💧News of the Crisis💧July 17, 2025
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has requested to join the criminal case against Yonatan Urich, aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as a party representing victims. Urich is under investigation for alleged actions connected to the deaths of six hostages held by Hamas in August. In a letter to Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, State Attorney Amit Aisman, and Central District Prosecutor Haim Wismonsky, the Forum stated that Urich’s actions were not minor but directly endangered the hostages' lives.
Under Israeli law, victims of an attack may, in certain cases, participate in legal proceedings to express their stance. The Forum is invoking this right, arguing that Urich’s conduct had immediate and fatal consequences for the hostages.
Several dozen teens demonstrated Tuesday in a Tel Aviv rally calling to refuse the draft. The demonstrators, all future inductees, burned their draft letters in protest of what they call genocide and slaughter taking place in Gaza.
The refusers, under the guise of the “Mesarvot” organization, held signs such as “We’d rather live than get drafted” (a take-off on the signs held by ultra-Orthodox “We’d rather die than get drafted” and chanted “No to annihilation”
US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stopped by yesterday at the courthouse in which Netanyahu’s trial is being held. When asked by journalist Orly Barlev, the ambassador replied he came “to see what’s going on, it’s fascinating”. He then dutifully tweeted: “I stopped by the trial of @IsraeliPM in Tel Aviv today. My conclusion? @realDonaldTrump is right…again”.
Huckabee posed for a photo with Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (the stand-in for the President who, on paper, is supposed to stand as a symbol for the separation of powers in Israel yet is one of Netanyahu’s biggest brown-nosers).
In truly populist fashion, Huckabee brought with him a small plush Bugs Bunny doll with a Superman cape, mocking the instance in which the prosecutor claimed that Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan sought Netanyahu’s favor by complying with capricious requests from Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, including schlepping over an overstuffed Bugs Bunny toy for her angel, Yair.
Huckabee should note that the doll holds no significance to the case and is not mentioned in the indictment. What DOES hold significance is Article 41, paragraph 1, of the UN Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which states: "Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State”.