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2026-04-27T22:38:13Z

Comrade Billstat:

WillzTalks Page

DPRK Explained

2026-04-16T22:50:50Z

Comrade Billstat: Approval from Individual and Publishment Request

'''DPRK Explained''' is a [[YouTube]] channel dedicated to educational content about the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)]], commonly known as North Korea. The channel focuses on history, culture, society, infrastructure, and [[Revolution|revolutionary]] history, deliberately avoiding the sensationalism and political reductionism that characterizes much Western coverage of the country.

The channel is created and hosted by '''Benjamin Weston''', a British researcher, tour operator, and former Koryo Tours staff member who has led tours to the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea|DPRK]] and worked with [[Korea|Korean]] cultural institutions including the [[Pyongyang]] International Film Festival.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Channel information
!Creator
!Benjamin Weston
|-
|Years Active
|2021 - Present
|-
|Genre
|Educational, documentary, history, cultural studies
|-
|Subscribers
|61,000+
|-
|Notable series
|DPRK Explained (main), history of Pyongyang, North Korean television, revolutionary biographies
|-
|Affiliation
|Independent (no formal affiliation with DPRK institutions)
|}

== Content Focus ==
Unlike many content creators who approach the DPRK exclusively through the lens of nuclear geopolitics, human rights reporting, or defector testimony, DPRK Explained emphasizes:

* History — from ancient Korean kingdoms (Gojoseon, Goguryeo) to the Japanese colonial period, the Korean War, and postwar reconstruction
* Culture and everyday life — television programming, film festivals, public transportation, architecture, and urban development
* Infrastructure and technology — the Pyongyang Metro, the Manbang on-demand streaming service, broadcasting systems, and construction booms
* Revolutionary history — biographies of anti-Japanese guerrilla fighters and figures from the Workers' Party of Korea

Weston has stated that politics receives sufficient coverage elsewhere and that his aim is to illuminate aspects of the DPRK that are rarely discussed in Western media.

== Notable Videos ==

=== What is North Korean TV Really Like? ===
This video examines the four television channels broadcast from the Pyongyang TV Tower:
{| class="wikitable"
!Channel
!Focus
|-
|Korean Central Television (KCTV)
|Primary channel: news, movies, documentaries, children's programs, military parades. Broadcasts from 9:00 AM.
|-
|Mansudae Television
|Entertainment programming on weekends. Named after Mansu Hill, site of the Grand Monument.
|-
|Yongnam Television
|Educational channel targeting university students. Named after Yongnam Hill, site of Kim Il-sung University. Broadcasts science, foreign language programs, and relays KCTV news.
|-
|Sports Television
|Sports programming on weekends (football, taekwondo).
|}
The video also covers the Manbang set-top box (introduced circa 2015-2016), which allows on-demand streaming, live broadcasts, and access to educational and cultural programming, including radio and newspaper headlines. Weston notes that Manbang has expanded access to rural areas where analog signals are weak.

The video ends with a characteristic touch: the same sign-off used by KCTV, accompanied by the channel's closing music.

== The History of Pyongyang: 5,000 Years in 22 Minutes ==
A historical survey of the Korean capital from its origins to the present day. The video is structured chronologically:
{| class="wikitable"
!Period
!Key developments
|-
|Ancient Gojoseon (24th century BCE)
|Founding of Wanggeom-seong, the fortified settlement that became Pyongyang
|-
|Goguryeo kingdom (37 BCE – 668 CE)
|Pyongyang as secondary and then primary capital; 23 km outer wall; Anak Palace; military reorganization
|-
|Silla-Tang conquest (668 CE)
|Fall of Goguryeo; Pyongyang under Silla and Tang control
|-
|Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
|Pyongyang renamed Sŏgyŏng ("Western Capital"); spiritual and military center; Buddhist temples
|-
|Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
|Pyongyang neglected; attacks by Japanese, Chinese, and American forces (General Sherman incident, 1866)
|-
|Japanese colonial period (1910–1945)
|Renamed Heijō; industrial development with Korean forced labor; anti-Japanese revolutionary activity
|-
|Liberation and Korean War (1945–1953)
|Kim Il-sung's victory speech; US bombing flattened the city
|-
|Postwar reconstruction
|Chŏllima movement; monumental architecture; Pyongyang Metro (1970s); Grand People's Study House (1980s); Rungrado Stadium (1990s); new boulevards (2000s–present)
|}
The video concludes at the Taedongmun gate, a sixth-century structure rebuilt in 1635 and again after the Korean War. Weston notes that the gate, repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, symbolizes Pyongyang's history of surmounting foreign aggression, occupation, and subjugation.

== Who Was Kim Chaek? ==
A biographical documentary about the anti-Japanese revolutionary, DPRK vice premier, and industry minister (1903–1951). The video covers:

* Early life — born Kim Hong-gwon in North Hamgyong province; moved to Manchuria as a child after Japanese annexation
* Anti-Japanese activity — joined the Korean Communist Party; arrested multiple times; fought with the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army
* Meeting Kim Il-sung — first meeting at a Comintern conference in Khabarovsk (November 1940)
* Post-liberation career — vice premier of the DPRK cabinet; minister of industry; vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
* Korean War — member of the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army; died of heart failure on January 30, 1951, after visiting military headquarters in Kanggye
* Legacy — the city of Kimchaek, the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex, and the Kim Chaek University of Technology are named in his honor; his remains are interred at the Taesongsan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

The video draws on Kim Il-sung's memoirs (''With the Century''), which recount Kim Chaek's final visit to the Supreme Headquarters and his last words urging the General not to overwork.

=== Other notable videos ===
The channel also includes content on:

* The Pyongyang Metro (architecture, stations, daily use)
* The Arirang Mass Games
* Visiting Sariwŏn (provincial city)
* North Korean film and animation
* Military parades and their significance

== Creator: Benjamin Weston ==

=== Early life and education ===
Benjamin Weston was born in 2000 in the United Kingdom. He first became interested in the DPRK at age 11 after seeing the country on news broadcasts. During his secondary education, he represented the DPRK at a Model United Nations conference and completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) on DPRK foreign policy.

=== Move to East Asia and Koryo Tours ===
At 18, Weston relocated to Seoul, South Korea, to study Korean. Within six months, he moved to Beijing to work for Koryo Tours, a travel company specializing in DPRK tourism for Western travelers. At Koryo Tours, he:

* Worked directly with Korean colleagues
* Became the International Submissions Coordinator for the Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF)
* Began leading tours to the DPRK

=== Absolute Nomads and the start of DPRK Explained ===
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Weston relocated to Mongolia and established Absolute Nomads, a travel company. Drawing on his marketing experience at Koryo Tours, he produced initial video content on the DPRK. The videos gained traction, and he continued developing the channel.

=== Return to DPRK tourism ===
In February 2025, Weston led the first group of Western tourists into the DPRK since the country closed its borders during the pandemic. He continues to work on foundations for future DPRK cultural exchange projects alongside his media and tour operations.

=== Methodology and disclaimer ===
Weston has cited input from Korean friends and colleagues as central to his understanding of the country. He emphasizes that the channel has no formal affiliation with the DPRK or any organizations within the country and is an independent educational project.

== Reception and significance ==
DPRK Explained occupies a unique niche within English-language educational content about North Korea. Unlike:

* News media (which focus on missile launches, nuclear tests, and human rights)
* Defector testimony (valuable but necessarily limited to personal experience)
* Tourist vlogs (surface-level and often sensationalized)

Weston's work attempts to present the DPRK on its own terms, using primary sources (including DPRK broadcasts, archival footage, and Korean-language materials) and on-the-ground observation.

The channel has been cited by academics, journalists, and educators seeking contextual material on North Korean society, infrastructure, and revolutionary history.

DPRK Explained

2026-04-15T01:10:53Z

Comrade Billstat: Created the Page for DPRK explained

'''DPRK Explained''' is a [[YouTube]] channel dedicated to educational content about the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)]], commonly known as North Korea. The channel focuses on history, culture, society, infrastructure, and [[Revolution|revolutionary]] history, deliberately avoiding the sensationalism and political reductionism that characterizes much Western coverage of the country.

The channel is created and hosted by '''Benjamin Weston''', a British researcher, tour operator, and former Koryo Tours staff member who has led tours to the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea|DPRK]] and worked with [[Korea|Korean]] cultural institutions including the [[Pyongyang]] International Film Festival.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Channel information
!Creator
!Benjamin Weston
|-
|Years Active
|2021 - Present
|-
|Genre
|Educational, documentary, history, cultural studies
|-
|Subscribers
|61,000+
|-
|Notable series
|DPRK Explained (main), history of Pyongyang, North Korean television, revolutionary biographies
|-
|Affiliation
|Independent (no formal affiliation with DPRK institutions)
|}

== Content Focus ==
Unlike many content creators who approach the DPRK exclusively through the lens of nuclear geopolitics, human rights reporting, or defector testimony, DPRK Explained emphasizes:

* History — from ancient Korean kingdoms (Gojoseon, Goguryeo) to the Japanese colonial period, the Korean War, and postwar reconstruction
* Culture and everyday life — television programming, film festivals, public transportation, architecture, and urban development
* Infrastructure and technology — the Pyongyang Metro, the Manbang on-demand streaming service, broadcasting systems, and construction booms
* Revolutionary history — biographies of anti-Japanese guerrilla fighters and figures from the Workers' Party of Korea

Weston has stated that politics receives sufficient coverage elsewhere and that his aim is to illuminate aspects of the DPRK that are rarely discussed in Western media.

== Notable Videos ==

=== What is North Korean TV Really Like? ===
This video examines the four television channels broadcast from the Pyongyang TV Tower:
{| class="wikitable"
!Channel
!Focus
|-
|Korean Central Television (KCTV)
|Primary channel: news, movies, documentaries, children's programs, military parades. Broadcasts from 9:00 AM.
|-
|Mansudae Television
|Entertainment programming on weekends. Named after Mansu Hill, site of the Grand Monument.
|-
|Yongnam Television
|Educational channel targeting university students. Named after Yongnam Hill, site of Kim Il-sung University. Broadcasts science, foreign language programs, and relays KCTV news.
|-
|Sports Television
|Sports programming on weekends (football, taekwondo).
|}
The video also covers the Manbang set-top box (introduced circa 2015-2016), which allows on-demand streaming, live broadcasts, and access to educational and cultural programming, including radio and newspaper headlines. Weston notes that Manbang has expanded access to rural areas where analog signals are weak.

The video ends with a characteristic touch: the same sign-off used by KCTV, accompanied by the channel's closing music.

== The History of Pyongyang: 5,000 Years in 22 Minutes ==
A historical survey of the Korean capital from its origins to the present day. The video is structured chronologically:
{| class="wikitable"
!Period
!Key developments
|-
|Ancient Gojoseon (24th century BCE)
|Founding of Wanggeom-seong, the fortified settlement that became Pyongyang
|-
|Goguryeo kingdom (37 BCE – 668 CE)
|Pyongyang as secondary and then primary capital; 23 km outer wall; Anak Palace; military reorganization
|-
|Silla-Tang conquest (668 CE)
|Fall of Goguryeo; Pyongyang under Silla and Tang control
|-
|Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
|Pyongyang renamed Sŏgyŏng ("Western Capital"); spiritual and military center; Buddhist temples
|-
|Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
|Pyongyang neglected; attacks by Japanese, Chinese, and American forces (General Sherman incident, 1866)
|-
|Japanese colonial period (1910–1945)
|Renamed Heijō; industrial development with Korean forced labor; anti-Japanese revolutionary activity
|-
|Liberation and Korean War (1945–1953)
|Kim Il-sung's victory speech; US bombing flattened the city
|-
|Postwar reconstruction
|Chŏllima movement; monumental architecture; Pyongyang Metro (1970s); Grand People's Study House (1980s); Rungrado Stadium (1990s); new boulevards (2000s–present)
|}
The video concludes at the Taedongmun gate, a sixth-century structure rebuilt in 1635 and again after the Korean War. Weston notes that the gate, repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, symbolizes Pyongyang's history of surmounting foreign aggression, occupation, and subjugation.

== Who Was Kim Chaek? ==
A biographical documentary about the anti-Japanese revolutionary, DPRK vice premier, and industry minister (1903–1951). The video covers:

* Early life — born Kim Hong-gwon in North Hamgyong province; moved to Manchuria as a child after Japanese annexation
* Anti-Japanese activity — joined the Korean Communist Party; arrested multiple times; fought with the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army
* Meeting Kim Il-sung — first meeting at a Comintern conference in Khabarovsk (November 1940)
* Post-liberation career — vice premier of the DPRK cabinet; minister of industry; vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
* Korean War — member of the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army; died of heart failure on January 30, 1951, after visiting military headquarters in Kanggye
* Legacy — the city of Kimchaek, the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex, and the Kim Chaek University of Technology are named in his honor; his remains are interred at the Taesongsan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery

The video draws on Kim Il-sung's memoirs (''With the Century''), which recount Kim Chaek's final visit to the Supreme Headquarters and his last words urging the General not to overwork.

=== Other notable videos ===
The channel also includes content on:

* The Pyongyang Metro (architecture, stations, daily use)
* The Arirang Mass Games
* Visiting Sariwŏn (provincial city)
* North Korean film and animation
* Military parades and their significance

== Creator: Benjamin Weston ==

=== Early life and education ===
Benjamin Weston was born in [year?] in the United Kingdom. He first became interested in the DPRK at age 11 after seeing the country on news broadcasts. During his secondary education, he represented the DPRK at a Model United Nations conference and completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) on DPRK foreign policy.

=== Move to East Asia and Koryo Tours ===
At 18, Weston relocated to Seoul, South Korea, to study Korean. Within six months, he moved to Beijing to work for Koryo Tours, a travel company specializing in DPRK tourism for Western travelers. At Koryo Tours, he:

* Worked directly with Korean colleagues
* Became the International Submissions Coordinator for the Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF)
* Began leading tours to the DPRK

=== Absolute Nomads and the start of DPRK Explained ===
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Weston relocated to Mongolia and established Absolute Nomads, a travel company. Drawing on his marketing experience at Koryo Tours, he produced initial video content on the DPRK. The videos gained traction, and he continued developing the channel.

=== Return to DPRK tourism ===
In February 2025, Weston led the first group of Western tourists into the DPRK since the country closed its borders during the pandemic. He continues to work on foundations for future DPRK cultural exchange projects alongside his media and tour operations.

=== Methodology and disclaimer ===
Weston has cited input from Korean friends and colleagues as central to his understanding of the country. He emphasizes that the channel has no formal affiliation with the DPRK or any organizations within the country and is an independent educational project.

== Reception and significance ==
DPRK Explained occupies a unique niche within English-language educational content about North Korea. Unlike:

* News media (which focus on missile launches, nuclear tests, and human rights)
* Defector testimony (valuable but necessarily limited to personal experience)
* Tourist vlogs (surface-level and often sensationalized)

Weston's work attempts to present the DPRK on its own terms, using primary sources (including DPRK broadcasts, archival footage, and Korean-language materials) and on-the-ground observation.

The channel has been cited by academics, journalists, and educators seeking contextual material on North Korean society, infrastructure, and revolutionary history.

Islamic Republic of Iran

2026-03-01T02:44:40Z

Comrade Billstat: Added recent events regarding the 2026 February US Invasion (v.2)

{{Infobox country|name=Islamic Republic of Iran|native_name=جمهوری اسلامی ایران|largest_city=Tehran|image_coat=Emblem of Iran.svg|capital=Tehran|mode_of_production=[[State capitalism]]|government_type=Unitary presidential [[theocratic]] Islamic republic under a [[dictatorship of the bourgeoisie]]|leader_title1=Supreme Leader<ref>{{Web citation|url=https://en.mfa.ir/portal/viewpage/3996|author=Islamic Republic of Iran|title=General View of Iran}}</ref>|leader_title2=President|established_date1=1979 Feb 12th|population_estimate_year=2024|population_estimate=89,745,530|religion=[[Islam]]|official_languages=Persian|national_motto=Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic|image_map=Iran map.svg|map_width=290|leader_name2=[[Masoud Pezeshkian]]|established_event1=[[Iranian revolution]]|leader_name4=[[Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf]]|leader_name3=[[Mohammad Reza Aref]]|leader_title4=Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly|leader_title3=Vice President|leader_name1=Vacant|currency=Iranian Rial|area_km2=1,648,195|image_flag=Flag of Iran.svg}}
The '''Islamic Republic of Iran''', also called '''Persia'''<ref name="Fishman">{{Citation|author=Joshua A. Fishman|year=2010|title=Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity: Disciplinary and Regional Perspectives (Volume 1)|page=266|isbn=978-0-19-537492-6|publisher=Oxford University Press|quote="Iran" and "Persia" are synonymous. The former has always been used by the Iranian speaking peoples themselves, while the latter has served as the international name of the country in various languages}}</ref> and '''Iran''', is the second largest country in [[West Asia|Western Asia]]. It is bordered by [[Republic of Iraq|Iraq]], [[Republic of Türkiye|Turkey]], [[Republic of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Republic of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], [[Islamic Republic of Pakistan|Pakistan]] as well as having a northern coast on the [[Caspian Sea]] and a southern coast on the [[Persian Gulf]]. The modern government of Iran is an [[Islamic republic]] that includes elements of a [[Presidential system|presidential democracy]], which was installed by a [[Iranian Revolution|popular revolution]] against the [[United States of America|USA]]-backed monarchy of the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]].

Iran is a frequent target of US and [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] aggression, which is justified through fearmongering over the prospect of Iran starting a [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] war, despite them having no motive to do so. The acts of aggression perpetrated by NATO include the use of sanctions to restrict access to essentials such as medicine, which harms the entire population. Because of this, Iran often forms strategic alliances with other anti-NATO forces, including [[Russian Federation|Russia]], [[Syrian Arab Republic|Syria]], [[Hezbollah]] and some [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist-Leninist]] organisations such as the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] (PFLP). However, it should be noted that the Iranian state is [[Capitalism|capitalist]] and therefore actively suppresses Marxist ideology within Iran itself.

Following the outbreak of the [[2026 Iran Conflict|2026 Iran conflict]] on February 28, and continuing to the present, Iran’s long-time Supreme Leader, Ayatollah [[Ali Khamenei]], was killed during a joint Israeli–U.S. attack. He was killed alongside his daughter. son-in-law, and a grandchild.

Iran's geography makes it geo-strategically important for the modern global oil markets, as it is the northern coast of the [[Strait of Hormuz]] which is a maritime chokepoint through which a third of the world's liquefied natural gas and a quarter of global oil trade passes through. Iran's economy is dominated by state-owned enterprises, which make up 60% of the total GDP. A unique feature of Iran's economy is the presence of large religious foundations called [[Bonyad]], whose combined budgets represent more than 30 percent of central government spending.<ref name="GSO">[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/mjf.htm Bonyad-e Mostazafan va Janbazan Oppressed and Disabled Veterans Foundation (MJF)]. Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved February 6, 2011.</ref>

Historically, Iran has had ties with the Black liberation movement and the [[Nation of Islam]].<ref>[https://historicly.substack.com/p/the-nation-of-islamic-republic-of?justPublished=true The Nation of Islamic Republic of Iran with Setareh Sadeqi] on Historic.ly podcast by Esha Krishnaswamy and Robert Grannies - Aug 22</ref>

==History==

=== Ancient history ===
Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations,<ref>{{Citation|author=Christopher Whatley|year=2001|title=Bought and Sold for English Gold: The Union of 1707|publisher=Tuckwell Press}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|author=Lowell Barrington|year=2012|title=Comparative Politics: Structures and Choices, 2nd ed.tr: Structures and Choices|page=121|title-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yLLuWYL8gTsC&pg=PA121|isbn=978-1-111-34193-0|publisher=Cengage Learning}}</ref> beginning with the formation of the [[Haltamti|Elamite]] kingdoms in the fourth millennium BCE.

==== Median Empire ====
{{Main article|Media (678–550 BCE)}}

==== Achaemenid Empire ====
{{Main article|Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE)}}

==== Macedonian conquest ====
{{Main article|Macedonia (808–168 BCE)|Kingdom of the Seleucids (312–63 BCE)}}

==== Parthian Empire ====
{{Main article|Arsacid Empire (247 BCE–224 CE)}}

==== Sasanian Empire ====
{{Main article|Empire of the Iranians (224–651)}}

=== Safavid Iran ===
{{Main article|Safavid Empire (1501–1736)}}

=== Qajar Iran ===
{{Main article|Sublime State of Iran (1789–1925)}}

=== Pahlavi monarchy ===
{{Main article|Imperial State of Iran (1925–1979)}}
When [[Reza Shah]] came to power in 1925, he arrested the leadership of the [[Communist Party of Persia]].<ref name=":02">{{Citation|author=[[Vijay Prashad]]|year=2017|title=Red Star over the Third World|chapter=Enemy of Imperialism|page=78|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzacecu7gb2ei65us6ip3r2ugcgkblneqcftbm456mb6bzvprkbqk55qm?filename=Vijay%20Prashad%20-%20Red%20Star%20Over%20the%20Third%20World-LeftWord%20Books%20%282018%29.pdf|city=New Delhi|publisher=LeftWord Books}}</ref>

In 1951, the Iranian parliament nationalized the [[Anglo-Iranian Oil Company]]. [[Muhammed Mosaddeq]] and his [[National Front (Iran)|National Front]] founded the National Iranian Oil Company, which later inspired the [[Free Officers]] in [[Arab Republic of Egypt|Egypt]].<ref name=":1">{{Citation|author=[[Vijay Prashad]]|year=2008|title=The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World|chapter=Tehran|page=75–77|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzaceascnzh26r5d6uitjjs2z7rflhaxlt7rboz5whzdf76qg6xxvecqq?filename=%28A%20New%20Press%20People%27s%20history%29%20Vijay%20Prashad%20-%20The%20darker%20nations_%20a%20people%27s%20history%20of%20the%20third%20world-The%20New%20Press%20%282008%29.pdf|publisher=The New Press|isbn=9781595583420|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=9B40B96E830128A7FE0E0E887C06829F}}</ref>

==== 1953 coup d'état ====
After the Shah refused to give Parliament control of the military, Mosaddeq resigned. The United States forced the National Front to crush the [[Tudeh Party of Iran|Tudeh Party]], which had 25,000 cadre and 335,000 [[Trade union|union]] members. The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], led by [[Kermit Roosevelt Jr.|Kermit Roosevelt]], then overthrew the elected government and installed the Shah to rule as an absolute monarch. The Shah killed thousands of communists and nationalists.<ref name=":1" />

=== Islamic Republic ===
After the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Bonyads were nationalized and renamed with the declared intention of redistributing income to the poor and families of martyrs.<ref>https://www.mei.edu/publications/iranian-para-governmental-organizations-bonyads</ref>

In January 2020, the United States murdered General [[Qasem Soleimani]] in a drone strike.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=Tom O'Connor, James Laporta|date=2020-01-02|title=Iraq Militia Officials, Iran's Quds Force Head Killed in U.S. Drone Strike|url=https://www.newsweek.com/iraq-militia-official-killed-us-iran-tensions-1480181|newspaper=Newsweek|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103030530/https://www.newsweek.com/iraq-militia-official-killed-us-iran-tensions-1480181|archive-date=2020-01-03|retrieved=2022-01-03}}</ref>

In June 2022, Iran signed a bilateral trade agreement with the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum.<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=[[TeleSur]]|title=Iran and Donetsk Sign Agreement To Strengthen Trade Relations|date=2022-06-18|url=https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Iran-and-Donetsk-Sign-Agreement-To-Strengthen-Trade-Relations-20220618-0007.html}}</ref> Iran also signed a cooperation plan with [[Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela|Venezuela]] and Supreme Leader [[Ali Khamenei]] said that Iran and Venezuela "have closer ties with each other than any other country."<ref>{{News citation|author=[[Benjamin Norton]]|newspaper=[[Multipolarista]]|title=Venezuela and Iran sign 20-year cooperation plan, Maduro pledges joint ‘anti-imperialist struggle’|date=2022-06-11|url=https://multipolarista.com/2022/06/11/venezuela-iran-20-year-agreement/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624234526/https://multipolarista.com/2022/06/11/venezuela-iran-20-year-agreement/|archive-date=2022-06-24|retrieved=2022-06-28}}</ref>

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:Members of the Non-Aligned Movement]]
[[Category:Targets of regime change operations]]
[[Category:Countries targeted by imperialist aggression]]
[[Category:Global south]]
[[Category:Asian countries]]
[[Category:Countries targeted by CIA coups]]
[[Category:Anti-imperialist states]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iran}}

2026 Iran Conflict

2026-03-01T02:35:25Z

Comrade Billstat: Update the page for more recent events. Added images

{{Message box/currentevent}}

'''The 2026 Iran conflict''' refers to a coordinated military attack on the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] launched by the [[United States of America|United States]] and the Zionist Entity on February 28, 2026. The operation was codenamed [[Roaring Lion]] by the Zionist Entity, and [[Operation Epic Fury]] by the U.S., and was followed by Iranian retaliation codenamed Operation Seal of the Flood. U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] described the attacks as "major combat operations," marking a significant escalation in the [[Imperialism|imperialist]] war against the Axis of Resistance. <ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Sidoc Haytu|newspaper=The Commoner|title=US and Israel Launch Massive Strikes on Iran; Tehran Retaliates Across Region|date=2026-2-28|url=https://thecommoner.vercel.app/articles/us-israel-launch-massive-strikes-iran-retaliates/}}</ref>

The attack resulted in the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, [[Ali Khamenei|Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]], along with dozens of senior Iranian officials, and triggered a massive regional response from Iran targeting U.S. military assets across the Middle East.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Web citation|author=Sidoc Haytu|newspaper=The Commoner|title=TRUMP CONFIRMS KHAMENEI KILLED: '...one of the most evil people in History, is dead!'|url=https://thecommoner.vercel.app/articles/iran-khamenei-killed-israel-strikes/}}</ref>

== Background ==
The attack came amidst ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the U.S. in [[Geneva]], mediated by [[Sultanate of Oman|Oman]], which had shown signs of progress. In the days leading up to the assault, the US had escalated its military posture in the region, deploying 12 [[F-22]] fighter jets to an Israeli air base in southern Israel, which arrived just days before the strike. This military buildup coincided with Iran conducting defensive military exercises, including a drill by the [[IRGC]] Ground Force in southern Iran and on [[Persian Gulf]] islands.<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=CNN|newspaper=US and Israel attack Iran as Tehran retaliates across Middle East|title=https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-attack-02-28-26-hnk-intl?t=1772281974736&Date=20260228&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1772282693&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin|date=2026-2-27}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Web citation|author=The Hindu Staff|newspaper=The Hindu|title=Iran-Israel conflict LIVE: Iran Guards launch new wave of missiles against U.S. bases in Gulf, says state TV|date=2026-2-28|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-israel-usa-conflict-strikes-attack-west-asia-us-trump-live-updates-february-28-2026/article70687247.ece}}</ref>

Tensions had been high since the summer of 2025, when the US and Israel had previously bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in an operation called "[[Operation Midnight Hammer]]". Despite subsequent talks, the US and Israel maintained a policy of maximum pressure and threats of "regime change".

== The Attack ==
In the early hours of February 28, 2026, [[Israel Katz|Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz]] announced that Israel had carried out a "preemptive strike" against Iran "to eliminate threats against the State of Israel." Shortly after, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had begun "major combat operations" in Iran, announcing the operation on his [[Truth Social]] platform.

Trump, joined at his [[Mar-a-Lago]] estate by Defense Secretary [[Pete Hegseth]] and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. [[Dan Caine]], oversaw the launch of the campaign . The operation was named "Operation Epic Fury" by the US [[Department of Defence|Department of War]].<ref name=":2" />

Satellite imagery obtained by media outlets showed significant damage to the compound of [[Supreme Leader of Iran|Iran's Supreme Leader]] in [[Tehran]], including blackened buildings, debris, and columns of smoke. "Israeli" Channel 12 reported that 30 bombs were dropped on Khamenei's compound during the initial strikes.<ref>{{Web citation|author=The BBC|newspaper=The BBC|title=Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, state media says|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn5ge95q6y7t}}</ref>

Numerous videos show evidence of U.S. and "Israeli" bombs targeting schools with precise strikes that violate international law.

== Assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ==
[[File:Compound of Iran's Supreme Leader after it being destroyed.jpg|thumb|The Compound of [[Ali Khamenei]] after the Missiles from the Imperial Armies Hit]]
In a major escalation of the conflict, Iranian Supreme Leader [[Ali Khamenei|Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]] was confirmed killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian state media officially announced his death in the early hours of February 28, 2026. <ref name=":3">{{Web citation|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|title=Iranian state media announces Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/02/28/the-latest-iranian-state-media-announces-ayatollah-ali-khameneis-death/}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

The 86-year-old Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was reportedly at his Tehran compound when it was struck by multiple precision-guided munitions. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency reported his death, without initially elaborating on the exact cause. The announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier stated that Khamenei was among those killed in the operation.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" />

According to reports from Israeli officials cited by multiple news agencies, Khamenei's body was found following the strike on his compound. An intelligence source and a military source told CBS News that around 40 Iranian officials were killed in the strikes, including Khamenei, the commander of the [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]], and the defense minister.<ref name=":3" />

The compound in Tehran suffered massive damage, with satellite images showing it had been "almost completely obliterated." Israeli journalist Amit Segal reported that Khamenei was "almost certainly dead" <ref name=":0" />and that his relatives had also been killed. Subsequent reports from Iranian media confirmed that Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild were also killed in the attacks.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />

Iran announced forty days of national mourning following the confirmation of Khamenei's death.<ref name=":0" /> His assassination marks the first time a Iranian Supreme Leader has been killed in office and represents a seismic shift in the Islamic Republic's political landscape.

== Missile and Drone Barrages on Israel ==
Iran launched multiple waves of missiles and drones toward Israel throughout the day. The Israeli military reported that Iran fired "dozens" <ref name=":0" />of missiles at Israel, with many intercepted by air defense systems. Sirens blared across the country, with impacts and falling debris reported in Jerusalem, the Haifa District, the Tel Aviv area, and other locations.<ref name=":3" />

The first confirmed fatality in Israel occurred when a woman in the Tel Aviv area died from injuries sustained in an Iranian missile attack. Emergency services reported treating at least 90 people for minor injuries, with one man seriously injured.<ref name=":1" />

== Iranian Barrage Toward "Israel" ==
Iran sent a barrage of missiles towards "[[israel]]" hitting non-civilian targets unlike the United States and Israel's purposeful targeting of civilians.

The Israeli military reported that Iran fired "dozens" of missiles at Israel,<ref name=":1" /> with many intercepted by air defense systems. Sirens blared across the country, with impacts and falling debris reported in Jerusalem, the Haifa District, the Tel Aviv area, and other locations.<ref name=":1" />

The first confirmed fatality in Israel occurred when a woman in the Tel Aviv area died from injuries sustained in an Iranian missile attack. Emergency services reported treating at least 90 people for minor injuries, with one man seriously injured.<ref name=":3" />

== Strikes on U.S. Bases Across the Region ==
The IRGC confirmed that its strikes targeted U.S. military facilities across the region, inflicting significant damage:

*[[State of Qatar|Qatar]]: Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base in the region, was hit, with Iranian forces claiming to have destroyed an advanced U.S. early warning radar system. Explosions were reported in Doha.<ref name=":3" />
*[[Bahrain]]: The U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama was targeted, with three buildings damaged in the capital and Muharraq city by drone strikes and debris from intercepted missiles.<ref name=":3" />
*[[United Arab Emirates]]: Strikes were reported at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi and Dubai's Jabal Ali port. Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, confirmed that four people were injured in a ballistic missile attack. The UAE later reported intercepting 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones, with 14 drones falling within its territory.<ref name=":3" />
*[[State of Kuwait|Kuwait]]: A drone targeted the main international airport, injuring several employees. Three troops were reported injured by shrapnel from strikes on Ali Al Salem air base.<ref name=":1" />
* [[Republic of Iraq|Iraq]] and [[Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan|Jordan]]: Both countries reported dealing with incoming missiles and drones, with Jordan stating it "dealt with" 49 drones and ballistic missiles.<ref name=":1" />

== Massacre at Minab Girls' School ==
[[File:Minab Elementary School Post the U.S.- Israel Attack.jpg|thumb]]
The deadliest single attack of the conflict was on a girls' elementary school in Minab County, in southern Iran. According to the county prosecutor, at least 108 students were killed and dozens more injured in the strike, an act of mass murder of children that laid bare the barbarism of the imperialist operation.<ref name=":1" />

The school, located approximately 600 meters from an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base, was hit by U.S. or Israeli munitions. Numerous videos circulating on social media, verified by international media, show evidence of bombs targeting the school with precise strikes that constitute flagrant violations of international law. The BBC confirmed clips showing the aftermath of the explosion at the school.<ref name=":0" />

Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, condemned the attack at an emergency Security Council session, stating: "The number of innocent civilians continues to rise. This is not only an act of aggression, it is a war crime and a crime against humanity."<ref name=":1" />

== International Reactions ==

=== United Nations ===
UN Secretary-General [[Antonio Guterres]] condemned the [[United States of America|U.S]]. and Israeli airstrikes for violating Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity and international law, while also condemning Iran's retaliatory attacks for violating the sovereignty of [[Gulf states|Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE]]. He warned: "The alternative is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability." <ref name=":3" />

The [[UN Security Council]] held an emergency meeting on February 28 to discuss the escalating situation.<ref name=":3" />

=== China ===
[[People's Republic of China|China]]'s UN envoy, Fu Cong, expressed deep concern over the strikes, stating: "At all times, the red line for protecting civilians in armed conflict must not be crossed, and the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable." He called for an immediate cessation of military action and reaffirmed China's readiness to work for peace and stability in the Middle East.<ref name=":3" />

=== Russia ===
[[Russian Federation|Russia]] requested an emergency special session of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors regarding "matters related to military strikes of the United States and Israel against the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran that started in the morning of 28 February 2026, preceded by repeated open threats of such action, including against nuclear facilities under the IAEA safeguards." <ref name=":3" />

=== Arab League ===
The Arab League stated that the strikes represent "a moment when the Arab-Israeli conflict has expanded into a full-scale regional war." Maged Abdelaziz, the league's UN observer, accused Israel of using the conflict to evade ending its occupation of Palestinian territories and to impose its "hegemony on the Middle East by using military means." <ref name=":3" />

=== U.S. Allies ===

* United Kingdom, France, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran to refrain from further strikes and give up its weapons programs.
* Canada expressed support for U.S. actions.
* Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated: "We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from threatening international peace and security." <ref name=":3" />

=== Regional Responses ===

* UAE condemned the Iranian attacks on its territory as a "violation of national sovereignty and international law" and a "cowardly act." <ref name=":3" />
* Syria's new government, under its post-Assad leadership, condemned "the Iranian attacks that targeted the sovereignty and security" of Gulf monarchies, reflecting a dramatic shift in regional alignments.<ref name=":3" />

== IAEA Emergency Session ==
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors convened a special session at its Vienna headquarters on March 2, 2026, following Russia's request. Iran called for the meeting to address "baseless claims, vicious threats and wrongful acts of aggressors against Iran's peaceful nuclear program." The IAEA reported that it had seen "no evidence of radiological impact" from the strikes on Iranian facilities.<ref name=":3" />

== Human Casualties ==
[[File:The_Book_Bag_of_an_Iranian_Elementary_School_Student.jpg|thumb|U.S. Missiles murder 61+ elementary school students in Iran.]]
The human cost of the US-Israeli aggression was immediate and severe.

* Iran: The deadliest single attack was on a girls' elementary school in Minab County, in southern Iran. At least 51 students were killed and 60 injured in the strike, an act of mass murder of children that laid bare the barbarism of the imperialist operation. Initial reports from Iran's state-run IRNA news agency put the death toll at the school at 40, though the toll later rose.<ref name=":2" />

== Other Casualties ==

* [[United Arab Emirates|UAE]]: One civilian was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris from the Iranian retaliation.<ref name=":2" />
* US: The IRGC claimed over 200 US personnel were killed or injured in the retaliatory strikes on its bases. This figure could not be independently verified due to the US military's control of information.<ref name=":2" />
* Israel: Several Israelis were reported injured while running to shelters, but no direct fatalities were reported in the initial hours . Damage to property was reported.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:History of Iran]]
[[Category:Wars started by the USA]]

File:Compound of Iran's Supreme Leader after it being destroyed.jpg

2026-03-01T02:25:51Z

Comrade Billstat:

The ruins of the Iranian Supreme Leaders Compound.

2026 Iran Conflict

2026-02-28T17:17:30Z

Comrade Billstat: Fixed the Top

{{Message box/currentevent}}

The 2026 Iran conflict refers to a coordinated military attack on the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] launched by the [[United States of America|United States]] and "[[State of Israel|Israel"]] on February 28, 2026<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Anadolu Staff|newspaper=Anadolu Ajnasi|title=US, Israel launch strikes on Iran, begin ‘major combat operations’|date=2026-2-27|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/us-israel-launch-strikes-on-iran-begin-major-combat-operations-/3843210}}</ref>. The operation, described by [[President of the United States|US President]] [[Donald Trump]] as "major combat operations," marked a significant escalation in the imperialist war against the [[Axis of Resistance]].<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=CNN|newspaper=US and Israel attack Iran as Tehran retaliates across Middle East|title=https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-attack-02-28-26-hnk-intl?t=1772281974736&Date=20260228&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1772282693&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin|date=2026-2-27}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

== Background ==
The attack came amidst ongoing diplomatic negotiations between [[Islamic Republic of Iran|Iran]] and the [[United States of America|US]] in [[Geneva]], mediated by [[Sultanate of Oman|Oman]], which had shown signs of progress. In the days leading up to the assault, the US had escalated its military posture in the region, deploying 12 [[F-22]] fighter jets to an Israeli air base in southern Israel, which arrived just days before the strike. This military buildup coincided with Iran conducting defensive military exercises, including a drill by the [[IRGC]] Ground Force in southern Iran and on [[Persian Gulf]] islands.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Web citation|author=The Hindu Staff|newspaper=The Hindu|title=Iran-Israel conflict LIVE: Iran Guards launch new wave of missiles against U.S. bases in Gulf, says state TV|date=2026-2-28|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-israel-usa-conflict-strikes-attack-west-asia-us-trump-live-updates-february-28-2026/article70687247.ece}}</ref>

Tensions had been high since the summer of 2025, when the US and Israel had previously bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in an operation called "[[Operation Midnight Hammer]]". Despite subsequent talks, the US and Israel maintained a policy of maximum pressure and threats of "regime change".

== The Attack ==
In the early hours of February 28, 2026, [[Israel Katz|Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz]] announced that Israel had carried out a "preemptive strike" against Iran "to eliminate threats against the State of Israel." Shortly after, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had begun "major combat operations" in Iran, announcing the operation on his [[Truth Social]] platform.

Trump, joined at his [[Mar-a-Lago]] estate by Defense Secretary [[Pete Hegseth]] and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. [[Dan Caine]], oversaw the launch of the campaign . The operation was named "Operation Epic Fury" by the US [[Department of Defence|Department of War]].<ref name=":2" />

Numerous videos show evidence of U.S. and "Israeli" bombs targeting schools with precise strikes that violate international law.

== Human Casualties ==
[[File:The_Book_Bag_of_an_Iranian_Elementary_School_Student.jpg|thumb|U.S. Missiles murder 61+ elementary school students in Iran.]]
The human cost of the US-Israeli aggression was immediate and severe.

*Iran: The deadliest single attack was on a girls' elementary school in Minab County, in southern Iran. At least 51 students were killed and 60 injured in the strike, an act of mass murder of children that laid bare the barbarism of the imperialist operation . Initial reports from Iran's state-run IRNA news agency put the death toll at the school at 40, though the toll later rose.<ref name=":2" />

== Other Casualties ==

*UAE: One civilian was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris from the Iranian retaliation.<ref name=":2" />
*US: The IRGC claimed over 200 US personnel were killed or injured in the retaliatory strikes on its bases . This figure could not be independently verified due to the US military's control of information.<ref name=":2" />
*Israel: Several Israelis were reported injured while running to shelters, but no direct fatalities were reported in the initial hours . Damage to property was reported.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:History of Iran]]
[[Category:Wars started by the USA]]

2026 Iran Conflict

2026-02-28T17:07:49Z

Comrade Billstat: Created the page for the 2026 Iran Conflict

'''The 2026 Iran Conflict''' is the code name for a coordinated military attack on the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] launched by the [[United States of America|United States]] and "[[State of Israel|Israel"]] on February 28, 2026<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Anadolu Staff|newspaper=Anadolu Ajnasi|title=US, Israel launch strikes on Iran, begin ‘major combat operations’|date=2026-2-27|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/us-israel-launch-strikes-on-iran-begin-major-combat-operations-/3843210}}</ref>. The operation, described by [[President of the United States|US President]] [[Donald Trump]] as "major combat operations," marked a significant escalation in the imperialist war against the [[Axis of Resistance]].<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=CNN|newspaper=US and Israel attack Iran as Tehran retaliates across Middle East|title=https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-attack-02-28-26-hnk-intl?t=1772281974736&Date=20260228&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1772282693&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin|date=2026-2-27}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

== Background ==
The attack came amidst ongoing diplomatic negotiations between [[Islamic Republic of Iran|Iran]] and the [[United States of America|US]] in [[Geneva]], mediated by [[Sultanate of Oman|Oman]], which had shown signs of progress. In the days leading up to the assault, the US had escalated its military posture in the region, deploying 12 [[F-22]] fighter jets to an Israeli air base in southern Israel, which arrived just days before the strike. This military buildup coincided with Iran conducting defensive military exercises, including a drill by the [[IRGC]] Ground Force in southern Iran and on [[Persian Gulf]] islands.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Web citation|author=The Hindu Staff|newspaper=The Hindu|title=Iran-Israel conflict LIVE: Iran Guards launch new wave of missiles against U.S. bases in Gulf, says state TV|date=2026-2-28|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-israel-usa-conflict-strikes-attack-west-asia-us-trump-live-updates-february-28-2026/article70687247.ece}}</ref>

Tensions had been high since the summer of 2025, when the US and Israel had previously bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in an operation called "[[Operation Midnight Hammer]]". Despite subsequent talks, the US and Israel maintained a policy of maximum pressure and threats of "regime change".

== The Attack ==
In the early hours of February 28, 2026, [[Israel Katz|Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz]] announced that Israel had carried out a "preemptive strike" against Iran "to eliminate threats against the State of Israel." Shortly after, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had begun "major combat operations" in Iran, announcing the operation on his [[Truth Social]] platform.

Trump, joined at his [[Mar-a-Lago]] estate by Defense Secretary [[Pete Hegseth]] and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. [[Dan Caine]], oversaw the launch of the campaign . The operation was named "Operation Epic Fury" by the US [[Department of Defence|Department of War]].<ref name=":2" />

Numerous videos show evidence of U.S. and "Israeli" bombs targeting schools with precise strikes that violate international law.

== Human Casualties ==
The human cost of the US-Israeli aggression was immediate and severe.

* Iran: The deadliest single attack was on a girls' elementary school in Minab County, in southern Iran. At least 51 students were killed and 60 injured in the strike, an act of mass murder of children that laid bare the barbarism of the imperialist operation . Initial reports from Iran's state-run IRNA news agency put the death toll at the school at 40, though the toll later rose.<ref name=":2" />

== Other Casualties ==

* UAE: One civilian was killed in Abu Dhabi by falling debris from the Iranian retaliation.<ref name=":2" />
* US: The IRGC claimed over 200 US personnel were killed or injured in the retaliatory strikes on its bases . This figure could not be independently verified due to the US military's control of information.<ref name=":2" />
* Israel: Several Israelis were reported injured while running to shelters, but no direct fatalities were reported in the initial hours . Damage to property was reported.<ref name=":1" />

File:The Book Bag of an Iranian Elementary School Student.jpg

2026-02-28T17:04:30Z

Comrade Billstat:

The image shows the book bag of an Iranian Student who was murdered by US bombs on 2/28/2026 following U.S. Strikes on Iran with Israel. The elementary school was hit by a precise missile. 63 children have been confirmed dead.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

2026-02-26T22:19:45Z

Comrade Billstat: Created the Page of the General Secretary of the CPSU

'''General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union''' (Russian: Генеральный секретарь ЦК КПСС) was the highest leadership position within the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] (CPSU). Under the principles of [[democratic centralism]], the General Secretary served as the chief executive of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party]] apparatus, responsible for implementing the collective decisions of the Party Congress and the Central Committee. The office was established in 1922 and, consistent with the [[Marxist-Leninist]] conception of the vanguard party, became the central coordinating figure in the construction of socialism in the USSR.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=/webarchiveweb|newspaper=/webarchiveweb|title=webarchiveweb|archive-url=https://webarchiveweb.wayback.bac-lac.canada.ca/web/20211203071206/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Secretary_of_the_Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union}}</ref>

{{Infobox political party|name=General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|native_name=Генеральный секретарь ЦК КПСС|logo=[[File:CPSU.svg|frameless|175px]]|founded=1919|foundation=Communist Party of the Soviet Union|dissolution=1991|successor=General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation}}

== History ==
Before the establishment of the General Secretaryship, the Party's administrative work was carried out by secretarial positions with technical responsibilities. Following the October Revolution of 1917, the need arose for a dedicated administrative apparatus to coordinate the growing Party organization. <ref>{{Web citation|author=Elton B. Stephens Company|newspaper=Elton B. Stephens Company|title=Joseph Stalin Becomes General Secretary of the Communist Party|url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/joseph-stalin-becomes-general-secretary-communist-party}}</ref>

The precursor roles included:

* Technical Secretary (1917-1918): Held by [[Elena Stasova]], responsible for correspondence, financial records, and personnel appointments. Stasova and her staff of four women maintained communication with provincial party cells, distributed Party funds, and formulated party structure policy.
* Chairman of the Secretariat (1918-1919): Held by [[Yakov Sverdlov]] until his death, focusing on technical rather than political matters. Under Sverdlov's leadership, the Secretariat began to take on greater organizational responsibilities.
* Responsible Secretary (1919-1922): Held by [[Nikolay Krestinsky]] and then [[Vyacheslav Molotov|Vyacheslav Molotov,]] tasked with administrative work and maintaining Party discipline. At the [[10th Party Congress]] in March 1921, it was decided that the Responsible Secretary should have a presence at Politburo plenums, making Molotov a candidate member of the Politburo.

== The Collective Leadership Period (1953-1964) ==
Following [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin's]] death, the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Party reorganized its leadership]]. A period of collective leadership was established, initially among [[Georgy Malenkov]], [[Lavrentiy Beria]], and [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]. Malenkov became [[Chairman of the Council of Ministers]] and the most prominent member of the Secretariat, but he was forced to resign from the latter on 14 March 1953, leaving the Party apparatus under the direction of [[Nikita Khrushchev|the revisionist, Nikita Khrushchev]].<ref name=":0" />

On 14 September 1953, Khrushchev was elected to the newly titled office of [[First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]]. The name change reflected the Party's commitment to collective leadership while maintaining the need for a chief administrator of Party affairs.

Khrushchev's tenure was marked by his denunciation of Stalin's "cult of personality" at the 20th Party Congress in 1956—a departure from proper [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist-Leninist]] norms that would later be criticized for undermining the authority of the Party. Nevertheless, Khrushchev successfully defeated the "Anti-Party Group" in 1957, demonstrating that the First Secretary remained a position of significant authority within the collective leadership framework.<ref name=":0" />

In October 1964, the Central Committee, exercising its proper authority, removed Khrushchev from office due to subjective errors in his leadership style and policy directions.

== Constitutional and Party Framework ==
The General Secretary operated within the constitutional and organizational framework of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|CPSU]], which was based on the principle of [[democratic centralism]]. This principle, developed by [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], combined:

* Democracy: All leading bodies were elected from lower to higher levels; periodic reports were made to party organizations; strict party discipline and subordination of the minority to the majority; and decisions of higher bodies were absolutely binding on lower bodies.
* Centralism: The existence of a unified party center directing all party activities; the subordination of lower bodies to higher ones; and the prohibition of factions to ensure unity of action.

The [[1977 Constitution of the USSR]], Article 6, formally recognized the CPSU as "the leading and guiding force of Soviet society and the nucleus of its political system, of all state and public organizations" . This constitutional provision reflected the Marxist-Leninist understanding that the Party, as the vanguard of the working class, was best positioned to guide the construction of communism.

== Appointment and Election Process ==
The process for selecting the General Secretary evolved over time, reflecting the maturation of the Soviet political system.

=== Formal Procedure ===
Officially, the General Secretary was elected by the Central Committee of the [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party]] at a plenary session following each Party Congress. The formal steps included:

# Party Congress: Every five years, delegates from party organizations across the Soviet Union gathered for the Party Congress. The Congress set the general direction of Party policy and elected the Central Committee.
# Central Committee Plenum: Following the Congress, the newly elected Central Committee would convene to elect the leading bodies, including the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the General Secretary.
# Secret Ballot: While early procedures sometimes involved open voting, the principle of secret ballot was increasingly emphasized, particularly after the Stalin era.

== Powers and Responsibilities ==
The General Secretary's role encompassed a wide range of responsibilities essential to the functioning of the Party and the state.

=== Control Over the Party Apparatus ===
The General Secretary's most fundamental responsibility was directing the work of the Party apparatus. This included:

* '''Personnel Management''': The General Secretary, through the Secretariat and the nomenklatura system, oversaw the appointment of key Party and state officials at all levels. This ensured that leading positions were filled by qualified, dedicated communists committed to building socialism.
* '''Supervision of the Secretariat''': The General Secretary chaired meetings of the Secretariat, which managed the day-to-day operations of the Party, including implementation of Central Committee decisions, oversight of regional party organizations, and coordination of Party work across all sectors.
* '''Party Discipline''': The General Secretary worked with party control organs to maintain discipline and ensure that all party organizations and members adhered to the Party's program and decisions.

Abiy Ahmed

2026-02-26T02:49:47Z

Comrade Billstat: Update #3 to Abiy Ahmed's Page

{{Infobox politician|honorific_prefix=His Excellency|name=Abiy Ahmed Ali|native_name=ዐቢይ አሕመድ|birth_name=Abiy Ahmed Ali|birth_date=15 August 1976|birth_place=Beshasha, Ethiopia|nationality=Ethiopia|political_orientation=Imperialist, Right-Wing, Fascist, Capitalist Neo-Liberal|political_party=Prosperity Party|website=https://pmo.gov.et/pm/}}

'''Abiy Ahmed Ali''' is an Ethiopian politician, author, and the current [[Prime Minister of Ethiopia]], a position he has held since April 2018.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia|newspaper=The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia's Office of the Prime Minister|title=H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali (PhD) is the fourth Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|date=2019|url=https://pmo.gov.et/pm/}}</ref> He is also the founder and President of the Prosperity Party since 2019.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Fana TV|newspaper=Fana TV|title=dr-abiy-ahmed-sworn-in-as-prime-minister-of-ethiopia|date=2019|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513170416/http://www.fanabc.com/english/index.php/news/item/11721-dr-abiy-ahmed-sworn-in-as-prime-minister-of-ethiopia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513170416/http://www.fanabc.com/english/index.php/news/item/11721-dr-abiy-ahmed-sworn-in-as-prime-minister-of-ethiopia}}</ref> His rise to power followed widespread protests against the U.S.-backed dictatorial regime led by the fascist Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which cynically claimed to be Marxist while implementing a brutal ethnocentric supremacy project that systematically marginalized other ethnic groups for nearly three decades. <ref>{{Web citation|author=Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice|newspaper=United States Department of State|title=Meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi|date=2007-12-5|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/12/96279.htm|archive-url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/12/96279.htm|archive-date=2007-12-5}}</ref>

== Early Life and Career ==
Abiy was born in the small town of Beshasha, the 13th child of his Muslim [[Oromo]] father and the sixth child of his [[Christianity|Christian]] Amhara mother. His childhood name, "Abiyot," means "Revolution"—a name given to some children in the aftermath of the Ethiopian Revolution. He dropped out of school in the seventh grade and moved to Addis Ababa as a teenager.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Amy McKenna|newspaper=Britannica|title=Abiy Ahmed {{!}} Biography|date=2026-2-7|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abiy-Ahmed}}</ref>

At the age of 14 in early 1991, following the death of his oldest brother, Abiy joined the armed struggle against the [[Marxism–Leninism|Marxist-Leninist]] regime of [[Mengistu Haile Mariam]] as a child soldier. He was affiliated with the [[Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO)]], a tiny faction within the larger coalition army of the [[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front]] (EPRDF), which was dominated by Tigrayan fighters.

After the fall of the [[Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia (1974–1987)|Derg]] in 1991, he took formal military training and became a soldier in the [[Ethiopian National Defense Force]] (ENDF), working primarily in intelligence and communications. In 1995, he was deployed to Kigali as a member of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) following the [[Rwandan genocide|genocide]].<ref name=":0" />

During the [[Eritrean-Ethiopian War]] (1998–2000), Abiy led an intelligence team. In the final days of the war, he narrowly escaped an Eritrean artillery attack that killed most of his unit. He later recounted that this moment of survival led to a revelation and his subsequent conversion to [[Pentecostal]] [[Christianity]]. <ref>{{Web citation|author=Elle Hardy|newspaper=New Lines Magazine|title=The Religious Zealot Presiding Over Ethiopia’s Five Conflicts|date=2023-2-1|url=https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/the-religious-zealot-presiding-over-ethiopias-five-conflicts/}}</ref>After the war, he was posted to his hometown, where he intervened to calm inter-religious clashes between Muslims and Christians, later formalizing these efforts through the creation of the [[Religious Forum for Peace]]. <ref name=":0" />

== Rise Through the Security Apparatus ==
In 2006, Abiy became a co-founder of the [[Information Network Security Agency]] (INSA), established with support from the United States and modeled after the NSA. The agency was initially tasked with intelligence gathering, particularly regarding [[Somalia]] during the [[U.S.-backed 2006]] invasion, but gradually expanded into domestic surveillance. Through INSA, Abiy ascended through government ranks, serving as acting director for two years. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before leaving the military and his post at INSA in 2010 to enter politics.

== Political Career and Rise to Power ==
Abiy began his political career as a member of the [[Oromo Democratic Party]] (ODP), one of four coalition parties within the ruling EPRDF. In the 2010 national election, he became an elected member of the [[House of Peoples' Representatives]], representing the district of Agaro. During his parliamentary service, he continued his inter-religious reconciliation work.<ref name=":0" />

Starting in 2015, Abiy became a central figure in the violent fight against illegal land grabbing in Oromia Region, particularly around [[Addis Ababa]]. The disputed Addis Ababa Master Plan, which drove these land grabs, was eventually stopped in 2016. This fight against land grabbing boosted Abiy's political career and brought him into the national spotlight.<ref name=":0" />

He served as [[Minister of Science and Technology]] (2015–2016), then as Deputy President of Oromia Region (2016–2018) under President [[Lemma Megersa]]. As head of the ODP Secretariat from October 2017, he facilitated a new alliance between Oromo and Amhara groups, which together constitute two-thirds of the Ethiopian population.<ref name=":0" />

Following three years of protests and the resignation of Prime Minister Haile-mariam Desalegn in February 2018, the EPRDF held its first contested leadership election. Though Lemma Megersa was the public favorite, he was ineligible for the prime ministership as he was not a member of parliament. The ODP strategically replaced him with Abiy, who was a member of parliament. On 27 March 2018, Abiy was declared chairman of the EPRDF, receiving 108 votes against his opponents' combined 60. On 2 April 2018, he was sworn in as Prime Minister.

== Premiership: The Contradiction of Reform and Repression ==
Abiy's early tenure was marked by sweeping political reforms that earned him widespread popularity and international acclaim. His government released thousands of political prisoners, unbanned opposition groups, and invited exiled media outlets to return. He pursued large-scale privatization of state-owned enterprises, including Ethiopian Airlines, and liberalized key economic sectors. In foreign policy, he brokered a peace agreement with Eritrea, for which he was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=The BBC|newspaper=The BBC|title=Nobel Peace Prize: Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed wins|date=2019-10-11|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50013273}}</ref>

However, this liberal facade quickly gave way to the reality of his administration. The [[Nobel Peace Prize]]<ref name=":1" />, awarded for a rapprochement that critics describe as "largely unimplemented," now stands as an indictment of the [[Imperialism|imperialist]] "peace prize" system that rewards superficial gestures while ignoring underlying structures of oppression. Within two years of receiving the award, Abiy would launch a genocidal war against the people of Tigray.

== Genocidal War Against Tigray ==
In November 2020, Abiy launched a [[Tigray War|full-scale military]] offensive against the Tigray region, unleashing the ENDF in conjunction with Eritrean troops and Amhara regional forces. The war was characterized by systematic atrocities, with the African Union estimating approximately 600,000 people killed over two years—civilians, not combatants, victims of starvation, shelling, and extrajudicial executions.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Kalkidan Yibeltal|newspaper=The BBC|title=Is Ethiopia heading back to war in Tigray?|date=2025-2-25|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwygrnjz9wro}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Web citation|author=Laetitia Bader|newspaper=Human RIghts Watch|title=Tigray Conflict|url=https://www.hrw.org/tag/tigray-conflict}}</ref>

The massacre in the historic city of Aksum on November 28-29, 2020, symbolizes the war's brutality. Eritrean soldiers, fighting alongside Ethiopian forces, conducted house-to-house raids killing hundreds of unarmed civilians, predominantly men and boys. At the time, Abiy falsely claimed that "not a single civilian was killed" during the military operation. It took years before he grudgingly acknowledged that Eritrean troops had committed mass killings—an admission that came only after the facts were irrefutably documented.<ref name=":2" />

The Pretoria Agreement (November 2022) formally ended the war but excluded Eritrea. Since then, Abiy has made a performative "peace" while continuing a low-intensity war through blockades, extrajudicial killings, and denial of humanitarian access.<ref name=":2" />

== Ongoing Ethnic Cleansing Campaigns ==
Since 2023, the Amhara region has been engulfed in insurgency as [[Fano]] rebels (fascist group with ethnic-supremacy goals) resist Abiy's centralization agenda. The government has responded with overwhelming military force, treating the entire region as a war zone, subjecting civilians to extrajudicial killings, mass arrests, and collective punishment under the guise of counter-insurgency.<ref name=":2" />

In Oromia, Abiy's own ethnic homeland, the [[Oromo Liberation Army]] (OLA) has engaged in armed struggle. The government, classifying the OLA as a "terrorist organization," has waged an indiscriminate crackdown. The region has seen repeated ethnic massacres; while the government blames the OLA, independent observers note that government forces have engaged in collective punishment against [[Oromo]] civilians.

== The Imperialist Centralization Agenda ==
Abiy's political philosophy, "[https://medemer.et/ Medemer]" ("synergy"), is presented as an ideology of unity. In practice, Medemer functions to dissolve Ethiopia's ethnic federalism—the constitutional framework granting regional autonomy—and replace it with a highly centralized state structure designed to concentrate power in the hands of a single leader. Despite rhetoric about inclusion, the Prosperity Party functions as an instrument of personal rule, using co-optation to neutralize rivals and military force to crush those who refuse to be co-opted.<ref>{{Web citation|author=The BBC|newspaper=The British Broadcasting Corporation|title=Hachalu Hundessa: Ethiopia singer's death unrest killed 166|date=2020-7-5|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53298845}}</ref>

== Expansionist Ambitions ==
Abiy has repeatedly declared that landlocked Ethiopia has a "right" to sea access—a position neighboring countries view as an implicit threat of military expansion. In February 2026, he announced the expansion of military training to maritime operations, declaring Ethiopia's elite force capable of operations "from Somalia to the port of Massawa in Eritrea." The 2024 Memorandum of Understanding with [[Republic of Somaliland|Somaliland]]<ref>{{Web citation|author=The IISS|newspaper=The International Institute for Strategic Studies|title=The Ethiopia–Somaliland deal|url=https://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-comments/2024/03/the-ethiopia-somaliland-deal/}}</ref>, granting [[Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|Ethiopia]] potential naval access, has inflamed tensions with [[Federal Republic of Somalia|Somalia]], [[Arab Republic of Egypt|Egypt]], and [[State of Eritrea|Eritrea]].

Abiy Ahmed has also been a close ally of imperialist nations such as the United States of America and its presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as well as other top U.S. government officials. He has reportedly received funding from the United Arab Emirates to launch a brutal campaign against his people and is now moving closer and closer to launching a war against the Federal Republic of Somalia and the State of Eritrea.

He has also been supportive of the "[[State of Israel]]", meeting with "Israel’s President" [[Isaac Herzog]] on February 25, 2026.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Lazar Berman|newspaper=The Times of Israel|title=Visiting Ethiopia, Herzog touts Israel’s ‘strong’ relationships across Africa|date=2026-2-25|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/visiting-ethiopia-herzog-touts-israels-strong-relationships-across-africa/}}</ref> In addition, he has met several times with "[[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister"]] [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] in the past. His Minister of Education has also been connected to notorious, [[mossad]] agent and convicted sex-trafficker [[Jeffrey Epstein]]. <ref>{{Web citation|author=PR News Write|newspaper=PR News Write|title=The Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation Helps Launch Artificial Intelligence in Ethiopia|date=2014|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-jeffrey-epstein-vi-foundation-helps-launch-artificial-intelligence-in-ethiopia-259205671.html#:~:text=In%2DLanguage%20News-,The%20Jeffrey%20Epstein%20VI%20Foundation%20Helps%20Launch%20Artificial%20Intelligence%20in,in%20the%20capital%20of%20Ethiopia.}}</ref>

== Personal Life ==
Abiy Ahmed married Zinash [[Tayachew]], an Amhara woman from Gondar, during their service in the [[Ethiopian National Defense Force]] (ENDF). They have three daughters and one adopted son. Abiy speaks Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya, and English. He cultivates a public image of discipline and vitality, frequently highlighting his commitment to fitness and gym culture in Addis Ababa—an aesthetic of personal strength that parallels his broader political branding around “medemer” (synergy) and national renewal.<ref name=":0" />

== Religion ==
Abiy is a Pentecostal Christian, born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother, and raised in a religiously plural household. He and his family attend the Ethiopian Full Gospel Believers' Church, and Abiy has occasionally preached there. Zinash Tayachew is also active in church ministry as a gospel singer.<ref name=":0" />

From a Marxist standpoint, the prominence of Pentecostalism within segments of Ethiopia’s urban middle classes reflects broader global patterns in which charismatic Christianity expands amid neoliberal restructuring. While Abiy frames his faith as a force for reconciliation and moral leadership, critics contend that the fusion of evangelical rhetoric with state power risks depoliticizing structural contradictions—class inequality, uneven development, and ethno-regional marginalization—by recasting them as moral or spiritual crises rather than products of material relations. In this reading, religion functions less as a private conviction and more as part of the ideological superstructure that stabilizes a rapidly transforming capitalist order.<ref name=":0" />

== Education ==
While serving in the ENDF, Abiy earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Microlink Information Technology College in Addis Ababa in 2009. He later obtained a Master of Arts in transformational leadership (2011) through Greenwich University in collaboration with the International Leadership Institute in Addis Ababa, and an MBA (2013) from Leadstar College of Management and Leadership in partnership with Ashland University.<ref name=":0" />

Abiy completed his PhD at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies, Addis Ababa University, defending his dissertation in 2017. His thesis, titled ''“Social Capital and its Role in Traditional Conflict Resolution in Ethiopia: The Case of Inter-Religious Conflict in Jimma Zone State”'', examined local mechanisms of conflict mediation in the Agaro constituency.<ref name=":0" />

The dissertation has drawn criticism. In 2022, scholar Alex de Waal characterized the work as anecdotal and insufficiently engaged with broader theoretical and empirical literature on armed conflict, nationalism, and social capital. In 2023, de Waal and colleagues called for Addis Ababa University to re-examine the thesis over alleged plagiarism in portions of Chapter 2. These controversies have fueled debate over academic standards and the relationship between political authority and intellectual legitimacy in Ethiopia.<ref name=":0" />

From a historical-materialist angle, the thematic focus on “social capital” and localized reconciliation can be read as consistent with Abiy’s broader political project: privileging communal harmony and elite brokerage over structural transformation of property relations. Rather than confronting the underlying political economy of land, labor, and federal power that shapes conflict in Ethiopia, the emphasis on interpersonal trust and traditional mechanisms aligns with a reformist framework that leaves the foundations of class rule intact.<ref name=":0" />

Abiy has also published a short article on de-escalation strategies in the Horn of Africa in a journal issue on countering violent extremism, further situating his intellectual production within the language of security and stabilization—concepts that, in Marxist analysis, often accompany the consolidation of state authority during periods of capitalist crisis and social unrest.<ref name=":0" />

Prime Minister of Israel

2026-02-26T01:32:07Z

Comrade Billstat: I added the Emblem Image for the Israeli Prime Ministers Page.

The '''"Prime Minister" of the "State of Israel"''' (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, romanised: ''Rosh HaMemshala'', lit. '[[Head of the Government]]', Hebrew abbreviation: רה״מ‎; Arabic: رئيس الحكومة, romanised: ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief executive of the "[[State of Israel]]."

[[State of Israel|Israel]] is a [[settler-colonial state]] and a [[parliamentary republic]], characterized by a fundamental contradiction between its professed democratic institutions and its inherently expansionist, [[apartheid]] nature. The role of the president is largely ceremonial, serving to maintain a veneer of civic normalcy while the prime minister holds the executive power necessary to administer the state's colonial project. The official residence of the prime minister, [[Beit Aghion]], is located in the [[Jerusalem|illegally occupied city of Jerusalem]]. The current prime minister is [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]<ref>{{Web citation|author=The International Criminal Court|newspaper=The International Criminal Court|title=Trying individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression|date=2024-11-21|url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendant/netanyahu|archive-url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendant/netanyahu}}</ref>, head of the far-right, [[Fascism|fascist]] [[Likud party]]. He is the ninth person to hold this position, overseeing a government that continues to entrench [[occupation]], perpetuate systemic discrimination against [[Palestinian|Palestinians]], and reject the fundamental rights of the indigenous population.

== History ==
[[File:Emblem of the Prime Minister of Israel.png|thumb|The Emblem of the Israeli Prime Minister]]
The office of Prime Minister was established in 1948 with the founding of the [[State of Israel|settler-colonial state of Israel]]. This position was created to administer and advance the [[Zionist|Zionist project]], which, as scholarly analysis demonstrates, has been inherently expansionist and imperialist since its inception.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Amir Locker-Biletzki|newspaper=SageJournals|title=Settler-Colonialism and Empire-Building in Palestine/Israel, 1920–1956|date=2025-4-18|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/04866134251322919|archive-url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/04866134251322919}}</ref> The role emerged from the institutional structures of the Yishuv (the pre-state Jewish community), which functioned as a "pure colony"—a settler society built on the systematic dispossession and erasure of the Indigenous [[Palestinian]] population.<ref name=":0" />

From [[David Ben-Gurion|1948]] to the present, the Prime Minister has served as the chief executive officer of a state founded through the [[Palestinian genocide|Nakba]] ("catastrophe"), in which over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their ancestral lands and hundreds of villages were destroyed. This foundational violence was not an unfortunate byproduct of war but a deliberate implementation of the [[Settler colonialism|settler-colonial]] logic of elimination—the replacement of the native population with settlers. <ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=Selvanur Demircan|newspaper=Platform|title=Beyond the Occupation: Israeli Settler Colonialism|date=2024-2-24|url=https://platform.ilke.org.tr/en/analyze/beyond-the-occupation-israeli-settler-colonialism/#back-to-top}}</ref>

== Election ==
The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the President but must command the confidence of the [[Knesset]] (the "[[Israeli]]" parliament). In practice, the Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Knesset following national elections.

From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, Israeli elections represent a limited form of [[bourgeois democracy]] within the settler population, while the Indigenous [[Palestinian]] population—both those under [[Israel Occupation Forces|occupation]] and those holding "Israeli" citizenship—remains subject to a fundamentally undemocratic, ethnocentric legal and political structure. As detailed by legal scholars, Israel's citizenship regime functions as a tool of dispossession and domination, producing settlers as "natural" indigenous subjects while rendering Palestinians as perpetual outsiders, even when formally holding citizenship.<ref name=":1" /> '''The 2018 [[Nation-State Law]]''' codified this hierarchy, enshrining exclusive Jewish self-determination and downgrading the Arabic language, thereby making explicit the apartheid nature of the state.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Dr. Amir Fuchs, Prof. Suzie Navot|newspaper=The Israel Democracy Institute|title=Nation-State Law Explainer|url=https://en.idi.org.il/articles/24241|archive-url=https://en.idi.org.il/articles/24241}}</ref>

== Notable Figures Who Have Held the Office ==

* '''[[David Ben-Gurion]] (1948–1954, 1955–1963):''' The dominant founder of the state and its first Prime Minister. Ben-Gurion personified the fusion of socialist rhetoric with settler-colonial practice. While affiliated with the labor Zionist movement Mapai, his governance oversaw the mass expulsion of Palestinians during the Nakba and the subsequent imposition of military rule over those Palestinians who remained within the newly-created state. He was a key architect of the "small empire" building that characterized Israeli expansionism.<ref name=":0" />
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Levi-Eshkol Levi Eshkol]''' (1963–1969): Presided over the 1967 Six-Day War, which resulted in the military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula. This marked a critical expansion of the settler-colonial project, bringing millions more Palestinians under Israeli military rule and initiating the ongoing "occupation cycle" of settlement expansion.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Jeff Halper|newspaper=Michigan eLibrary|title=Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine : Zionism, settler colonialism, and the case for one democratic state / Jeff Halper ; foreword by Nadia Naser-Najjab|url=https://elibrary.mel.org/search?/lDS119.76+.H3535+2011/lds++119.76+h3535+2011/1%2C1%2C1%2CE/frameset&FF=lds++119.76+h35+2021&0%2C0%2C|archive-url=\}}</ref>
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Golda-Meir Golda Meir]''' (1969–1974): Infamously denied the existence of a Palestinian people, stating, "There was no such thing as Palestinians." Her government oversaw the brutal suppression of Palestinian resistance and continued the expansion of settlements in occupied territories.
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yitzhak-Rabin Yitzhak Rabin]''' (1974–1977, 1992–1995): As [[Israel Defense Forces|Chief of Staff]] in [[6 day war|1967,]] he commanded the forces that occupied East Jerusalem, the [[West Bank]], and Gaza. As Prime Minister, he initiated the [[Oslo Accords]], which created the Palestinian Authority—a body that functions not as a step toward liberation but as a subcontractor for Israeli security, managing the fragmented and besieged Palestinian population while the settlement enterprise expanded exponentially.
* '''[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/19/israel-installed-security-at-epsteins-manhattan-apartment-for-ex-pm-barak Ehud Barak]''' (1999–2001): Offered a "generous" offer at Camp David that would have perpetuated Israeli control over borders, resources, and security, while creating fragmented Palestinian cantons—a proposal that amounted to the management, not the end, of occupation. He also maintained documented social and financial ties with convicted sex offender [[Jeffrey Epstein]], including meetings and business dealings after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Although Barak has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes, the relationship has drawn scrutiny and criticism, reinforcing broader concerns about elite political networks, accountability, and the willingness of powerful figures to associate with individuals implicated in serious abuses.
* '''[[Benjamin Netanyahu]]''' (1996–1999, 2009–2021, 2022–present): The longest-serving Prime Minister and the ultimate expression of the [[Israel|settler-colonial]] project's rightward shift. His rule has been characterized by accelerating settlement expansion, entrenching the siege on Gaza, deepening the apartheid system, and culminating in the 2023–present [[Israel-Gaza war and genocide|genocide in Gaza]], which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, systematically destroyed Gaza's infrastructure, and displaced nearly the entire population.

== The Prime Minister's Duties and Responsibilities ==
The Prime Minister holds the executive power of the settler-colonial state and is responsible for:

* Administering the Occupation: Directing the Israeli military (IDF), the Shin Bet (internal security), and the Mossad (intelligence) in their operations to maintain control over Palestinian land and people, both within the 1948 borders and in the occupied territories.
* Directing the Settlement Enterprise: Approving, funding, and expanding illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. This is the material engine of the settler-colonial project .
* Managing the Apparatus of Domination: Overseeing the legal and bureaucratic systems that enforce the apartheid regime—including the permit system, land confiscation, home demolitions, and the separate legal systems for settlers and Palestinians .
* Directing Military Operations: Authorizing and overseeing military campaigns, which have, with increasing frequency and intensity, involved the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian population.
* Perpetuating the "Security" Narrative: Framing the state's aggression and expansion as necessary self-defense, thereby maintaining legitimacy for the project both domestically and internationally

== The Prime Ministers as Architects of Atrocity ==
The office of the Prime Minister has been central to the commission of systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity. While Benjamin Netanyahu is the current face of this criminality, he is the heir to a long tradition.

'''David Ben-Gurion:''' Ethnic Cleansing ([[Palestinian genocide|Nakba]], 1947–1949): Orchestrated the expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and homeland. This foundational crime included the destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages and the depopulation of Palestinian cities like Jaffa, Lydda, and Ramla.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Dr. Gideon Polya|newspaper=Just International|title=The Colonial Playbook: From Terra Nullius to Gaza|date=2025-7-15|url=https://just-international.org/articles/the-colonial-playbook-from-terra-nullius-to-gaza/}}</ref>

'''Benjamin Netanyahu:''' Netanyahu's tenure has been marked by an escalation in criminality, culminating in the ongoing [[Israel-Gaza war and genocide|genocide in Gaza]].

* '''Genocide in Gaza''' (2023–present): Following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, Netanyahu's government launched a military campaign that the International Court of Justice has found to be a "plausible" case of genocide under the Genocide Convention. This includes:
** Mass Killing of Civilians: Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by direct violence, with independent estimates suggesting the total death toll (including indirect deaths from starvation and disease) has exceeded 600,000 .
** Starvation as a Weapon of War: Imposing a complete siege, cutting off food, water, fuel, and medicine, and systematically destroying food production and distribution systems, deliberately starving the civilian population .
** Targeting of Healthcare and Journalism: Deliberately bombing and destroying hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, and media offices, killing thousands of medical personnel and journalists.
** Forced Displacement: Ordering the evacuation of 1.9 million people (85% of Gaza's population) into increasingly smaller and unsafe "safe zones," often bombing the areas they were told to flee to.
** Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure: Systematically destroying over 70% of homes, along with water systems, power plants, bakeries, and universities, rendering Gaza uninhabitable .
* Entrenchment of the Apartheid Regime: Netanyahu's governments have advanced legislation and policies that deepen the apartheid system, including the 2018 Nation-State Law, which constitutionally enshrines Jewish supremacy, and the systematic legalization of settlement outposts in the West Bank.<ref>{{Web citation|author=The United Nations|newspaper=The United Nations|title=Israeli actions in Palestinian territories constitute war crimes, Human Rights Council hears|date=2025-7-17|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164496}}</ref>

== Requirements ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Requirement Category
!Direct Election System (1992-2001)
!Current Parliamentary System (2001-present)
|-
|'''Citizenship & Residency'''
|'''Must be eligible for candidacy to the Knesset. (Implied Israeli citizen).'''
|'''Must be a member of the Knesset (MK), therefore an Israeli citizen and resident.'''
|-
|'''Age'''
|'''At least 30 years old on the day of candidacy submission'''
|'''No specific age for PM, but must be an MK. The minimum age to be an MK is 21'''
|-
|'''Knesset Membership'''
|'''Required either to head a list (general election) or be an MK (special elections)'''
|'''Mandatory. The Prime Minister must be a sitting member of the Knesset'''
|}

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Prime ministers of Israel| ]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Prime ministers by country]]

Prime Minister of Israel

2026-02-24T23:17:27Z

Comrade Billstat:

The '''"Prime Minister" of the "State of Israel"''' (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, romanised: ''Rosh HaMemshala'', lit. '[[Head of the Government]]', Hebrew abbreviation: רה״מ‎; Arabic: رئيس الحكومة, romanised: ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief executive of the "[[State of Israel]]."

[[State of Israel|Israel]] is a [[settler-colonial state]] and a [[parliamentary republic]], characterized by a fundamental contradiction between its professed democratic institutions and its inherently expansionist, [[apartheid]] nature. The role of the president is largely ceremonial, serving to maintain a veneer of civic normalcy while the prime minister holds the executive power necessary to administer the state's colonial project. The official residence of the prime minister, [[Beit Aghion]], is located in the [[Jerusalem|illegally occupied city of Jerusalem]]. The current prime minister is [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]<ref>{{Web citation|author=The International Criminal Court|newspaper=The International Criminal Court|title=Trying individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression|date=2024-11-21|url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendant/netanyahu|archive-url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendant/netanyahu}}</ref>, head of the far-right, [[Fascism|fascist]] [[Likud party]]. He is the ninth person to hold this position, overseeing a government that continues to entrench [[occupation]], perpetuate systemic discrimination against [[Palestinian|Palestinians]], and reject the fundamental rights of the indigenous population.

== History ==
The office of Prime Minister was established in 1948 with the founding of the [[State of Israel|settler-colonial state of Israel]]. This position was created to administer and advance the [[Zionist|Zionist project]], which, as scholarly analysis demonstrates, has been inherently expansionist and imperialist since its inception.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Amir Locker-Biletzki|newspaper=SageJournals|title=Settler-Colonialism and Empire-Building in Palestine/Israel, 1920–1956|date=2025-4-18|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/04866134251322919|archive-url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/04866134251322919}}</ref> The role emerged from the institutional structures of the Yishuv (the pre-state Jewish community), which functioned as a "pure colony"—a settler society built on the systematic dispossession and erasure of the Indigenous [[Palestinian]] population.<ref name=":0" />

From [[David Ben-Gurion|1948]] to the present, the Prime Minister has served as the chief executive officer of a state founded through the [[Palestinian genocide|Nakba]] ("catastrophe"), in which over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their ancestral lands and hundreds of villages were destroyed. This foundational violence was not an unfortunate byproduct of war but a deliberate implementation of the [[Settler colonialism|settler-colonial]] logic of elimination—the replacement of the native population with settlers. <ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=Selvanur Demircan|newspaper=Platform|title=Beyond the Occupation: Israeli Settler Colonialism|date=2024-2-24|url=https://platform.ilke.org.tr/en/analyze/beyond-the-occupation-israeli-settler-colonialism/#back-to-top}}</ref>

== Election ==
The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the President but must command the confidence of the [[Knesset]] (the "[[Israeli]]" parliament). In practice, the Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Knesset following national elections.

From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, Israeli elections represent a limited form of [[bourgeois democracy]] within the settler population, while the Indigenous [[Palestinian]] population—both those under [[Israel Occupation Forces|occupation]] and those holding "Israeli" citizenship—remains subject to a fundamentally undemocratic, ethnocentric legal and political structure. As detailed by legal scholars, Israel's citizenship regime functions as a tool of dispossession and domination, producing settlers as "natural" indigenous subjects while rendering Palestinians as perpetual outsiders, even when formally holding citizenship.<ref name=":1" /> '''The 2018 [[Nation-State Law]]''' codified this hierarchy, enshrining exclusive Jewish self-determination and downgrading the Arabic language, thereby making explicit the apartheid nature of the state.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Dr. Amir Fuchs, Prof. Suzie Navot|newspaper=The Israel Democracy Institute|title=Nation-State Law Explainer|url=https://en.idi.org.il/articles/24241|archive-url=https://en.idi.org.il/articles/24241}}</ref>

== Notable Figures Who Have Held the Office ==

* '''[[David Ben-Gurion]] (1948–1954, 1955–1963):''' The dominant founder of the state and its first Prime Minister. Ben-Gurion personified the fusion of socialist rhetoric with settler-colonial practice. While affiliated with the labor Zionist movement Mapai, his governance oversaw the mass expulsion of Palestinians during the Nakba and the subsequent imposition of military rule over those Palestinians who remained within the newly-created state. He was a key architect of the "small empire" building that characterized Israeli expansionism.<ref name=":0" />
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Levi-Eshkol Levi Eshkol]''' (1963–1969): Presided over the 1967 Six-Day War, which resulted in the military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula. This marked a critical expansion of the settler-colonial project, bringing millions more Palestinians under Israeli military rule and initiating the ongoing "occupation cycle" of settlement expansion.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Jeff Halper|newspaper=Michigan eLibrary|title=Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine : Zionism, settler colonialism, and the case for one democratic state / Jeff Halper ; foreword by Nadia Naser-Najjab|url=https://elibrary.mel.org/search?/lDS119.76+.H3535+2011/lds++119.76+h3535+2011/1%2C1%2C1%2CE/frameset&FF=lds++119.76+h35+2021&0%2C0%2C|archive-url=\}}</ref>
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Golda-Meir Golda Meir]''' (1969–1974): Infamously denied the existence of a Palestinian people, stating, "There was no such thing as Palestinians." Her government oversaw the brutal suppression of Palestinian resistance and continued the expansion of settlements in occupied territories.
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yitzhak-Rabin Yitzhak Rabin]''' (1974–1977, 1992–1995): As [[Israel Defense Forces|Chief of Staff]] in [[6 day war|1967,]] he commanded the forces that occupied East Jerusalem, the [[West Bank]], and Gaza. As Prime Minister, he initiated the [[Oslo Accords]], which created the Palestinian Authority—a body that functions not as a step toward liberation but as a subcontractor for Israeli security, managing the fragmented and besieged Palestinian population while the settlement enterprise expanded exponentially.
* '''[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/19/israel-installed-security-at-epsteins-manhattan-apartment-for-ex-pm-barak Ehud Barak]''' (1999–2001): Offered a "generous" offer at Camp David that would have perpetuated Israeli control over borders, resources, and security, while creating fragmented Palestinian cantons—a proposal that amounted to the management, not the end, of occupation. He also maintained documented social and financial ties with convicted sex offender [[Jeffrey Epstein]], including meetings and business dealings after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Although Barak has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes, the relationship has drawn scrutiny and criticism, reinforcing broader concerns about elite political networks, accountability, and the willingness of powerful figures to associate with individuals implicated in serious abuses.
* '''[[Benjamin Netanyahu]]''' (1996–1999, 2009–2021, 2022–present): The longest-serving Prime Minister and the ultimate expression of the [[Israel|settler-colonial]] project's rightward shift. His rule has been characterized by accelerating settlement expansion, entrenching the siege on Gaza, deepening the apartheid system, and culminating in the 2023–present [[Israel-Gaza war and genocide|genocide in Gaza]], which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, systematically destroyed Gaza's infrastructure, and displaced nearly the entire population.

== The Prime Minister's Duties and Responsibilities ==
The Prime Minister holds the executive power of the settler-colonial state and is responsible for:

* Administering the Occupation: Directing the Israeli military (IDF), the Shin Bet (internal security), and the Mossad (intelligence) in their operations to maintain control over Palestinian land and people, both within the 1948 borders and in the occupied territories.
* Directing the Settlement Enterprise: Approving, funding, and expanding illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. This is the material engine of the settler-colonial project .
* Managing the Apparatus of Domination: Overseeing the legal and bureaucratic systems that enforce the apartheid regime—including the permit system, land confiscation, home demolitions, and the separate legal systems for settlers and Palestinians .
* Directing Military Operations: Authorizing and overseeing military campaigns, which have, with increasing frequency and intensity, involved the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian population.
* Perpetuating the "Security" Narrative: Framing the state's aggression and expansion as necessary self-defense, thereby maintaining legitimacy for the project both domestically and internationally

== The Prime Ministers as Architects of Atrocity ==
The office of the Prime Minister has been central to the commission of systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity. While Benjamin Netanyahu is the current face of this criminality, he is the heir to a long tradition.

'''David Ben-Gurion:''' Ethnic Cleansing ([[Palestinian genocide|Nakba]], 1947–1949): Orchestrated the expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and homeland. This foundational crime included the destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages and the depopulation of Palestinian cities like Jaffa, Lydda, and Ramla.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Dr. Gideon Polya|newspaper=Just International|title=The Colonial Playbook: From Terra Nullius to Gaza|date=2025-7-15|url=https://just-international.org/articles/the-colonial-playbook-from-terra-nullius-to-gaza/}}</ref>

'''Benjamin Netanyahu:''' Netanyahu's tenure has been marked by an escalation in criminality, culminating in the ongoing [[Israel-Gaza war and genocide|genocide in Gaza]].

* '''Genocide in Gaza''' (2023–present): Following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, Netanyahu's government launched a military campaign that the International Court of Justice has found to be a "plausible" case of genocide under the Genocide Convention. This includes:
** Mass Killing of Civilians: Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by direct violence, with independent estimates suggesting the total death toll (including indirect deaths from starvation and disease) has exceeded 600,000 .
** Starvation as a Weapon of War: Imposing a complete siege, cutting off food, water, fuel, and medicine, and systematically destroying food production and distribution systems, deliberately starving the civilian population .
** Targeting of Healthcare and Journalism: Deliberately bombing and destroying hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, and media offices, killing thousands of medical personnel and journalists.
** Forced Displacement: Ordering the evacuation of 1.9 million people (85% of Gaza's population) into increasingly smaller and unsafe "safe zones," often bombing the areas they were told to flee to.
** Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure: Systematically destroying over 70% of homes, along with water systems, power plants, bakeries, and universities, rendering Gaza uninhabitable .
* Entrenchment of the Apartheid Regime: Netanyahu's governments have advanced legislation and policies that deepen the apartheid system, including the 2018 Nation-State Law, which constitutionally enshrines Jewish supremacy, and the systematic legalization of settlement outposts in the West Bank.<ref>{{Web citation|author=The United Nations|newspaper=The United Nations|title=Israeli actions in Palestinian territories constitute war crimes, Human Rights Council hears|date=2025-7-17|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164496}}</ref>

== Requirements ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Requirement Category
!Direct Election System (1992-2001)
!Current Parliamentary System (2001-present)
|-
|'''Citizenship & Residency'''
|'''Must be eligible for candidacy to the Knesset. (Implied Israeli citizen).'''
|'''Must be a member of the Knesset (MK), therefore an Israeli citizen and resident.'''
|-
|'''Age'''
|'''At least 30 years old on the day of candidacy submission'''
|'''No specific age for PM, but must be an MK. The minimum age to be an MK is 21'''
|-
|'''Knesset Membership'''
|'''Required either to head a list (general election) or be an MK (special elections)'''
|'''Mandatory. The Prime Minister must be a sitting member of the Knesset'''
|}

Prime Minister of Israel

2026-02-24T23:02:50Z

Comrade Billstat: I've made a page describing the Prime Ministers office of the State of "Israel"

The '''"Prime Minister" of the "State of Israel"''' (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, romanised: ''Rosh HaMemshala'', lit. '[[Head of the Government]]', Hebrew abbreviation: רה״מ‎; Arabic: رئيس الحكومة, romanised: ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief executive of the "[[State of Israel]]."

[[State of Israel|Israel]] is a [[settler-colonial state]] and a [[parliamentary republic]], characterized by a fundamental contradiction between its professed democratic institutions and its inherently expansionist, [[apartheid]] nature. The role of the president is largely ceremonial, serving to maintain a veneer of civic normalcy while the prime minister holds the executive power necessary to administer the state's colonial project. The official residence of the prime minister, [[Beit Aghion]], is located in the [[Jerusalem|illegally occupied city of Jerusalem]]. The current prime minister is [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], head of the far-right, [[Fascism|fascist]] [[Likud party]]. He is the ninth person to hold this position, overseeing a government that continues to entrench [[occupation]], perpetuate systemic discrimination against [[Palestinian|Palestinians]], and reject the fundamental rights of the indigenous population.

== History ==
The office of Prime Minister was established in 1948 with the founding of the [[State of Israel|settler-colonial state of Israel]]. This position was created to administer and advance the [[Zionist|Zionist project]], which, as scholarly analysis demonstrates, has been inherently expansionist and imperialist since its inception.<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Amir Locker-Biletzki|newspaper=SageJournals|title=Settler-Colonialism and Empire-Building in Palestine/Israel, 1920–1956|date=2025-4-18|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/04866134251322919|archive-url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/04866134251322919}}</ref> The role emerged from the institutional structures of the Yishuv (the pre-state Jewish community), which functioned as a "pure colony"—a settler society built on the systematic dispossession and erasure of the Indigenous [[Palestinian]] population.<ref name=":0" />

From [[David Ben-Gurion|1948]] to the present, the Prime Minister has served as the chief executive officer of a state founded through the [[Palestinian genocide|Nakba]] ("catastrophe"), in which over 750,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their ancestral lands and hundreds of villages were destroyed. This foundational violence was not an unfortunate byproduct of war but a deliberate implementation of the [[Settler colonialism|settler-colonial]] logic of elimination—the replacement of the native population with settlers. <ref name=":1">{{Web citation|author=Selvanur Demircan|newspaper=Platform|title=Beyond the Occupation: Israeli Settler Colonialism|date=2024-2-24|url=https://platform.ilke.org.tr/en/analyze/beyond-the-occupation-israeli-settler-colonialism/#back-to-top}}</ref>

== Election ==
The Prime Minister is formally appointed by the President but must command the confidence of the [[Knesset]] (the "[[Israeli]]" parliament). In practice, the Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party or coalition in the Knesset following national elections.

From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, Israeli elections represent a limited form of [[bourgeois democracy]] within the settler population, while the Indigenous [[Palestinian]] population—both those under [[Israel Occupation Forces|occupation]] and those holding "Israeli" citizenship—remains subject to a fundamentally undemocratic, ethnocentric legal and political structure. As detailed by legal scholars, Israel's citizenship regime functions as a tool of dispossession and domination, producing settlers as "natural" indigenous subjects while rendering Palestinians as perpetual outsiders, even when formally holding citizenship.<ref name=":1" /> '''The 2018 [[Nation-State Law]]''' codified this hierarchy, enshrining exclusive Jewish self-determination and downgrading the Arabic language, thereby making explicit the apartheid nature of the state.

== Notable Figures Who Have Held the Office ==

* '''[[David Ben-Gurion]] (1948–1954, 1955–1963):''' The dominant founder of the state and its first Prime Minister. Ben-Gurion personified the fusion of socialist rhetoric with settler-colonial practice. While affiliated with the labor Zionist movement Mapai, his governance oversaw the mass expulsion of Palestinians during the Nakba and the subsequent imposition of military rule over those Palestinians who remained within the newly-created state. He was a key architect of the "small empire" building that characterized Israeli expansionism.<ref name=":0" />
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Levi-Eshkol Levi Eshkol]''' (1963–1969): Presided over the 1967 Six-Day War, which resulted in the military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula. This marked a critical expansion of the settler-colonial project, bringing millions more Palestinians under Israeli military rule and initiating the ongoing "occupation cycle" of settlement expansion.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Jeff Halper|newspaper=Michigan eLibrary|title=Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine : Zionism, settler colonialism, and the case for one democratic state / Jeff Halper ; foreword by Nadia Naser-Najjab|url=https://elibrary.mel.org/search?/lDS119.76+.H3535+2011/lds++119.76+h3535+2011/1%2C1%2C1%2CE/frameset&FF=lds++119.76+h35+2021&0%2C0%2C|archive-url=\}}</ref>
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Golda-Meir Golda Meir]''' (1969–1974): Infamously denied the existence of a Palestinian people, stating, "There was no such thing as Palestinians." Her government oversaw the brutal suppression of Palestinian resistance and continued the expansion of settlements in occupied territories.
* '''[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yitzhak-Rabin Yitzhak Rabin]''' (1974–1977, 1992–1995): As [[Israel Defense Forces|Chief of Staff]] in [[6 day war|1967,]] he commanded the forces that occupied East Jerusalem, the [[West Bank]], and Gaza. As Prime Minister, he initiated the [[Oslo Accords]], which created the Palestinian Authority—a body that functions not as a step toward liberation but as a subcontractor for Israeli security, managing the fragmented and besieged Palestinian population while the settlement enterprise expanded exponentially.
* '''[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/19/israel-installed-security-at-epsteins-manhattan-apartment-for-ex-pm-barak Ehud Barak]''' (1999–2001): Offered a "generous" offer at Camp David that would have perpetuated Israeli control over borders, resources, and security, while creating fragmented Palestinian cantons—a proposal that amounted to the management, not the end, of occupation. He also maintained documented social and financial ties with convicted sex offender [[Jeffrey Epstein]], including meetings and business dealings after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Although Barak has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes, the relationship has drawn scrutiny and criticism, reinforcing broader concerns about elite political networks, accountability, and the willingness of powerful figures to associate with individuals implicated in serious abuses.
* '''[[Benjamin Netanyahu]]''' (1996–1999, 2009–2021, 2022–present): The longest-serving Prime Minister and the ultimate expression of the [[Israel|settler-colonial]] project's rightward shift. His rule has been characterized by accelerating settlement expansion, entrenching the siege on Gaza, deepening the apartheid system, and culminating in the 2023–present [[Israel-Gaza war and genocide|genocide in Gaza]], which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, systematically destroyed Gaza's infrastructure, and displaced nearly the entire population.

== The Prime Minister's Duties and Responsibilities ==
The Prime Minister holds the executive power of the settler-colonial state and is responsible for:

* Administering the Occupation: Directing the Israeli military (IDF), the Shin Bet (internal security), and the Mossad (intelligence) in their operations to maintain control over Palestinian land and people, both within the 1948 borders and in the occupied territories.
* Directing the Settlement Enterprise: Approving, funding, and expanding illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. This is the material engine of the settler-colonial project .
* Managing the Apparatus of Domination: Overseeing the legal and bureaucratic systems that enforce the apartheid regime—including the permit system, land confiscation, home demolitions, and the separate legal systems for settlers and Palestinians .
* Directing Military Operations: Authorizing and overseeing military campaigns, which have, with increasing frequency and intensity, involved the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian population.
* Perpetuating the "Security" Narrative: Framing the state's aggression and expansion as necessary self-defense, thereby maintaining legitimacy for the project both domestically and internationally

== The Prime Ministers as Architects of Atrocity ==
The office of the Prime Minister has been central to the commission of systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity. While Benjamin Netanyahu is the current face of this criminality, he is the heir to a long tradition.

'''David Ben-Gurion:''' Ethnic Cleansing ([[Palestinian genocide|Nakba]], 1947–1949): Orchestrated the expulsion of approximately 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and homeland. This foundational crime included the destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages and the depopulation of Palestinian cities like Jaffa, Lydda, and Ramla.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Dr. Gideon Polya|newspaper=Just International|title=The Colonial Playbook: From Terra Nullius to Gaza|date=2025-7-15|url=https://just-international.org/articles/the-colonial-playbook-from-terra-nullius-to-gaza/}}</ref>

'''Benjamin Netanyahu:''' Netanyahu's tenure has been marked by an escalation in criminality, culminating in the ongoing [[Israel-Gaza war and genocide|genocide in Gaza]].

* '''Genocide in Gaza''' (2023–present): Following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, Netanyahu's government launched a military campaign that the International Court of Justice has found to be a "plausible" case of genocide under the Genocide Convention. This includes:
** Mass Killing of Civilians: Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by direct violence, with independent estimates suggesting the total death toll (including indirect deaths from starvation and disease) has exceeded 600,000 .
** Starvation as a Weapon of War: Imposing a complete siege, cutting off food, water, fuel, and medicine, and systematically destroying food production and distribution systems, deliberately starving the civilian population .
** Targeting of Healthcare and Journalism: Deliberately bombing and destroying hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, and media offices, killing thousands of medical personnel and journalists.
** Forced Displacement: Ordering the evacuation of 1.9 million people (85% of Gaza's population) into increasingly smaller and unsafe "safe zones," often bombing the areas they were told to flee to.
** Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure: Systematically destroying over 70% of homes, along with water systems, power plants, bakeries, and universities, rendering Gaza uninhabitable .
* Entrenchment of the Apartheid Regime: Netanyahu's governments have advanced legislation and policies that deepen the apartheid system, including the 2018 Nation-State Law, which constitutionally enshrines Jewish supremacy, and the systematic legalization of settlement outposts in the West Bank.<ref>{{Web citation|author=The United Nations|newspaper=The United Nations|title=Israeli actions in Palestinian territories constitute war crimes, Human Rights Council hears|date=2025-7-17|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164496}}</ref>

== Requirements ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Requirement Category
!Direct Election System (1992-2001)
!Current Parliamentary System (2001-present)
|-
|'''Citizenship & Residency'''
|'''Must be eligible for candidacy to the Knesset. (Implied Israeli citizen).'''
|'''Must be a member of the Knesset (MK), therefore an Israeli citizen and resident.'''
|-
|'''Age'''
|'''At least 30 years old on the day of candidacy submission'''
|'''No specific age for PM, but must be an MK. The minimum age to be an MK is 21'''
|-
|'''Knesset Membership'''
|'''Required either to head a list (general election) or be an MK (special elections)'''
|'''Mandatory. The Prime Minister must be a sitting member of the Knesset'''
|}

File:Emblem of the Prime Minister of Israel.png

2026-02-24T23:02:40Z

Comrade Billstat:

Emblem of Israel