Wildfires widen Israeli divide amid accusations blaming leftists for blazes

JERUSALEM / ANKARA

Raging wildfires across central Israel have intensified the country's political crisis, with pro-government figures falsely accusing leftist activists of committing arson.

Since early Wednesday, wildfires have spread in several communities, towns, and forests in central Israel, where at least 10 towns and communities were evacuated, according to the Israeli police.

The raging fires forced Israel to seek firefighting assistance from countries including Greece, Croatia, Italy, and the Greek Cypriot Administration.

According to medical sources, at least 20 people were treated by the wildfires, the majority of whom suffered from smoke inhalation.

Jewish National Fund estimates indicated that the current wildfires in the Jerusalem hills have destroyed approximately 11,700 dunams (2,891 acres) of forest land, including the Canada Park, near the Latrun area, which had been almost completely torched.

Other forests between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, including Eshtaol Forest, Anava Park, and Shoresh Forest, were also severely damaged by the wildfires, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

The fires forced authorities to shut down Route 1, the main highway connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Scenes of chaos unfolded as residents abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, with flames closing in on the roadway.

The Israeli rescue and firefighting authorities said that 163 firefighting teams are working to extinguish the fires, including 21 ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) and Shimshon aircraft. Twelve firefighting aircraft are also expected to take off on Thursday morning.

Arson suspicions

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the dispatch of some 14,000 security personnel across Israel, amid suspicions arson could be behind the fires.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the domestic security service Shin Bet is taking part in investigations to identify the reason for the wildfires.

However, so far, the official explanation remains that high temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly, as no evidence has been found pointing to arson.

Internal political rift

As fires are still raging amid efforts to put them out, accusations surfaced of leftist activists being behind the fires.

Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's son, hinted in a social media post that left-wing activists may be behind the fires.

"Something here is suspicious," Yair Netanyahu wrote on X, accusing leftist groups of seeking to cancel Israel's celebrations of its independence day.

"The Kaplanist left has been frantically trying in recent weeks to cancel Independence Day celebrations and the torch-lighting ceremony," he added.

Independence Day, marking the 1948 establishment of Israel, coincides with Palestinian commemorations of the Nakba, referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians during that period when Zionist gangs carried out massacres of civilians.

Yair Netanyahu's baseless accusations of leftist groups and activists, made without evidence, highlight the deepening divide between Israel's government and opposition. This rift stems from disagreements over the Gaza war conduct, particularly the government's refusal to negotiate an end to the war in exchange for Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Ben-Gvir blamed

According to Haaretz daily, a former public security official accused Ben-Gvir of undermining firefighting preparedness, saying it affected Israel's response to the massive wildfire in the Jerusalem hills.

Haaretz cited Tomer Lotan, a former Israeli security official, as saying that Ben-Gvir rejected a proposal in 2022 to buy Black Hawk helicopters for the police, which were part of a broader national plan to combat major wildfires.

"There's no clearer example of the irresponsibility and danger of appointing Ben-Gvir as minister," Lotan said, in reference to the ongoing fires.