Page 31 - Benjamin Netanyahu

Protesters block highways as Netanyahu moves ahead with judicial overhaul

Tens of thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked highways and train stations and massed in central Tel Aviv during a day of countrywide demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious judicial overhaul plan. The protests, now in their seventh month, have taken on a sense of urgency in recent days as Netanyahu and his allies in parliament march ahead with the program. The first bill in the package a measure that seeks to limit the Supreme Court's oversight powers could become law as soon as next week. The unrest also cast a shadow over a visit to the White House by Israel's figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, who was invited to Washington to celebrate Israel's 75th anniversary. Herzog, a political centrist, has been involved in behind-the-scenes efforts to broker a compromise on the judicial overhaul, which has strained relations between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden. It was unclear whether Herzog, a former rival of Netanyahu's who has shown little ...

Biden still concerned about judicial overhaul as he invites Netanyahu

President Joe Biden on Monday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with him in the US this fall, the White House said, even as he expressed ongoing concern about Netanyahu's controversial plans to overhaul his country's judicial system. Monday's phone conversation between the US and Israeli leaders came one day before Israel's figurehead president Isaac Herzog is set to visit to the White House and as Netanyahu's government pushes forward with the judicial changes that have sparked widespread protest in Israel. The Biden administration declined to say whether Biden would host Netanyahu at the White House as the Israeli leader has hoped or in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly. White House visits are typically standard protocol for Israeli prime ministers, and the delay in Netanyahu receiving one has become an issue in Israel, with opponents citing it as a reflection of deteriorating relations with the US. National Security Council spokesman Jo

Netanyahu discharged from hospital after overnight stay after a dizzy spell

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discharged on Sunday after an overnight hospital stay for check-ups and monitoring following a dizzy spell. Netanyahu, 73, was rushed to Sheba Medical Centre on Saturday after feeling mild dizziness. His office said he had left the hospital around midday after stating earlier that his test results were normal and that he was feeling very good. The medical centre said Netanyahu was in excellent condition after a series of tests, including cardiovascular ones. Netanyahu's office said he had spent the previous day at the Sea of Galilee, a popular vacation spot in northern Israel where temperatures climbed to about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) amid a stifling country-wide heat wave. After a series of tests, the initial assessment was that the veteran Israeli leader was dehydrated. After being hospitalised, Netanyahu released a video on social media last night. Smiling, he said that he had been out in the sun on Friday witho

Protests swell in Tel Aviv against govt's decision of judicial overhaul

Tens of thousands of protesters packed the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, marking the 28th straight week of demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the country's judiciary. Protest leaders promised further days of disruption lie ahead. Netanyahu's government gave initial approval to a key portion of the overhaul earlier this week, breathing new life into the grassroots movement. The bill still needs to be approved in two more votes, expected by the end of the month, before it becomes law. Saturday night protests have become a mainstay of the grassroots movement but this week was larger than usual. In Tel Aviv, protesters unrolled a massive banner reading SOS." They threw paint powder into the sky, streaking it pink and orange. Handmaids women dressed in red robes as characters from the dystopian novel and TV series The Handmaid's Tale once again took to the streets. Their jarring appearance is meant to drive home the notion that, if

Israelis block highways in protest at govt's plan to overhaul judiciary

Thousands of Israeli protesters took to the streets on Tuesday, blocking major highways and thronging the country's main international airport, in countrywide demonstrations against the government's contentious plan to overhaul the country's judicial system.. The demonstrations came the morning after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's parliamentary coalition gave initial approval to a bill to limit the Supreme Court's oversight powers, pressing forward with a plan that has bitterly divided the nation. Netanyahu's ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox allies have proposed a series of bills that have provoked months of sustained protests by opponents who say the country is being pushed toward authoritarian rule. Anti-overhaul activists demonstrated nationwide throughout the day, including a mass protest Tuesday afternoon at Ben-Gurion International Airport. An estimated 10,000 people gathered outside the main hall, blowing horns and waving blue and white Israeli flags. Police kept the .

Protests grow as Israel's govt advances with its judicial overhaul

Israel's anti-government protest movement gained new momentum on Saturday night as tens of thousands of people spilled into the streets of cities across the country to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious plan to overhaul the judicial system. The grassroots movement has staged protests for over six months since Netanyahu's government unveiled the overhaul plan. But in recent weeks, the protests had shown signs of weakening. Plans by the government to push forward with the overhaul next week in parliament, coupled with the firing of Tel Aviv's police chief, who was accused of being too sympathetic to the protesters, appeared to breathe new life into Saturday's demonstrations. Some 1,50,000 people thronged central Tel Aviv, with large rallies in Jerusalem and other major cities. Late Saturday, dozens of people attempted to block Tel Aviv's main highway, but they were quickly cleared away by police. Scuffles broke out, and police sprayed a water cannon at the ...

Palestinian attacker rams car into crowded Tel Aviv bus stop, 8 wounded

A Hamas militant rammed his car into a crowded Tel Aviv bus stop Tuesday and began stabbing people, wounding eight in an attack that Palestinian armed groups called revenge for an Israeli military offensive in the occupied West Bank. A bystander shot and killed the attacker. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the operation in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the most intense in the territory in nearly two decades, was winding down. But he vowed to carry out similar operations in the future. At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off, he said during a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin. Late Tuesday, a security official said troops were beginning to pull out of the camp. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement, said it was not clear how long the withdrawal would take due to continued fighting. Israel struck the camp, known as a bastion of ..

Israel ok's plans for 5,000 settlement homes, defying White House calls

Israel's far-right government on Monday approved plans to build over 5,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Israeli media said, a move that threatened to worsen increasingly strained relations with the United States. The decision defied growing US criticism of Israel's settlement policies. It also raised tensions with the Palestinians at a time of rising violence in the occupied territory. Multiple Israeli media outlets said the Defense Ministry planning committee that oversees settlement construction approved some 5,700 new settlement homes. The units are at various stages of planning, and it was not immediately clear when construction would begin. COGAT, the defence body in charge of the planning committee, did not respond to requests for comment. The international community, along with the Palestinians, considers settlement construction illegal or illegitimate and an obstacle to peace. Over 700,000 Israelis now live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem .

Netanyahu briefly freezes Golan wind turbine project that set off clashes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a brief freeze in construction on a wind turbine project in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that set off a rare clash between Druze residents and police. Netanyahu said late Saturday he agreed to a pause on the project during this week's Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday, which is meant to allow time for talks to defuse the crisis. The project is expected to resume next week. A statement from Netanyahu's office said he made the decision based on advice from security officials. The Druze oppose the plan, which would install more than two dozen 200-metre tall turbines throughout their land. The landowners said the turbines will harm their agricultural output and that the energy company behind the project didn't consult with them in good faith, a claim the company denies. Last week, thousands of residents demonstrated against the project, storming a police station, throwing stones and fireworks, setting tires on fire, vandalising pol

Israeli PM Netanyahu says he's opposed to any interim US-Iran nuclear deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he opposes any interim agreement reportedly being negotiated between the US and Iran over its nuclear programme. Netanyahu spoke after reports in Israeli media said understandings are being reached between Washington and Tehran that would seek to hold back Iran's nuclear programme somewhat, in exchange for some sanctions relief. The reports could not be independently confirmed and the U.S. has publicly denied any such deal. Netanyahu said Israel had informed the U.S. that the most limited understandings, what are termed mini-agreements', do not in our view serve the goal and we are opposed to them as well. Israeli officials believe some understandings have already been reached limiting enrichment and that some funds have already been unfrozen. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential diplomatic assessment. The Israeli news site Walla last week reported that under the emer

Crime within Palestinian minority reaches new heights under Netanyahu govt

A relentless wave of violent crime within Israel's Palestinian minority is turning cities and towns into bloody battlefields, exasperating a community feeling increasingly forsaken by Israeli authorities. Anger over the mounting insecurity is directed at Israel's government and its ultranationalist minister in charge of police, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Critics say that with his history of anti-Arab rhetoric, he cannot be trusted to combat the rising scourge. The skyrocketing violence lays bare the deep inequities in Israeli society, with Arabs facing years of discrimination that activists say laid the groundwork for the unabating bloodshed. More than 100 people have been killed in violent crime in Arab communities this year, nearly three times higher than at the same time last year, according to the Abraham Initiatives, a group that promotes Jewish-Arab coexistence and safe communities. It also is more than three times the murder rate in the majority Jewish sector, according to official ..

Israeli Oppn leaders freeze settlement talks on Netanyahu's overhaul

Israeli opposition leaders have announced that they had suspended the negotiations on settling a controversial judicial overhaul spearheaded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's former prime minister testifies at Netanyahu's corruption trial

Israel's opposition leader testified for the prosecution on Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial in Jerusalem. Yair Lapid, a former prime minister himself and a major Netanyahu rival, is testifying in one of three cases against Netanyahu. The indictment claims Netanyahu used his position of power to further Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan's interests in exhange for gifts, representing a conflict between the premier's public duties and personal friendship. Netanyahu did personal favors for Milchan, including asking US officials to extend Milchan's US resident's permit and extending Israeli regulations exempting Israeli returnees from declaring foreign income, according to the indictment. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, denies claims of wrongdoing, saying he was not acting in Milchan's personal interests and even occasionally acted against them. He says the exchanges of gifts were just friendly gestures. Milchan is expected to testify in

Netanyahu appoints new media advisor who has been critical of Biden: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a new media advisor who has tweeted critically against President Joe Biden, the daily Haaretz reported. The appointment comes at a time when US-Israel relations are strained. Gilad Zwick, a journalist with a conservative Israeli TV station, has in his tweets called Biden "unfit" to rule and said that he was "slowly but surely destroying America". He also posted tweets suggesting he supported President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 US election was rigged. At least one of the tweets that was live earlier was deleted later in the day. Zwick did not respond to a request for comment but tweeted on Monday in English that he was a private citizen when writing the posts about Biden. "I don't hold those views today and I will act in a completely professional manner in the prime minister's office," he said. Zwick had previously worked for Israel Hayom, a pro-Netanyahu daily. Netanyahu's office declined to comment. Zwick's

Israel's Netanyahu appoints a Joe Biden critic as new media advisor: Report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a new media advisor who has tweeted critically against President Joe Biden, the daily Haaretz reported. The appointment comes at a time when US-Israel relations are strained. Gilad Zwick, a journalist with a conservative Israeli TV station, has in his tweets called Biden "unfit" to rule and said that he was "slowly but surely destroying America." He also posted tweets suggesting he supported President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 US election was rigged. The tweets were still online on Monday. Both Netanyahu's office and Zwick did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Zwick previously worked for Israel Hayom, a pro-Netanyahu daily. Zwick's appointment comes as ties between Israel and its closest ally, the US, are fraught over a contentious Israeli government plan to overhaul the judiciary and over the government's ultranationalist character. Biden has publicly expressed concern over the Netanyahu ...

Israeli PM Netanyahu reverses firing of defense minister amid tension

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday reversed his decision to fire his defense minister over criticism of the government's contentious plan to overhaul the judiciary. In a televised speech, Netanyahu said that Yoav Gallant is staying at his post. I decided to put the differences we had behind us, he said. Gallant remains in his position and we will continue to work together for the security of the citizens of Israel. In a tweet showing himself sitting next to Netanyahu, Gallant wrote: We continue together with full strength, for Israel's security. Netanyahu announced late last month that Gallant was fired. The decision set off a wave of spontaneous mass protests and a general strike that threatened to paralyze the country, forcing the Israeli leader to suspend his divisive plan to overhaul the judicial system. Netanyahu never sent Gallant a formal termination letter. As of Monday, Gallant whose criticism of Netanyahu's planned judicial changes led to his dismissal

Israelis continue to protest legal overhaul despite suspension by Netanyahu

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday against a controversial plan to revamp the country's legal system, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's suspension of the changes earlier in the week. The protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub on the Mediterranean, for the 13th weekly demonstration, raising Israeli flags and banners against what they said were plans to weaken the Supreme Court. Several smaller rallies took place in other towns and cities. The protests have been going on since Netanyahu's government, the most right-wing in the country's history, introduced the changes. But on Monday, Netanyahu delayed the overhaul plan that deeply divided the Israelis, saying he wanted to avoid civil war by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents. Protest organizers, however, vowed to keep up the pressure, calling for the plans to be scrapped. The proposal has plunged Israel into its worst domestic crisis in decades. Business leaders, top

Netanyahu supporters block Tel Aviv's main highway to support judicial plan

Thousands of right-wing Israelis on Thursday blocked a main highway in Tel Aviv as they demonstrated in favor of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the country's judicial system. The crowd was much smaller than the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken to the streets in recent months to demonstrate against the plan. But the gathering had the same effect. Protesters honked their car horns and hoisted blue and white Israeli flags crippling traffic along the Ayalon highway, the main north-south thoroughfare running through the coastal city. After especially intense protests, Netanyahu this week froze the plan and began negotiations with his political opponents aimed at finding a compromise plan. But his opponents have vowed to continue their protests as well. The plan would give Netanyahu's parliamentary coalition control over judicial appointments and the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions it opposes. Netanyahu and his allies say the plan is needed

Netanyahu rejects Joe Biden's suggestion to pause judicial overhaul

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rebuffed President Joe Biden's suggestion that the premier walks away from a contentious plan to overhaul the legal system, saying the country makes its own decisions. The exchange was a rare bout of public disagreement between the two close allies and signals building friction between Israel and the U.S. over Netanyahu's judicial changes, which he postponed after massive protests. Asked by reporters late Tuesday what he hopes the premier does with the legislation, Biden replied, I hope he walks away from it. The president added that Netanyahu's government cannot continue down this road" and urged compromise on the plan roiling Israel. The president also stepped around U.S. Ambassador Thomas Nides' suggestion that Netanyahu would soon be invited to the White House, saying, No, not in the near term. Netanyahu replied that Israel is sovereign and makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroa

Israel PM Netanyahu delays judicial reform plan amid general strike

Embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to back down on controversial plans to overhaul the country's judiciary on Monday, amid unprecedented nationwide strikes