meeting [translated from Hebrew]:

“We will shorten the government meeting today so that we can attend the major event in memory of Miriam Feirberg in Netanya. Miriam was a groundbreaking leader. She was the Mayor of Netanya for almost 30 years. This is an unbelievable thing, but it is believable, because everyone who knew her knows her deep commitment to the city, her enthusiasm, her initiative, and also her ability to stand up to difficulties, including the difficulties unjustly placed upon her in a legal attack, which, fortunately, she was finally extricated from. But she stood up to it with pride.

She was also very committed, as I know, and as each of you can also attest, because every conversation with her was: ‘What can you do for Netanya? What can we do together for Netanya?’ Without exaggeration. I don’t recall a single conversation with her that didn’t include – not only didn’t include – but wasn’t guided by this endeavor. So, I request, with your permission, that we stand for a moment of silence in her memory.

We are continuing to strike terrorism on several fronts. This weekend, the IDF struck in Lebanon, and we will continue to do everything necessary to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its threat capability against us. This is also what we are doing in the Gaza Strip. Since the ceasefire, Hamas has not stopped violating it, and we are acting accordingly. There have been several attempts by them to infiltrate our territory beyond the yellow line and try to harm our soldiers. We have thwarted this with great force and also retaliated and exacted a very heavy price. That includes many terrorists we eliminated, and also terrorists we captured from the tunnels in Rafah.

All the talk that ‘We must receive approvals for this’ from one source or another is simply an absolute lie. We operate independently of anyone. Immediate actions to thwart attacks are taken by the IDF automatically. As for the responses, that goes through the Minister of Defense and eventually reaches me, and we decide independently of any factor, and that is how it should be. Israel is responsible for its own security.”