Thomas Helm
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Articles by Thomas Helm
How Israel's President will try to break the country's elections deadlock
When Shabbat ends on Saturday evening, Israel will brace itself for the next step in the fraught path to forming its next government after last month’s elections were inconclusive. The next step gives Israeli President Isaac Herzog an unusually significant and potentially very controversial task: to choose which politician has the first opportunity to form a government.
Arab parties back Eisenkot, but path to Israeli coalition remains fraught
Arab parties threw their backing behind former army general Gadi Eisenkot to be Israel's next prime minister on Thursday, but a row over Hamas is threatening to derail the process. Mansour Abbas, the leader of the majority-Arab political party Ra’am, called for Hamas to be disarmed and removed from power but stopped short of calling the group a terrorist organisation during talks with the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog.
Israelis fear for future of US support after midterm backlash against Trump
Israel’s opposition is calling for a new approach to the US after the Democratic rout in midterm elections prompted calls to rethink the relationship from President Donald Trump's inner circle. The massive defeat for Mr Trump, who has enacted pro-Israel policies that other American presidents have shunned, was accompanied by victories for Democratic candidates who are unusually sceptical of Israel.
Israel faces constitutional crisis as Netanyahu challenges election result
A constitutional crisis is brewing in Israel as caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalates his campaign to cast doubt on the outcome of last week’s election, prompting opposition politicians to accuse him of trying to “crush democracy”. The dispute reached new heights on Tuesday evening, when Israel’s attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, issued a highly unusual statement accusing the head of the country's internal security agency of undermining the rule of law.
Israeli opposition scrambles to oust Netanyahu after crucial meeting
Israel’s opposition parties called for a “national emergency government” on Tuesday as they held high-stakes talks on wresting power from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former army general Gadi Eisenkot and other “change bloc” leaders met for about an hour in Herzliya, Israeli media said, as they try to unite their disparate parties while Mr Netanyahu questions the legitimacy of last week's election.
Qatar denies 'ridiculous' accusations after Netanyahu casts doubt on validity of Arab vote
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies are casting doubt on the validity of record Arab-Israeli voter turnout during Tuesday’s polls, fuelled by the Central Elections Committee asking for reports of foreign interference to be investigated. Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg asked the Shin Bet security agency to look into “serious suspicions” of “hostile” foreign interference in the elections, including accusations of Qatari money funding Arab parties.
Arab parties set sights on removing Netanyahu as Israel counts last votes
Politicians from Israel's Arab minority set their sights on removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday as they savoured an election result that increases their presence in parliament. With most ballots counted, neither Mr Netanyahu nor opposition parties led by former army general Gadi Eisenkot had a majority in the 120-member Knesset. The two rival camps were hovering around 50 seats each, with the Netanyahu bloc on course to be slightly larger than the Eisenkot group.
Palestinian-Israelis wake to new political dawn after record election success
Not much can be said with confidence about Tuesday’s Israeli elections. Official results are still trickling in and will continue to do so in the hours and days ahead. What is certain is a new political dawn for Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, who make up about 20 per cent of the population. The community turned out in force, with turnout around 80 per cent, defying its historic apathy towards Israeli elections.
Israel awaits election results after turnout soars
Israelis are awaiting their general election results after voting in their highest numbers for decades on Tuesday at a pivotal moment for the Middle East. Votes are being counted overnight after a closely-fought contest between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, former army general Gadi Eisenkot. An exit poll by Channel 12 showed Mr Netanyahu's Likud party winning 24 seats in the 120-member Knesset, with Mr Eisenkot's Yashar party on 22.
Israeli voters head to polling stations to deliver Netanyahu verdict
Polls have opened across Israel on Tuesday in one of the most momentous elections in its history as voters deliver their verdict on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime leadership. Mr Netanyahu is seeking re-election after a four-year term defined by the catastrophic security failure of the attacks on October 7, 2023, Israel's destructive war on Gaza and the country's subsequent campaigns in Lebanon, Iran and across the region.
Israel heads to polls at pivotal moment for Middle East
Israel goes to the polls on Tuesday in one of the most momentous elections in its history as voters deliver their verdict on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wartime leadership. Mr Netanyahu is seeking re-election after a four-year term defined by the catastrophic security failure of the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israel's destructive war in Gaza and its subsequent campaigns in Lebanon, Iran and across the region.
Six controversial ways Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to salvage his election prospects
With polls predicting a close race in Israel's general election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be throwing everything he can at the electorate to win. With tensions sky-high at home and in the Middle East, he is playing a dangerous game. Here are six of the most controversial things Mr Netanyahu has done to try to bolster his support in recent days.
‘Astronomical’ Arab turnout could reshape Israeli politics in key election
An “astronomical” turnout of Arab voters is expected in the Israeli elections on Tuesday, with the possibility that their politicians could significantly influence the next government, political sources have told The National. Senior opposition officials have also said there is a possibility of a coalition or agreed minority government with the Arab parties, if the mainstream parties do not win an outright majority.
Israel's opposition in final show of force before elections as tens of thousands rally in Tel Aviv
Supporters of Israel's opposition took to the streets of Tel Aviv at the weekend in a final show of force before polls open on Tuesday, in what many observers are calling the most important elections in the country's history. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in upmarket neighbourhoods of the city as opposition figures made the case that the country’s future was at risk if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won yet another term in office.
Who are the key figures in Israel's election and what are their stances on Palestinian statehood?
Israelis will head to the polls next week in one of the most important elections in their country's history, with potential implications for the entire region. As international recognition of Palestinian statehood grows, who are the main figures and what have they said about the issue? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been the most famous, capable and divisive politician in Israel for decades.
Tense Shabbat in Israel as pivotal elections approach
Unless there is a major emergency, many of the far-right politicians who have set the tone in Israel for the past four years will put down their phones and log off for Shabbat on Friday evening. The country’s secular community will keep campaigning to some extent, but might also opt for a moment of rest before the crucial final days until polls open on Tuesday morning.
Opinion polls suggest stalemate one week before Israeli election
In a week’s time, Israelis will head to the polls in what many are calling the most important election in its history. Despite the usual ups and downs of the Israeli news cycle, polls have remained largely stable for months: neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor that of his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, is near a majority. Israeli voters are bracing themselves.
Arab vote could prove decisive in Israel’s election as fears grow over far right
Unlike many in her community, Umaima Luwabneh is determined to vote in Israel’s elections. She will be doing so with her son, Iyad, foremost in her thoughts. He was killed by police last year, in a wave of violent crime that has devastated Israel’s Arab community since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power. One of his most controversial appointments was ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir as minister in charge of the police.
‘He irrigated the tree with his blood’: West Bank olive farmers set for another deadly harvest
Abdul Latif Al Bazzari, 59, moved slowly and deliberately as he battled through pain to recount the last moments of his cousin, Ali Al Bazzari, at an olive grove in the pale green, dusty hills around the city of Nablus. On Monday, the scattering of olive trees among which he stood was serene. Accessible through a rough dirt track, the only sign of a world outside the grove was a light breeze that travelled through the valley.
Golan Heights dilemma: Israel's new military line blurs engagement and confrontation
On a clear day, Israeli soldiers on the Golan Heights can see Damascus with the naked eye, underlining the strategic advantage Israel has held for almost six decades since it occupied the plateau. Now Israel is seeking to add a layer of protection to the occupied area by building a military line known as Sufa 53, a few kilometres inside Syria in Quneitra and Deraa governorates.
UK keeps Jerusalem mission open despite Israeli closure order
Britain will keep its diplomatic mission in East Jerusalem open despite an Israeli order to close the consulate, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said on Thursday, averting an immediate escalation between the two allies as talks continue over the dispute. Mr Miliband said the building would remain independent and operational under a new name, “UK mission, Jerusalem”, and continue serving Palestinians in Jerusalem and the wider occupied Palestinian territories.
Will Israelis ever find out what failures led to October 7 rampage?
Three years since the October 7 attacks, Israel has still not formed a state commission of inquiry into the deadliest day in its history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames everyone in the security apparatus at the time, except himself. His opponents lay the blame fundamentally at his feet.
Cheers for hardliners on Israel's campaign trail as security drowns out social and economic problems
In a normally quiet corner of upmarket West Jerusalem, almost 300 members of the city’s Anglo-Jewish community joined a raucous election debate three weeks before they will cast their ballots in Israel's general election on October 27. The crowd at the sold-out event was partly secular but mainly religious.
UAE's civil aviation authority investigates 'security incident' on flydubai flight
The UAE was on Wednesday investigating the mid-air security scare that forced a flydubai plane to Tel Aviv to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The pilot and co-pilot were injured in what the airline said was an altercation on the flight deck. Crew members intervened to help land the plane safely at Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk Airport. The airline said all passengers were safe. They were later brought to Tel Aviv on a second flydubai plane. Much is unknown about what happened on board.
Palestinians face night of terror as Israeli attacks surge across West Bank and Jerusalem
Settlers and other Israelis launched attacks across Palestinian territory overnight into Tuesday, the latest in a wave of violence during September's Jewish holidays, prompting some politicians to warn that Israel is slipping into anarchy. About 150 settlers rioted in the village of Jalud, in the north of the occupied West Bank, during a failed attempt by Israeli forces to escort a Palestinian family back to their home after violent settlers displaced them from their land months ago.
Israel's relations with Europe in tailspin over West Bank sanctions
Israel has lashed out at the Netherlands after it banned the import of goods from illegal settlements, the latest in a series of disputes with traditional allies who are growing increasingly vocal in their opposition to Israeli conduct. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that Dutch diplomats serving in the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank have seven days to hand over their Israeli diplomatic credentials.
Benjamin Netanyahu's UN speech fails to land in Israel
Faced with a tight election race, plummeting global support for Israel and conflicts across the Middle East, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might well have viewed his speech to the UN General Assembly as one of the most important addresses he has made in the chamber. He certainly came with strong messages, accusing close allies Britain and France of hypocrisy and warning of global campaigns to “brainwash young minds to hate Israel”.
Arab parties barred from Israel’s elections but not the far right
After a busy few days, Israel’s Central Elections Committee has concluded hearings on motions to disqualify politicians and political parties from the coming elections. As with so much recent news from the country, the committee’s decisions are another clear sign of how successful, perhaps unstoppable, Israel’s far right has become. Only Arab politicians, and one far-left Jewish politician, have been banned.
Benjamin Netanyahu heads to UNGA with few friends
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday with his country facing unprecedented international criticism and a little more than a month to go before the general election.
Have archaeologists confirmed where Jesus was buried? Remarkable findings from Christianity’s earliest days
Centuries of war, fire, earthquakes and renovations have left Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre in a spectacular but chaotic state, a hodgepodge of styles reflecting the many communities that stake a claim to the site. In recent years, major work has taken place to restore and excavate parts of the building.
Israel triples E1 construction plan with large tender despite international condemnation
Israel has nearly tripled the size of its plan to build thousands of houses in an area that has become one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The government announced a tender adding 2,167 houses to its disputed E1 settlement plan, in defiance of the UK and other western allies, which recently announced sweeping sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements.
African News Agency : Welcome
[Published: Tuesday September 15 2026] Israel carrying out 'Palestinian elimination' in West Bank, says rights group By Thomas Helm JERUSALEM, 15 Sept. - (ANA) - A leading Israeli rights group says the country is carrying out “an elimination project” in the occupied West Bank to dismantle Palestinian life and forcibly turn the area into a permanently Jewish-Israeli region.
Israel carrying out 'Palestinian elimination' in West Bank, says rights group
A leading Israeli rights group says the country is carrying out “an elimination project” in the occupied West Bank to dismantle Palestinian life and forcibly turn the area into a permanently Jewish-Israeli region.
Israel’s election polls are stable, but the country is not
As Israel concludes Rosh Hashanah, when Judaism teaches that God determines humanity’s fate for the coming year, many are praying for peace and calm after a long period of regional conflict. The country is on high alert for an Iranian attack, amid reports that Iran has started rebuilding nuclear and ballistic missile facilities.
Israel to close UK consulate and bar some British MPs over settler sanctions
Israel’s Foreign Minister said his country will close the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem after Britain's Labour government on Tuesday announced sanctions against Israeli settlements, in a major escalation of the diplomatic breakdown between Israel and some of its most important western allies.
Israeli court rejects three petitions to halt illegal E1 settlement plan
An Israeli court on Tuesday rejected a request for an interim injunction to halt a tender for more than 1,200 illegal housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank and freeze further steps to advance the settlement plans. The petitioners sought the injunction last month as part of three consolidated petitions challenging E1. They attempted to freeze the tender after it was published without notice, despite a commitment by State Attorney's Office to notify them beforehand.
Israeli military ordered to prepare for 'all-out war' on Palestinian Authority
Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel’s military has been ordered to prepare for an “all-out war” against the Palestinian Authority if it deems that the internationally backed organisation is “about to launch an October 7-style terrorist attack against [Israeli soldiers] and Jewish settlements”. Mr Katz said that such a war could target “senior officials and apparatuses of the authority and the bodies associated with it”.
Ben-Gvir unveils illegal plan to remove entire Gaza population
Israel’s National Security Minister has presented a plan to illegally expel all Gazans to foreign countries, a policy he claimed was “realistic”. Itamar Ben-Gvir said his proposal aims to remove 250,000 Palestinians from the strip in its first year, followed by the rest of its two million population over six years. He said some countries were “ready” to take in Palestinians. Arab countries have, over the years, rejected forced displacement of Gazans and refused to take part in any such plan.
Israel announces release of five Lebanese hours after abducting three in border village
The US has commended Lebanon and Israel over a plan for the release of five Lebanese citizens detained in occupied southern Lebanon. The move indicated a renewed diplomatic push between the countries, as Washington seeks to enable further dialogue before negotiations in Rome. Talks have stalled but reports suggest officials from the countries could meet in Italy this month. US optimism remains, despite Israel abducting three more people from a Lebanese village.
Israel set to return five Lebanese detainees to Lebanon, reports say
Israel is reportedly set to release five Lebanese detainees on Thursday and return them to Lebanon, as part of ongoing US-brokered negotiations between the two countries. The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed that a humanitarian operation was underway but did not provide further details. "A humanitarian operation is currently underway.
Two Palestinian youths killed and village razed as Israeli attacks on West Bank continue
Israeli soldiers have demolished an entire West Bank village and killed two teenagers, continuing a surge of violence against Palestinians in the occupied territory. The destruction of Khirbet Al Tabban on Wednesday displaced 12 families, totalling 70 people, 28 of whom are children, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem reported. Over several hours, Israeli forces destroyed all homes in the village, agricultural structures and water cisterns, among other property.
Netanyahu vows no retreat from Gaza after 'terrifying' Israeli commando raid
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will not withdraw from areas its occupies in Gaza, a day after special forces seized a Hamas official during a raid in a densely populated district. Mr Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday at a military outpost in Gaza, near the “yellow line” that demarcates Israeli-occupied territory in the strip. “We control the area. We are not withdrawing. We remain on this line.
Why have Israel and Greece announced major defence deal?
As Israel struggles to maintain some of its important alliances abroad, particularly in Europe, a major defence deal with Greece bucks a worrying trend for the country’s leaders. The more than $3.4 billion Achilles Shield agreement is the largest of its kind between Israel and Greece, and one of the largest in Israel’s history. Athens is now set to receive “a multilayered defence array” based on Israeli systems.
Israel and Greece sign $3.4bn defence deal amid rising tension with Turkey
Israel and Greece signed a defence deal worth more than $3.4 billion on Monday, under which Athens will receive “a multilayered defence array” based on Israeli systems. The “Achilles Shield” accord is one of the largest defence export deals in Israel's history and marks the first time it will supply another country with a “complete defence array”, according its Ministry of Defence. A second deal will involve Israel supplying Greece with anti-drone systems.
What we know about Israeli settlers' siege on Palestinian homes in Qusra
For almost a week, Israeli settlers, with the military standing by in full view, have besieged Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, in an attempt to force them from their land and take over their homes. The region has seen a significant rise in settler violence since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Much of this violence, which has included deadly shootings, beatings, humiliating detentions, vandalism and arson, goes unreported.
Kushner, Mladenov and Blair to visit Israel following Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas disarmament plan
President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, high representative of Gaza's Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov and former UK prime minister Tony Blair will visit Israel and Egypt next week, an official source told The National on Friday. The visit comes days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel did not agree to the plan to disarm Hamas put forward by the US-backed Board of Peace, in comments that could put him on a collision course with President Trump.
As settler siege continues, Israel advances de facto West Bank annexation
Israel’s defence minister has ordered the military to hand over responsibility for civilian law enforcement to the police in Qusra, as criticism mounts over the country's failure to end a six-day siege by violent settlers against Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli settlers continue West Bank village siege despite outcry
International condemnation of Israel is mounting as settlers lay siege to Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra for a fifth day and reports mount that Israel is planning a military operation in the village. Israel's army reportedly began evicting Palestinians in the area, while letting the attacking settlers stay, despite expressing “grave concern” over their actions on Wednesday.
Settlers maintain siege of Palestinian homes in West Bank as army withdraws
Israel's military has withdrawn troops sent on Wednesday to end a days-long siege by settlers on Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank. Troops sent to the site had withdrawn by Wednesday afternoon, according to sources in the area, after settlers were filmed clashing with Israeli forces in riot gear. Israeli outlet Haaretz reported that many settlers arrived at the scene after hearing that the military was attempting to clear the area.
Mossad reportedly removes two senior officers over botched Iran regime change plan
Israel’s foreign intelligence service has reportedly removed two senior officials over the failure to topple Iran’s regime. Mossad director Roman Gofman removed the leaders of the Iran Division and the Intelligence Directorate, who were both involved in planning to overthrow the Iranian government, Israel's Channel 12 reported on Thursday. Both are, however, expected to remain in the agency, said the station, one of Israel’s largest broadcasters.
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