Page 27 - Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu advances judicial changes despite uproar

Israel's government on Monday was pressing ahead with a contentious plan to overhaul the country's legal system, despite an unprecedented uproar that has included mass protests, warnings from military and business leaders and calls for restraint by the United States. Thousands of demonstrators were expected to gather outside the parliament, or Knesset, for a second straight week to rally against the plan as lawmakers prepared to hold an initial vote. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, a collection of ultra-religious and ultranationalist lawmakers, say the plan is meant to fix a system that has given the courts and government legal advisers too much say in how legislation is crafted and decisions are made. Critics say it will upend the country's system of checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of the prime minister. They also say that Netanyahu, who is on trial for a series of corruption charges, has a conflict of interest. The standoff has plunged Isr

Israelis protest judicial overhaul plans for 7th week in several cities

Tens of thousands of Israelis marched Saturday in several cities against judicial overhaul plans proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The demonstration took place in the central city of Tel Aviv, part of a weekly protest campaign that has kicked off since Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced the proposed changes in early January. Netanyahu and his supporters, members of the most religious, right-wing government in the country's history, say the changes are needed to rein in a judiciary that wields too much power. But critics, who include large sectors of Israeli society, say the overhauls would weaken Israel's Supreme Court and damage the country's fragile system of democratic checks and balances. They also say that Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, is motivated by a personal grudge against the legal system and has a deep conflict of interest. Netanyahu has said he is a victim of a witch hunt. In Tel Aviv, protesters raised large Israeli fl

Israel PM Netanyahu launches contentious overhaul as thousands protest

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. The boisterous demonstration outside the Knesset, coupled with a stormy committee vote inside the building, appeared to deepen the divisions over Netanyahu's program. The plan has triggered weeks of mass protests, prompted condemnations from wide swaths of Israeli society and drawn a statement of concern from President Joe Biden. Netanyahu and his allies say the country's unelected judges have too much power and need to be reined in. His opponents say that Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, has a deep conflict of interest. They say his planned overhaul will destroy the country's democratic checks and balances and is a poorly disguised plot to make his criminal case go away. Monday's demonstration was the largest to take place in t

Thousands march in Israel as Netanyahu allies push judicial overhaul

Thousands of Israelis protested outside the country's parliament on Monday ahead of a preliminary vote on a bill that would give politicians greater power over appointing judges, part of a judicial overhaul proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The committee vote, expected to take place after a stormy session, marked the opening salvo by Netanyahu and his allies in a plan that has divided the country, triggered mass protests and even drawn concern from President Joe Biden. Trainloads of protesters arriving in Jerusalem streamed up escalators in the city's main train station chanting, democracy, cheering and whistling, and waving the national flag. A few hundred others gathered in protest at Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray. In parliament, opposition lawmakers vocally protested the proposed reform to judge appointments ahead of a committee vote that would send the bill to the full parliament for a vote. During an unruly session, .

Israel's president urges Netanyahu to delay legal overhaul, seek compromise

Israel's president on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay a contentious plan to overhaul the country's judicial system and instead seek a compromise with his political opponents. President Isaac Herzog issued the appeal in a prime-time nationwide address a day before Netanyahu's coalition is to take its first steps toward implementing the plan in a parliamentary vote. The proposed reforms have triggered mass demonstrations, opposition from wide swaths of Israeli society and even drawn a veiled warning from President Joe Biden. I feel, we all feel, that we are in a moment before a collision, even a violent collision, a barrel of explosives before a blast, Herzog said. Herzog's job is largely ceremonial. But the president is meant to serve as a unifying force and moral compass for a country that is deeply divided. Netanyahu and his supporters say the changes are needed to rein in a judiciary that wields too much power. But his critics say the plan, which .

Israelis protest PM Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul plans

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday for a weekly demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government's proposed judicial overhauls, which opponents say threaten Israel's democratic values. The protesters marched at two locations in the central coastal city of Tel Aviv, waving flags and chanting slogans against the justice minister. Doctors fighting for the life of democracy, read a banner raised by a doctor at the Tel Aviv protest. The protest is the fifth against the new government, a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and far-right nationalist parties that took office in December. The government launched proposals to weaken the Supreme Court by giving parliament the power to overturn court decisions with a simple majority vote. It also wants to give parliament control over the appointment of judges and reduce the independence of legal advisers. Smaller protests were reported in several Israeli cities.

Inside the 19-hour meltdown that scuttled Adani Group's $2.5 bn share sale

Adani chose to forgo short-term victory of nailing the follow-on offer to protect his longer-term relationships with marquee investors who otherwise were staring at some embarrassing mark-to-market

Adani takes over Haifa Port for $1.15 bn, promises to invest more in Israel

Dwells on host of key partnerships in Jewish nation, such as Elbit Systems, Israel Weapon Systems, and Israel Innovation Authority; vows to change Haifa skyline with latest deal

PM Netanyahu to attend Adani grp's Haifa port acquisition ceremony

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend a ceremony here on Tuesday to celebrate the successful entry of the Adani Group in Israel through its acquisition of the Haifa port, which is being seen as a "strategic purchase" and probably the biggest foreign investment in this country in any sector. A consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Israel's Gadot Group won the tender in July last year to privatise the Port of Haifa in Israel for a staggering USD 1.18 billion. It completed the process of purchase on January 11 this year, following which upgradation work has been going on in full swing at the port. The Indian partner in the consortium holds 70 per cent of the stake while its local partner has 30 per cent. Gautam Adani, the Founder and Chairman of the Adani Group, will also attend the ceremony at Haifa Port Temporary Cruise Terminal in this northern coastal city of Israel on Tuesday. Prime Minister Netanyahu will also attend the ceremony here. The Isra

Netanyahu's India visit likely in 'first half of this year': Israeli envoy

PM Modi also congratulated Netanyahu for his appointment as the PM of Israel for the sixth time and wished him a very successful tenure

Israelis press on with protests against Netanyahu's new government

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government to overhaul the judicial system, measures that opponents say imperil the country's democratic fundamentals. Israeli media, citing police, said some 100,000 people were out protesting. The protest followed another demonstration last week that also drew tens of thousands in an early challenge to Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox government the most right-wing in Israeli history. The government says a power imbalance has given judges and government legal advisers too much sway over lawmaking and governance. Netanyahu has pledged to press on with the changes despite the opposition. Protesters filled central streets in the seaside metropolis, raising Israeli flags and banners that read The Supreme Court and Israel, We Have A Problem. All generations are concerned. This is not a joke, said Lior Student, a protester. "This is a .

Thousands of Israelis rally against Netanyahu government in Tel Aviv

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government to overhaul the legal system and weaken the Supreme Court a step that critics say will destroy the country's democratic system of checks and balances. The protest presented an early challenge to Netanyahu and his ultranationalist national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has ordered police to take tough action if protesters block roads or display Palestinian flags. Israeli media, citing police, said the crowd at Tel Aviv's Habima Square swelled to at least 80,000 people, despite cool, rainy weather. Protesters, many covered by umbrellas, held Israeli flags and signs saying Criminal Government," The End of Democracy and other slogans. They are trying to destroy the checks and balances of the Israeli democracy. This will not work, said Asaf Steinberg, a protester from the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya. And we will fight until the ver

US looking forward to engaging new Israeli govt, says White House

The United States is looking forward to working with the new Israeli government, the Biden administration said and asserted that it supports the normalisation of Arab-Israel relations. Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and its far-right and religious allies secured an emphatic victory in the general elections in the Jewish nation last year defeating Yair Lapid. This is Netanyahu's sixth stint as prime minister. "We really do look forward to engaging the Israeli government. I will be going to Israel, and that will be a substantial topic of conversation when I go," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters in New Mexico. The Biden administration, he said, will have the opportunity to engage deeply with the new Israeli government on the threat posed by Iran. "We share the same fundamental objectives. We will work through any differences we have on tactics the same way that we have over the course of the past two years," Sullivan said. "We had Prime Minister Netanyahu fo

Thousands of Israelis protest Benjamin Netanyahu government's policies

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets Saturday evening to protest plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government that opponents say threaten democracy and freedoms. The protesters gathered in the central city of Tel Aviv days after the most right-wing and religiously conservative government in the country's 74-year history was sworn in. The settler government is against me, read one placard. Another banner read, Housing, Livelihood, Hope. Some protesters carried rainbow flags. The protest was led by left-wing and Arab members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. They contend that proposed plans by the new Cabinet will hinder judicial system and widen societal gaps. The left-wing protesters slammed Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who on Wednesday unveiled the government's long-promised overhaul of the judicial system that aims to weaken the country's Supreme Court. Critics accused the government of declaring war on the legal system, saying the plan will upend Isra

New Israeli government takes steps to penalise Palestinian leadership

In some of its first acts since coming to power, Israel's new Security Cabinet approved a series of punitive steps against the Palestinian leadership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday. According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, the move is in retaliation for Palestinians pushing the UN's highest judicial body to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation. The Palestinians vowed to continue their diplomatic efforts despite the Israeli new measures. The development underscores the hard-line approach to the Palestinians that Israel's new ultranationalist government has promised at a time of rising violence in the occupied territories. It comes a week after the United Nations General Assembly voted to approve a resolution requesting that the International Court of Justice intervene and render an opinion on the legality of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. Israel's Security Cabinet described the Palestinian Authority's request

New Israeli govt takes punitive steps against Palestinian leadership

In some of its first acts since coming to power, Israel's new Security Cabinet approved a series of punitive steps against the Palestinian leadership, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Friday. According to a statement from Netanyahu's office, the move is in retaliation for Palestinians pushing the U.N.'s highest judicial body to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation. The development underscores the hard-line approach to the Palestinians that Israel's new ultranationalist government has promised at a time of rising violence in the occupied territories. It comes a week after the United Nations General Assembly voted to approve a resolution requesting that the International Court of Justice intervene and render an opinion on the legality of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. Israel's Security Cabinet described the Palestinian Authority's request to the U.N. as a decision to wage political and legal war against the State of Israel. "The .

Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force veterans say incoming govt a danger

Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force veterans, including a former Israeli chief of staff, on Monday urged the country's top legal officials to stand tough against the incoming government. In a letter to the chief of Israel's Supreme Court and other top officials, they said the alliance of religious and ultranationalist parties threatens Israel's future. The letter was delivered days before the new government is to take office. We come from all strata of society and from across the political spectrum, the letter said. What we have in common today is the fear that the democratic state of Israel is in danger. It called the legal officials the final line of defence and implored them to do everything in your reach to stop the disaster that is affecting the country. Among the nearly 1,200 signatories were Dan Halutz, who served as military chief from 2005-2007; Avihu Ben-Nun, a former commander of the air force and Amos Yadlin, a former head of military intelligence. All three are form

PM-designate Netanyahu vows not to allow anti-LGBT laws in Israel

The new government, which is expected to be sworn in by Thursday, will be the most rightist in Israeli history and includes many members who openly oppose LGBT rights

Israeli PM-designate Netanyahu agrees to annex West Bank in coalition deal

Israel's Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to annex the occupied West Bank in a coalition deal that was made public

Israel's designated PM Netanyahu says he has successfully formed new govt

Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he has been able to form the next government that would "work for the good of all Israeli citizens", minutes before the midnight deadline. Netanyahu, 73, informed President Isaac Herzog late on Wednesday paving the way for the swearing-in no later than January 2, or even earlier. In November, President Herzog officially invited Netanyahu to form the new government. He has won the backing of 64 Members of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister, in a phone call to Herzog said that he was ready to form the next government "thanks to the enormous public support we received in the last elections" that would "work for the good of all Israeli citizens". He made the call a few minutes before the end of a ten-day extension given by the President following the 28 days initial period the Prime Minister-designate received at being tasked to form the government. The new government will