Israeli liberals fear new government will undo gains
2 years, 2 months ago

Israeli liberals fear new government will undo gains

LA Times  

Palestinian women look out at the Mediterranean Sea in the mixed Arab-Jewish city of Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, on Sept. 23. Israel’s outgoing coalition has been the most diverse in the country’s history, bringing a slew of progressive policies on the environment, LGBTQ issues and funding for the country’s Arab minority. But now, even before it takes office, Israel’s expected new coalition government — overwhelmingly male, religious and right-wing — is promising to roll back many of the achievements of its predecessor, prompting concern from activists and liberals over where their country is headed. The government imposed a tax on sugary drinks and approved billions of dollars in funding to the country’s Palestinian minority, promising more cash than a previous budget passed several years ago under Netanyahu. Incoming lawmaker Avi Maoz has said he wants the legality of Israel’s raucous Pride parades to be “examined.” The threat — though the parades are likely to continue — has spooked many Israelis.

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History of this topic

In one day, two of the biggest brakes on Israel’s Netanyahu disappeared
2 months, 1 week ago

In one day, two of the biggest brakes on Israel’s Netanyahu disappeared

Live Mint  

He fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, his fiercest opponent within his own government, and Donald Trump won the U.S. election. Netanyahu, who calls for “total victory" in the war, has said that Israel can’t stop fighting in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Netanyahu called Trump’s potential win “historic" and said it “offers a new beginning for America and a …

One year on from the horrors of 7 October, Israel must work to secure a peaceful future
3 months, 1 week ago

One year on from the horrors of 7 October, Israel must work to secure a peaceful future

The Independent  

One year after the atrocities committed by Hamas, 7 October 2023 remains a date that will live in infamy. We will not stand for it.” It is a sobering thought that the killings on 7 October and subsequently in Palestine and Israel should have produced such distant reverberations as riots in Southport and Rotherham, the loss of safe Labour seats …

Public spat highlights cracks in Netanyahu’s coalition as Israel braces for feared Iran attack
5 months ago

Public spat highlights cracks in Netanyahu’s coalition as Israel braces for feared Iran attack

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Cracks are widening in a public tiff between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his moderate defense minister, the latest spat showing growing discontent with Netanyahu’s handling of the war at a sensitive time. On Monday, the Israeli media reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned Netanyahu’s “nonsense about ‘total victory’” a phrase the prime minister has frequently …

Netanyahu may be forced to choose between his government’s survival and a ceasefire deal
7 months, 1 week ago

Netanyahu may be forced to choose between his government’s survival and a ceasefire deal

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. For months, Netanyahu has gingerly balanced these competing imperatives by refusing to even contemplate a permanent ceasefire as he blamed Hamas’s “delusional demands” for the collapse of previous rounds of negotiations. Netanyahu told the Knesset’s Foreign …

Netanyahu may be forced to choose between his government’s survival and a ceasefire deal
7 months, 1 week ago

Netanyahu may be forced to choose between his government’s survival and a ceasefire deal

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. For months, Netanyahu has gingerly balanced these competing imperatives by refusing to even contemplate a permanent ceasefire as he blamed Hamas’s “delusional demands” for the collapse of previous rounds of negotiations. Netanyahu told the Knesset’s Foreign …

DC Edit | Onus on Israel to stop Gaza war
7 months, 3 weeks ago

DC Edit | Onus on Israel to stop Gaza war

Deccan Chronicle  

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been served a three-week ultimatum by Benny Gantz, a member of his war cabinet, to address several major issues and reach an agreement within the cabinet on the future of the Gaza war and after. Israel under Netanyahu is unlikely to agree, and it will also insist on total security control of Gaza in …

An ultimatum raises pressure on Netanyahu to make postwar plans for Gaza, even as fighting rages
7 months, 4 weeks ago

An ultimatum raises pressure on Netanyahu to make postwar plans for Gaza, even as fighting rages

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from his own War Cabinet and his country’s closest ally over postwar plans for Gaza, even as the war with Hamas shows no sign of ending. On Saturday, Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet and Netanyahu’s main political rival, said he would leave the government on June …

After six months of war, Israel’s isolation grows with no end in sight
9 months, 1 week ago

After six months of war, Israel’s isolation grows with no end in sight

Deccan Chronicle  

When Israel declared war against Hamas last October, it stood unified at home and enjoyed broad backing from around the world following an unprecedented attack by the Islamic militant group.Six months later, Israel finds itself in a far different place: bogged down in Gaza, divided domestically, isolated internationally and increasingly at odds with its closest ally. Yet Israel hasn’t presented …

Netanyahu shows no signs of losing grip on power, despite mounting pressures
9 months, 1 week ago

Netanyahu shows no signs of losing grip on power, despite mounting pressures

CNN  

Jerusalem CNN — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s week began with the chants of thousands of protesters demanding a hostage deal and early elections outside the Knesset and his official residence. Even as the walls appear to be closing in and a majority of Israelis continue to disapprove of Netanyahu’s performance, the mounting international and domestic political pressure has yet …

Could Israeli court decision on subsidies for ultra-Orthodox topple Netanyahu?
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Could Israeli court decision on subsidies for ultra-Orthodox topple Netanyahu?

LA Times  

Israeli police scuffle with ultra-Orthodox Jewish men during a protest against possible changes to the military draft laws outside a military recruitment office in Jerusalem, this month. Israel’s Supreme Court ruling curtailing subsidies for ultra-Orthodox men has rattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition and raised questions about its viability as the country presses on with the war in Gaza. …

Top US official tells Netanyahu to hold elections before he turns Israel into ‘pariah’ state
10 months ago

Top US official tells Netanyahu to hold elections before he turns Israel into ‘pariah’ state

The Telegraph  

A top US official has urged Benjamin Netanyahu to hold elections before he turns Israel into a “pariah” state. Mr Schumer suggested on the floor of the Senate that the US should place conditions on military aid to Israel if Mr Netanyahu remains in power and continues to pursue “extremist policies”. The intervention from the Democrat, America’s highest-ranking Jewish elected …

After 3 Months of Devastation in The Israel-Hamas War, is Anyone ‘Winning’?
1 year ago

After 3 Months of Devastation in The Israel-Hamas War, is Anyone ‘Winning’?

The Quint  

…And Facing a ‘Day After’ Conundrum The Israeli government is also divided on how Gaza should be run when the fighting stops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he won’t accept Gaza remaining “Hamastan” or becoming “Fatahstan”. US President Joe Biden prefers a Gaza government led by a reformed Palestinian Authority, but Netanyahu has rejected this and has not articulated …

Netanyahu is losing control in Israel. The U.S. is struggling to deal with him.
1 year ago

Netanyahu is losing control in Israel. The U.S. is struggling to deal with him.

Politico  

That has made Netanyahu reluctant to take American advice on the war, and it suggests that U.S.-Israeli tensions will grow as Palestinians struggle to survive Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. “It’s not always clear who’s driving the train” in Israel, said a U.S. official familiar with American-Israeli discussions. Netanyahu, whom many Israelis simply call “Bibi,” is Israel’s longest-serving prime …

Israeli PM Netanyahu's coalition would be trounced by Benny Gantz if elections held today: Polls
1 year, 1 month ago

Israeli PM Netanyahu's coalition would be trounced by Benny Gantz if elections held today: Polls

Firstpost  

This week, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, saying the Israeli leader has “lost the public’s trust.” This is the first time Lapid has urged Netanyahu to quit since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. The coalition led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which secured 64 seats in the November 2022 …

How Benjamin Netanyahu empowered Hamas ... and broke Israel
1 year, 3 months ago

How Benjamin Netanyahu empowered Hamas ... and broke Israel

The Telegraph  

Mr Netanyahu is a populist and some say it is too much to say he actively propped up Hamas as a pre-planned strategy; rather he found it convenient that there was division in Palestinian politics and allowed it to thrive to Hamas’s benefit. Despite being formally designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and much of the West, Mr …

Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu’s divisive judicial overhaul
1 year, 4 months ago

Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu’s divisive judicial overhaul

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israel’s Supreme Court heard the first challenge Tuesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul, deepening a showdown with the far-right government that has bitterly divided the nation and put it on the brink of a constitutional crisis. The case that opened Tuesday focuses on the first law passed by parliament in July — a measure that …

Netanyahu ignores Biden — and masses of Israeli protesters — to step back from democracy
1 year, 5 months ago

Netanyahu ignores Biden — and masses of Israeli protesters — to step back from democracy

LA Times  

Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest on Monday in Jerusalem against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system. “We’re totally shocked — this is horrible,” said Naomi Sussmann, 59, a translator who was in the crowd of protesters outside the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on Monday, …

Israeli parliament approves key part of judicial overhaul that has exposed deep fissures in society
1 year, 5 months ago

Israeli parliament approves key part of judicial overhaul that has exposed deep fissures in society

LA Times  

Israeli lawmakers on Monday approved a key portion of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s divisive plan to reshape the country’s justice system despite massive protests that have exposed unprecedented fissures in Israeli society and accused the government of pushing the country toward authoritarian rule. The grassroots protest movement condemned the vote, saying Netanyahu’s “government of extremists is showing their determination to …

Photos: Israelis march ahead of vote on judicial overhaul
1 year, 5 months ago

Photos: Israelis march ahead of vote on judicial overhaul

Al Jazeera  

Tens of thousands of Israelis opposed to a judicial overhaul sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marched to Jerusalem on Saturday, as pressure mounts on his right-wing government to scrap a bill that would curtail the Supreme Court’s powers. The government’s bid to reform the judiciary has plunged Israel into one of its worst political crises, sparking nationwide protests, denting …

Israel’s governing coalition presses ahead with plan to overhaul courts ahead of expected protests
1 year, 5 months ago

Israel’s governing coalition presses ahead with plan to overhaul courts ahead of expected protests

Associated Press  

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s governing coalition pushed ahead Monday with its contentious plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary, despite growing opposition from within the country’s military and a wave of mass protests expected this week. Reservists, who make up the backbone of the country’s mostly compulsory military, played a key role in prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause …

Israeli parliament vote deals setback to Netanyahu and judicial overhaul plan
1 year, 7 months ago

Israeli parliament vote deals setback to Netanyahu and judicial overhaul plan

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israel’s parliament on Wednesday appointed an opposition lawmaker to the powerful committee that picks the country’s judges, defying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a vote that exposed divisions within the ruling coalition and raised questions about his control over his political allies. The vote appeared to temporarily avert a crisis that had threatened to unleash renewed political turmoil …

Israel’s Netanyahu and allies pass new budget with sweeping grants for settlements, ultra-Orthodox
1 year, 7 months ago

Israel’s Netanyahu and allies pass new budget with sweeping grants for settlements, ultra-Orthodox

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Wednesday passed a new two-year budget, a step that could bring some stability to his coalition and clear the way for it to press ahead with its religious, pro-settlement agenda. While the budget could buy Netanyahu some quiet inside his coalition of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties, Israel’s most hard-line ever, it also …

Tens of thousands of Israelis rally against judicial reform plan
1 year, 8 months ago

Tens of thousands of Israelis rally against judicial reform plan

Al Jazeera  

Plans by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to weaken the Supreme Court have outraged many in Israeli society. Tens of thousands of protesters have flocked to Tel Aviv and cities across Israel to express their opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government and its divisive plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system. Crowds of Israelis held banners with the words “Crime …

Political quagmire in Israel as Netanyahu abandons past pragmatism
1 year, 8 months ago

Political quagmire in Israel as Netanyahu abandons past pragmatism

The Hindu  

The Israeli Prime Minister succumbed to pressure from his extreme right-wing partners over the proposed judicial reforms. Former Defence Minister and Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said that Netanyahu’s “obsessive plot to overturn Israel’s democracy” constituted a threat to the country’s security. As predicted, on April 5 Israeli security forces attacked the Al-Aqsa Mosque and arrested 300 Palestinians; Netanyahu blamed …

Why are Israelis protesting against PM Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul proposals? | In Focus podcast
1 year, 9 months ago

Why are Israelis protesting against PM Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul proposals? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposals for a judicial overhaul that would limit the powers of the Supreme Court have triggered massive protests in the country. More than 100,000 protesters gathered in front of the Israeli Parliament or the Knesset, and as the country’s most powerful trade unions called a general strike, there were flight cancellations at Tel Aviv international …

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul
1 year, 9 months ago

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul

Firstpost  

Netanyahu in a prime-time speech on Monday night acknowledged the divisions roiling the nation and announced a month-long delay for the legislation Tel Aviv: Israel’s political factions opposed to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began setting up negotiating teams Tuesday after he paused a controversial judicial overhaul plan that had set off unprecedented street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis. …

Netanyahu delays judicial overhaul after mass protests
1 year, 9 months ago

Netanyahu delays judicial overhaul after mass protests

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Bending to a wave of mass protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his contentious judicial overhaul plan Monday and said he wanted “to avoid civil war” by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents. He acknowledged the deep divisions in the country and said he was hitting the pause button “to prevent a rift in …

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul
1 year, 9 months ago

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul

India Today  

Israel’s political factions opposed to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began setting up negotiating teams Tuesday after he paused a controversial judicial overhaul plan that had set off unprecedented street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis. A flurry of phone calls between rival opposition leaders followed Netanyahu’s announcement and lasted into Tuesday morning, with several working groups named as the …

How Netanyahu judicial plan sparked massive unrest in Israel
1 year, 9 months ago

How Netanyahu judicial plan sparked massive unrest in Israel

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed …

Israeli group asks court to punish PM Netanyahu over legal plan
1 year, 9 months ago

Israeli group asks court to punish PM Netanyahu over legal plan

The Hindu  

An Israeli good governance group on Sunday asked the country's Supreme Court to punish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly violating a conflict of interest agreement meant to prevent him from dealing with the country's judiciary while he is on trial for corruption. The request by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel intensifies a brewing showdown between Netanyahu's government …

Israeli Defence Minister calls for halt to judicial overhaul
1 year, 9 months ago

Israeli Defence Minister calls for halt to judicial overhaul

The Hindu  

Israel’s Defence Minister became the first ally in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition to break ranks on March 25 as he called for an immediate halt to the far-right government’s contentious plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the plan has stirred turmoil within Israel’s military and posed a threat to the country’s security. The …

US President Biden calls Israel's Netanyahu with judicial plan 'concern'
1 year, 9 months ago

US President Biden calls Israel's Netanyahu with judicial plan 'concern'

India Today  

US President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express “concern” over his government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system that has sparked widespread protests across Israel and to encourage compromise. The White House said Biden reiterated U.S. concerns about the measure to roll back the judiciary’s insulation from the country’s political system, in a …

Netanyahu pushes back Israel judicial changes deadline
1 year, 9 months ago

Netanyahu pushes back Israel judicial changes deadline

Al Jazeera  

Critics have accused Israeli PM Netanyahu of trying to curb independence of the courts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a softening of his hard-right government’s judicial changes plan, an apparent concession to more than two months of unprecedented nationwide protests and misgivings voiced by Western allies. The parts of the legislation that are still scheduled for ratification in …

Netanyahu allies push on with bill to weaken Supreme Court
1 year, 10 months ago

Netanyahu allies push on with bill to weaken Supreme Court

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Israel's parliament on Tuesday advanced a bill that would let …

Israel-Palestine conflict | Netanyahu walks a tightrope after post-talks violence
1 year, 10 months ago

Israel-Palestine conflict | Netanyahu walks a tightrope after post-talks violence

The Hindu  

The U.S.-brokered summit has barely ended with pledges to calm violence and slow Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank when Palestinian homes were set ablaze by Jewish settlers in retaliation to a deadly Palestinian gun ambush. "If anything like what happened last night resumes and gives Washington reason to suspect that Netanyahu is impotent in handling it, they will …

Netanyahu’s crises mount as Israeli-Palestinian tensions ratchet up
1 year, 10 months ago

Netanyahu’s crises mount as Israeli-Palestinian tensions ratchet up

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story first appeared in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. On Sunday two Israeli brothers who live in West Bank settlements were shot “point blank” while sitting in traffic on a road that goes through the Palestinian town of Huwara, in what Israeli officials called …

Netanyahu launches contentious overhaul as thousands protest
1 year, 11 months ago

Netanyahu launches contentious overhaul as thousands protest

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Tens of thousands of Israelis on Monday protested outside the parliament building in a show of force against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his government formally launched its contentious plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. A second proposal would take away the Supreme Court’s authority to review the legality over major pieces of legislation known as “Basic …

'He wants to make Israel...': Tens of thousands of Israelis protest against Netanyahu's court reform
1 year, 11 months ago

'He wants to make Israel...': Tens of thousands of Israelis protest against Netanyahu's court reform

India Today  

Tens of thousands of Israelis are up in arms and have continued their agitation for the fifth week against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government judicial overhaul reforms. The protests come weeks after Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power to form Israel's first stable coalition in three years. The government's judicial overhaul plans have received flak from several groups, including lawyers, and …

Israeli AG: Netanyahu cannot be involved in legal overhaul
1 year, 11 months ago

Israeli AG: Netanyahu cannot be involved in legal overhaul

Associated Press  

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s attorney general has told Benjamin Netanyahu that he must not be involved in an overhaul to the country’s judicial system proposed by his government because it would amount to a conflict of interest over the prime minister’s corruption trial, according to a letter made public Thursday. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s office also released her legal …

Israel’s new government unveils plan to weaken Supreme Court
2 years ago

Israel’s new government unveils plan to weaken Supreme Court

Al Jazeera  

The new justice minister wants to curb the power of the high court, a move critics say would undermine democracy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s justice minister has unveiled a plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system and weaken the country’s Supreme Court. Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist allies have also said they hope to scrap Supreme Court rulings outlawing Israeli …

Bad to worse: The Hindu Editorial on Benjamin Netanyahu’s return
2 years ago

Bad to worse: The Hindu Editorial on Benjamin Netanyahu’s return

The Hindu  

December 31, 2022 12:10 am | Updated January 06, 2023 07:36 pm IST The return of Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s Prime Minister for a sixth time marks a decisive shift in its domestic politics and its relationship with the Palestinians. The coalition agreement, a document that determines governing agendas, suggests that Mr. Netanyahu’s government would pursue radical right-wing policies, seeking …

Israel’s Netanyahu back in power with hard-line government
2 years ago

Israel’s Netanyahu back in power with hard-line government

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday returned to power for an unprecedented sixth term as Israel’s prime minister, taking the helm of the most right-wing and religiously conservative government in the country’s 74-year history. “Let’s get to work.” Netanyahu is the country’s longest serving prime minister, having held office for a total of 15 years, including a stint in the …

Israeli doctors reject Netanyahu allies’ anti-LGBTQ remarks
2 years ago

Israeli doctors reject Netanyahu allies’ anti-LGBTQ remarks

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israel’s largest medical center and health care workers from hospitals around the country have spoken out against remarks by allies of Benjamin Netanyahu calling for a law to allow discrimination against LGBTQ people in hospitals and businesses. Earlier this week, two Netanyahu allies from the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party said that their faction seeks to change an anti-discrimination …

Netanyahu closer to far-right Israel gov’t with new legislation
2 years ago

Netanyahu closer to far-right Israel gov’t with new legislation

Al Jazeera  

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has moved one step further towards establishing a government after parliament approved divisive legislation that will benefit his far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. Soon after the legislation was passed, Israel’s Supreme Court said it would hear an appeal against Deri’s appointment by a group of scientists, academics and former diplomats called “Democracy’s Bastion”. The second …

Netanyahu rebukes far-right ally for anti-LGBTQ comments
2 years ago

Netanyahu rebukes far-right ally for anti-LGBTQ comments

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Designated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare rebuke of his new coalition allies on Sunday for saying they would advance laws allowing discrimination against LGBTQ people, pledging there would be no harm to their rights by his upcoming government. Simcha Rotman, another member of the party, said that private business owners, such as hotel operators, should …

Israel’s Netanyahu says deal agreed with far-right to form gov’t
2 years ago

Israel’s Netanyahu says deal agreed with far-right to form gov’t

Al Jazeera  

Benjamin Netanyahu’s agreement sees him return to power as head of the most right-wing coalition in Israel’s history. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu said he has secured a deal to form a new government with hardline religious and far-right political partners, which will see him return to power as the head of the most right-wing coalition in Israel’s history. Minutes before midnight, …

Top Israeli legal official: Planned laws undermine democracy
2 years, 1 month ago

Top Israeli legal official: Planned laws undermine democracy

Associated Press  

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s attorney general warned on Thursday against a raft of legislation being proposed by the expected next government, saying some of the planned new laws would imperil the country’s democratic principles. Gali Baharav-Miara’s comments set up what’s expected to be a major clash between the next government, a far-right coalition likely to be headed by former …

Israel’s Netanyahu moves closer to forming far-right cabinet
2 years, 1 month ago

Israel’s Netanyahu moves closer to forming far-right cabinet

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Israel’s designated prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reached a coalition deal Thursday with an ultra-Orthodox party, bringing him a step closer to forming what is expected to be the most right-wing and religious government in the country’s history. Netanyahu already has reached coalition deals with three far-right factions whose agendas include expanding West Bank settlements, tougher punishment for Palestinian …

EXPLAINER: How could allies help Netanyahu beat charges?
2 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: How could allies help Netanyahu beat charges?

Associated Press  

TEL AVIV, Israel — Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to return to office, from where he could try to make his yearslong legal troubles disappear through new legislation advanced by his far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies. Here’s a look at the legal maneuvers that could help Netanyahu: THE OVERRIDE CLAUSE The most contentious change would target Israel’s Supreme …

Israel’s Likud signs coalition deal with anti-LGBTQ radical
2 years, 1 month ago

Israel’s Likud signs coalition deal with anti-LGBTQ radical

Associated Press  

JERUSALEM — Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has struck a coalition deal with a small ultranationalist faction leader known for homophobic rhetoric and disparaging remarks about non-Orthodox Jews, a sign of the prospective government’s hardline makeup. Netanyahu’s Likud party announced Sunday that the agreement names Noam faction leader Avi Maoz as a deputy minister whose portfolio includes an office …

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