Netanyahu Blocks Pally State With New Housing Development

     The Israeli city of Ma’aleh Adumin

Netanyahu Blocks Palestinian State with New Housing Development

“There will be no Palestinian state.” So declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, upon approving a new housing development east of Jerusalem that will divide the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

The development, known as E1, was approved by finance minister Bezalel Smotrich in August after several western countries began saying that they would recognize a Palestinian state despite the ongoing war, and despite the fact that Hamas continues to hold, and to starve, dozens of Israeli hostages.

The new community will connect Jerusalem with the settlement community of Ma’aleh Adumin, to the east.

The Jerusalem Post reported:

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the new E1 settlement plan near Ma’aleh Adumim, which would split east Jerusalem from the West Bank.

Standing at the site of the planned settlement, Smotrich said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development.

Netanyahu visited Ma’aleh Adumim to approve the plan — and to declare the Palestinian state over. The Times of Israel reported:

“There will be no Palestinian state,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the ceremony in Ma’ale Adumim. 

Correspondent Shalom Yerushalmi said: “Construction in E1 is the last nail in the coffin of the two-state solution.”

In remarks distributed by the Government Press Office, and translated from Hebrew, Netanyahu said:

We said that there will not be a Palestinian state – and indeed there will be no Palestinian state! This place is ours. We will see to our heritage, our land and our security.

We are now almost two years into a war that was forced on us on that terrible day of slaughter, of abductions of our hostages, most of whom have returned, but others remain. We will bring them all back – the living and the deceased.

However, we understood, and I said this on the second day of the war, we will change the face of the Middle East. Because it was clear to me that we were not fighting just the murderers of Hamas, but we were fighting Iran and the Iranian axis, that in effect came to strangle us and destroy us. We did so step by step, step by step. When I say ‘We did it’, we did it together. Not just my friends in government, it is the heroes, our soldiers who are fighting, and the heroes who have fallen, and the people of Israel who have constantly stood steadfast, when we struck Iran and pushed off an existential threat. Not just over hundreds or thousands, but over millions of Israeli citizens, and over our entire future, and over the dream of the generations who came before us, for realizing the dream of those who will come after us.

We removed these threats thanks to the steadfast endurance of the citizens of Israel. We will complete the work. What began in Gaza – will end in Gaza. We will defeat Hamas.

At the same time, we are dealing with other parts of the axis, who still need to be dealt with, such as the Houthis. But we really are taking brave and determined action. Perhaps the most important thing in this battle, is the determination that stems from the recognition that we are fighting not just for our land, our children and our grand-children, but to ensure – in two words – the eternity of Israel. The eternity of Israel is currently being decided in all parts of the Land of Israel, here as well, in the expanding Maale Adumim.

Israelis once supported a two-state solution, but support for that idea has collapsed over the past decade, after several wars in which Hamas attacked Israel.

Netanyahu had contemplated annexing the West Bank, but refrained from doing so, after Arab countries indicated that doing so would end the Abraham Accords peace agreement.

The construction in E1 falls short of annexation but makes the territorial contiguity of a Palestinian state impossible.

The United Nations General Assembly demands that Palestinians be able to govern all of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2025/09/12/netanyahu-blocks-palestinian-state-with-new-housing-development/ 

Smotrich approves West Bank settlement plan to 'bury idea of Palestinian state'

"The plan is the 'final nail in the coffin' for the concept of a Palestinian state," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich remarked.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved the new E1 settlement plan near Ma’aleh Adumim, which would split east Jerusalem from the West Bank.

“Those around the world who try to recognize a Palestinian state will see our response on the ground – not with documents or declarations, but with facts: homes, roads, and Jewish families building their lives here,” Smotrich said.

"We will continue to build a Jewish reality,” he said. “This reality buries the idea for good – there is nothing to recognize.”

He also thanked Trump and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, “friends of Israel like we’ve never had,” for support for the settlement.

The plan calls for the construction of 3,401 new housing units in Ma’aleh Adumim, located in the West Bank.

Pally supporters called the plan a “death blow to the two-state solution,” because it calls for effectively splitting the West Bank into two parts. This would prevent the development of a metropolitan area between Ramallah, east Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.

Smotrich stated that this plan would move forward, since it is the “final nail in the coffin” for the concept of a Palestinian state.

“From the Palestinian perspective and that of the international community, this is a critical area. Without it, the establishment of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital is simply impossible,” he added.

“The approval of construction in the E1 area undermines the idea of a Palestinian state and is part of the broader steps we are taking as part of our de facto sovereignty plan. After decades of international pressure and freezing of projects, we are defying conventions and cementing the connection between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem,” he said.

The plan has been met with enthusiasm in the Binyamin and Ma’aleh Adumim area. Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, hailed it as “a historic achievement for the settlement movement, laying the groundwork for the eventual implementation of sovereignty.”

Ma’aleh Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach also expressed his strong support.

“Palestinians have tried to undermine this area through illegal construction, but the creation of this new neighborhood will thwart their efforts,” he said.

Pallys condemned the scheme, saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up any internationally backed peace plans for the region.

A UN spokesperson said it would put an end to the prospects of a two-state solution. 

The Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry strongly condemned the project.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said "The decision of Israeli authorities to advance the E1 settlement plan undermines the two-state solution."

Turkey condemned Israel's settlement plan, reiterating that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state was the only way to achieve lasting peace.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-864165#google_vignette

At Ma’ale Adumim, Netanyahu buried the two-state solution

Ma’ale Adumim was in a festive mood on Thursday. The city was decorated with flags and posters everywhere announcing the “signing of the Ma’ale Adumim umbrella agreement.”

This agreement, which involves all government ministries and relevant companies, is indeed a historic event. After decades in which Israeli governments refrained from touching the E1 area that connects Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem, the agreement fixes construction in this incendiary zone, which will house 20,000 Israelis within 10–15 years, thereby cutting the West Bank into two parts and preventing Palestinian territorial contiguity from north to south.

“There will be no Palestinian state,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the Thursday ceremony in Ma’ale Adumim. 

   View of the area

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said “The US has never asked Israel to not apply sovereignty”. “I have repeatedly stated that the US respects Israel as a sovereign nation and will not tell Israel what to do. This is also what Secretary Rubio has said.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-maale-adumim-netanyahu-buried-the-two-state-solution/

Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Threatens Israel

Spain's socialist Prime Minister has sparked outrage after expressing regret over the country not having enough nuclear weapons to 'stop Israel'. 

PM Pedro Sanchez's remarks came as he announced an arms embargo on Israel.

Addressing journalists in a press conference, the politician said: 'Spain, as you know, doesn't have nuclear bombs, nor aircraft carriers, nor large oil reserves. 

'We alone can't stop the Israeli offensive. But that doesn't mean we won't stop trying.'

One X user commented: 'Thank God this crazed Megalomaniac is nowhere near a red button! Get him out of power and in to an asylum!'

Another said: 'Meanwhile, Israel does have nukes, so pipe down, Sanchez, you rotten demon.'

PM Pedro Sanchez's remarks came as he announced an arms embargo on Israel 

Socialist Spain, which recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024, has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip,. 

Sanchez said Spain would ban ships and aircraft delivering weapons or military-grade jet fuel to Israel, and said that it would not allow anyone who had participated directly in 'genocide' in Gaza to enter Spain.

In October, 2023, fighters from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the territory, attacked Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar accused Sanchez of using the measures in an attempt to divert attention from domestic corruption scandals, and announced an entry ban on Sanchez's deputy, Yolanda Diaz, and Youth Minister Sira Rego. 

Both belong to hard-Left party Sumar, the junior partner in Sanchez's coalition government.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15085945/Spanish-Prime-Minister-says-stop-Israel-nuclear-bombs.html

Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned Spain's socialist prime minster for issuing what he called a 'blatant genocidal threat' against Israel.

Spanish leader Pedro Sanchez announced an arms embargo on Israel earlier this week and was criticized for expressing regret over the country not having enough nuclear weapons to 'stop Israel'. 

His remarks angered Netanyahu, who accused Spain of threatening Israel.

'Spanish PM Sanchez said yesterday that Spain can’t stop Israel’s battle against Hamas terrorists because "Spain does not have nuclear weapons". That’s a blatant genocidal threat on the world’s only Jewish State,' he said.

Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned Spain's socialist prime minster for issuing what he called a 'blatant genocidal threat' against Israel 

Spain recently finally granted Spanish citizenship to 72,000 Sephardic Jews - descendants of those expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15089773/Netanyahu-accuses-Spain-Prime-Ministe-genocidal-threat-stop-Israel-nuclear-bombs.html

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Spain would recognise the State of Palestine

Hamas gunman is seen in Israel on October 7. The attack left around 1,200 people dead in Israel

Spain is enduring its most devastating wildfire season since records began, with blazes consuming more than 382,000 hectares of land

Russia - Ukraine War News: Attacking these targets could cripple Russia’s war machine: Experts

 

Attacking these targets could cripple Russia’s war machine: Experts

By Michael Peck, Defensenews.com, September 10, 2025

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/09/attacking-these-targets-could-cripple-russias-war-machine-experts/

Servicemen inspect fragments of a Russian missile inside the Cabinet of Ministers building damaged after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. (Dan Bashakov/AP)

By striking eight targets across Russia, Ukraine could badly damage Russia’s war machine, according to some U.S. experts.

A mixture of drone and missile attacks — as well as limited ground offensives into Russian-controlled territory — could enable the Ukrainians to break the current stalemate and affect the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, argues an August report by the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

The Hudson target list details “eight high-value and militarily plausible targets that Ukraine should pursue to weaken Russia’s warfighting ability and increase the political cost of invading and occupying Ukrainian territory,” wrote Hudson researchers Luke Coffey and Can Kasapoğlu.

“While a single strike against any one of these targets would not by itself constitute a decisive blow, cumulatively, a sustained attack against several of them could significantly damage Russia’s military infrastructure and complicate its continued aggression,” the report argues.

The Volga-Don Canal, a 63-mile waterway connecting the Caspian and Black Seas, enables Russia to sail ships into the Black Sea, and Iran to ship weapons to Russia. Damaging the canal’s 13 locks would be difficult: Though Russian air defenses in the area are weak, Ukrainian drones and missiles would still need powerful warheads and pinpoint accuracy. However, “a successful strike would deal a major geopolitical blow to Russia as well as to the Islamic Republic,” Coffey and Kasapoğlu argue.

“Movement of military and commercial vessels between the Caspian and Black Sea would also slow and halt, causing economic disruption,” according to the report.

A joint Russo-Iranian drone factory in the Russian republic of Tatarstan manufactures most of the Iranian-designed Shahed drones that have pummeled Ukrainian cities. While Ukraine probably can’t destroy such an enormous facility through bombardment, it can target the factory’s Achilles-heel, its electrical supply.

“The factory draws electricity primarily from the Tatarstan power grid, most likely sourced from the Nizhnekamsk Thermal Power Plant — a major generator in the region,” the Hudson report noted. “Any disruption to this regional energy network could impact factory operations.”

A Ukrainian officer shows a thermobaric charge of a downed Shahed drone launched by Russia in a research laboratory in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Nov. 14, 2024. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Border crossing points between Russia and China convey Chinese electronics and other goods that sustain Russia’s military and economy. In particular, 60% of cross-border rail traffic passes through the Manzhouli–Zabaykalsk and Suifenhe–Pogranichny chokepoints. While Coffey and Kasapoğlu are careful not to advocate a Ukrainian attack on China, “there are several vulnerable and critical transit chokepoints within a 100-mile radius on the Russian side of each crossing.”

The Hudson report identified four bridges that connect Russian-occupied Crimea with Russia. In addition to the Kerch Bridge — which Ukrainian attacks have periodically damaged — the Chonhar, Syvash and Henichesk bridges are also vital to Russian logistics.

“The West should prioritize arming Ukraine with the weapons it needs to destroy, or at least incapacitate, the Kerch Bridge,” the report said. “The German Taurus missile, with its smart fuse technology and destructive warhead, remains the ideal weapon for this operation.”

Rail bridges in Russia’s Western Military District, which abuts Ukraine, were also flagged in the report. Much more than Western nations, Russia depends on rail transport to move troops and supplies. While previous attacks on trains and rail yards have achieved only limited success, destroying railway bridges, transformers and traction substations offers more promise.

“In the aftermath of such strikes, cascading bottlenecks would likely emerge across the broader rail network, creating secondary targets of opportunity for follow-on attacks,” the report noted.

The Russian naval base at Ochamchire in Abkhazia, a Russian-occupied region of Georgia, is another key target identified by Coffey and Kasapoğlu. After Ukrainian drone strikes drove the Black Sea Fleet out of Sevastopol and other Crimean ports, Russia began building a naval base at Ochamchire. The site has yet to be fortified and it is within drone range of Ukraine, so attacks could disrupt construction and “mark a significant victory for Ukraine, demonstrating its expanding strategic reach against high-value Russian targets.”

Russia’s Pacific Fleet bases were also included in the report’s target list. With Vladivostok 6,000 miles from Kyiv, hitting Pacific bases wouldn’t be easy. Coffey and Kasapoğlu suggest that Ukraine could use containerized drones launched from covert cargo ships.

“Such an ambitious attack could yield significant geopolitical dividends, even if not entirely successful,” the report said. “It would compel Russia to reassess its force protection posture across its entire naval fleet, including for assets located thousands of miles from Ukraine.

Transnistria, a Russian-supported breakaway region of Moldova, now hosts an estimated 1,500 Russian troops (Russia may bring in another 10,000 troops, the Moldovan government recently warned). Located to the southwest of Ukraine, Transnistria is surrounded by Ukrainian and Moldovan territory, and thus isolated from Russian armies in eastern Ukraine.

“Ukraine would gain leverage in escalation dominance over the Kremlin by seizing Russian-held territory in Transnistria,” Coffey and Kasapoğlu said. “In particular, such an operation would lessen the pressure on the key Ukrainian port city of Odessa.”

Of these options, attacking Transnistria is probably the most challenging. With Ukraine’s army under pressure in the east from relentless Russian attacks, mustering sufficient forces to attack west against Transnistria may be difficult.

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Top Cop: Police Should Not Be Free Speech Monitors

Top UK Cop: Time for Police to Stop Being Free Speech Monitors

Police should stop monitoring social media for alleged breaches of non-crime, free speech strictures and return to the fundamental tasks of catching criminals while protecting society, the head of the UK police watchdog said.

Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, insists forces need to get the basics right and focus on the issues that matter to the public rather than being Orwellian arbiters of hurtful words and damaged feelings.

Arbitrating social media disputes should not be a police priority.

As reported by The Times of London, Sir Andy, ex-chief constable of Merseyside, told reporters the focus of law enforcement must return to neighbourhood policing.

“We need, at times, to allow people to speak openly without the fear their opinion will put them on the wrong side of the law.”

Non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) are recorded by police to help assess community tensions and try to head off trouble. Many critics see this as a threat to free speech.

Sir Andy’s plea comes after Father Ted writer Graham Linehan, 57, was arrested by armed cops over posts he made about trans issues.

Breitbart previously reported that in Linehan’s Substack he criticized how, “in a country where paedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak,” the government “mobilised five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer” over tweets he had written and shared.

The Irish comedian has vowed to sue the Metropolitan Police and seek asylum in the U.S. as he no longer feels safe in Britain, as Breitbart News reported.

Asked about the case, Sir Andy replied: “Was it a great public optic? No, it wasn’t. Lessons, I’m sure, will be learned in relation to it.”

He said such incidents detract from the good work police do daily, adding: “I’m a firm believer that non-crime hate incidents are no longer required, and that intelligence can be gathered in a different way, which would cause less concern to the public and make recording of such issues much easier.

Members of the Free Speech Union hold a banner reading ‘Police our Streets not Our Tweets’ as Graham Linehan arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court on September 4, 2025 in London, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

“We need to separate the offensive from the criminal.”

Cooke talked to reporters as he launched the inspectorate’s annual state of policing report.

A review is now underway at the College of Policing, the body that the sets standards for law enforcement.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/09/10/top-uk-cop-time-for-police-to-stop-being-free-speech-monitors/