Page 147 - Israel

Israeli govt in chaos as judicial reform plans draw mass protests: Report

Israel faced one of the biggest waves of industrial action seen in years after the nation's largest union federation on Monday, Histadrut union, called for a general strike

Israeli president urges Netanyahu to halt legal overhaul amid protests

Israel's ceremonial president on Monday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately halt a contentious overhaul of the judiciary. Isaac Herzog's plea comes hours after tens of thousands of people burst into the streets around the country in a spontaneous show of anger at Netanyahu's decision to fire his defense minister after he called for a pause to the overhaul. The overhaul has sparked one of Israel's gravest domestic crises, drawing widespread opposition from business leaders, legal officials and even the country's military.

Israel PM Netanyahu fires defence minister, sparks protest across country

Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country on Sunday night in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defence minister for challenging the Israeli leader's judicial overhaul plan. Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked a main highway and lit large bonfires, while police scuffled with protesters who gathered outside Netanyahu's private home in Jerusalem. The unrest deepened a monthslong crisis over Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary, which has sparked mass protests, alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs and drawn concern from the United States and other close allies. Netanyahu's dismissal of defence Minister Yoav Gallant signaled that the prime minister and his allies will barrel ahead this week with the overhaul plan. Gallant had been the first senior member of the ruling Likud party to speak out against it, saying the deep divisions were threatening to weaken the military. But

Israel's minister calls govt to halt judicial reform in jolt to Netanyahu

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called upon the government to stop the controversial judicial overhaul legislation that has sparked protests across the country, sticking his neck out amid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence to go ahead with the proposed "reforms". His intervention came as Israelis opposed to the changes held mass rallies across the country for the twelfth week in a row. "The security of the State of Israel is my life's mission. Over the course of my entire adult life, I have dealt with Israel's security day in and day out," Gallant, Netanyahu's close aide, said on Saturday. He said that he still supported the need to revamp the court system, but acknowledged that unprecedented feelings of anger, pain and disappointment have risen within the military over the proposed changes to Israel's balance of power. The revamp includes enabling Parliament to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court - a move that critics say will undermine the independe

Joe Biden calls Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu with judicial plan 'concern'

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 call a senior administration official described as candid and constructive. There was no immediate indication that Netanyahu was shying away from the action, after rejecting a compromise last week offered by the country's figurehead president. Netanyahu said Sunday the legal changes would be carried out responsibly while protecting the basic rights of all Israelis. His government the country's most right-wing ever says the overhaul is meant to correct an imbalance that has given the courts too much power and prevented lawmakers from carrying out the voting public's will. Critics say it

West Bank shooting attack casts shadow over Israel-Palestinian talks

Israeli and Palestinian officials were meeting on Sunday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in a bid to ease tensions between the sides and rein in a spiral of violence ahead of a sensitive holiday period beginning this week. But as the talks continued, Israeli officials said two people were wounded, one seriously, in a West Bank shooting attack that immediately raised questions about the prospects for the new talks. The meeting was the second attempt by the sides, shepherded by regional allies Egypt and Jordan as well as the US, to end a year-long spasm of violence that has seen more than 200 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and more than 40 Israelis or foreigners killed in Palestinian attacks. Whatever progress emerged out of the previous meeting in Jordan late last month, which ended with pledges to de-escalate tensions, was quickly derailed when a new burst of violence erupted on the same day. A Palestinian gunman shot and killed two Israelis in the occupied West

Israeli PM Netanyahu urges military chief to contain reservist protest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the military's chief of staff on Sunday to contain a wave of protest from within the ranks over a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary. Netanyahu's remarks come as Israel is embroiled in a major crisis that has sent tens of thousands of people into the streets protesting every week for the last two months. The divide over Netanyahu's plans to change the legal system has not spared the country's military, its most trusted institution, where many reservists have pledged not to show up for duty under what they see as impending regime change. Starting Sunday, more than 700 elite officers from the Air Force, special forces, and Mossad said they would stop volunteering for duty. The typically taboo talk of refusal to serve in a military that is compulsory for most Jews and is highly respected by the Jewish majority underlines how deeply the overhaul plan has divided Israel. Netanyahu has rejected a compromise plan proposed

No, Israel has NOT found two cases of a new variant of coronavirus

Media reports said that the new variant is a combination of BA.1 or Omicron and BA.2, a sub-variant of Omicron. But is that even true?

UN peacekeeping forces report no Blue Line crossing amid Israeli claim

The Blue Line is a 120-kilometre line drawn by the United Nations between Lebanon and Israel in 2000 to verify the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon

SVB bankruptcy created major crisis in tech industry: Israeli PM Netanyahu

Netanyahu said that he's been in touch with senior Israeli tech figures following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the United States

Topol, star of 'Fiddler on the Roof' onscreen and onstage, dies at 87

Wide acclaim for his portrayal of Tevye helped make him, according to one newspaper, Israel's most famous export since the Jaffa orange

Netanyahu wishes Modi, Indians on Holi; PM greets Israelis on Purim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thanked his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu for his wishes on Holi and extended greetings to the people of Israel on Jewish festival of Purim. "Happy Holi to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India!" Netanyahu tweeted. May the vibrant colours of this festival fill your lives with happiness, joy, and prosperity, Netanyahu said. "Wishing you all a colorful and memorable Holi!" he said. Responding to Netanyahu's tweet, Modi said, "Thank you my friend, PM Netanyahu for your special Holi wishes. People all over India mark this festival with great vibrancy." "I also wish you and the people of Israel a happy Purim. Chag Sameach!" he said.

Israel says Palestinian militants fired rockets after raid

The Israeli military said Palestinian militants fired six rockets from the Gaza Strip toward the country's south early Thursday, hours after an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank triggered a fierce gunbattle in which 11 Palestinians were killed. The rocket attacks, which were not immediately claimed by Palestinian militant groups, appear to be triggered by the Wednesday morning raid in Nablus. The Israeli military said Aar defenses intercepted five of the rockets which were fired toward the cities of Ashkelon and Sderot. One missile landed in an open field. There were no reports of damage or casualties. Among the dead in Nablus were three Palestinian men, ages 72, 66 and 61, and a 16-year-old boy, according to health officials. Scores of others were wounded. It was one of the bloodiest battles in nearly a year of fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem and raised the likelihood of further bloodshed. Israeli police said they were on heightened alert, while the Hamas ..

Handing over of Haifa Port to Adani, a reflection of trust: Israeli Envoy

Israel's handing over of the strategic port of Haifa to Indian company, the Adani Group, is a reflection of the trust that the country has on India, Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon said on Wednesday. At a media briefing, the envoy also said that both India and Israel are keen on finalising the proposed free trade pact as it could further boost overall bilateral trade ties. Gilon indicated that there could be a forward movement on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during the upcoming "high-level" visit. Describing defence ties between the two countries as very strong, he said Israel has an advantage to support India in its efforts to become self reliant in defence manufacturing because of the "long-standing" trust in the area between the two countries. On the Adani Group acquiring the Haifa port last month, Gilon said it was sign of Israel's trust on India and it could boost bilateral trade. It was a very important move from our side as Haifa is a strategic port, he said. The Adani Grou

UAE to host first I2U2 vice-ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi today

The United Arab Emirates is set to host the first vice-ministerial meeting of the I2U2 in Abu Dhabi this week. It will be attended by senior officials from the four countries India, Israel, the United States and the UAE. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W Fernandez will lead the US delegation at the meeting in Abu Dhabi on February 21-22, according to an official statement. Fernandez will represent the US at the I2U2 Business Forum, hosted by the UAE; it is the first vice-ministerial meeting since the grouping was jointly announced by President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Lapid, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it said. "During the forum, partner countries will discuss opportunities to advance regional cooperation and investment opportunities to build partnerships that address some of the region's most pressing issues, including management of the energy crisis and food insecurity,

UN Council approves watered-down statement opposing Israel settlements

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a watered-down statement strongly opposing Israel's continued construction and expansion of settlements. The vote came after high-stakes negotiations by the Biden administration succeeded in derailing a legally binding resolution that would have demanded a halt to Israeli settlement activity. The Palestinian-backed draft resolution was the subject of frantic talks by senior Biden administration officials including Secretary of States Antony Blinken with Palestinian, Israeli and United Arab Emirates leaders. Those discussions culminated in a deal Sunday to forego it in favour of a weaker presidential statement that is not legally binding, according to multiple diplomats familiar with the situation. The deal averted a potential diplomatic crisis, with the US almost certainly vetoing the resolution, which would have angered Palestinian supporters at a time when the US and its Western allies are trying to gain international support against

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

HP Inc to lay off 100 employees in Israel, most cuts in Indigo division

PC and printer major HP Inc is laying off 100 employees and most of the job cuts will be in HP Indigo, which is engaged in the production of digital printing machines.

Syria urges UN to deter Israeli attacks after deadly missile strike

Five people, including a soldier, were killed and 15 others wounded by the Israeli missiles launched from the Golan Heights early Sunday

5 people killed, 15 injured in Israeli air strikes on Syria's Damascus

After the incident, the quake-affected country's Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said that Syria expect that United Nations Security Council would condemn the Israeli aggression