Page 150 - Israel

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

Donald Trump omits dinner with white nationalist in speech to Jews

Speaking at a conference of Orthodox Jews on Friday, Donald Trump did not address a widely criticized private meal he shared last month with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and a rapper who has spewed antisemitic conspiracies. The former president told the audience he was the best ally you've ever had. Over and over, Trump heaped praise on the Jewish people and highlighted his support for Israel as he addressed the annual President's Conference of Torah Umesorah at his National Doral club in Miami. He alleged Congress was almost anti-Israel and said without evidence that some Democrats in Washington hate Israel with a passion. Trump is struggling for political momentum a month after becoming the first official candidate to enter the 2024 presidential contest. He hoped the early announcement might scare off potential challengers, but a series of political setbacks have instead left him deeply vulnerable as he ramps up his third presidential campaign. The 76-year-old Republica

Israel's Netanyahu set to return to office, eyes deal with Saudi Arabia

Israel's designated prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to seek full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia once he takes office, claiming that doing so would also promote peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu also said he would be open to restarting behind-the-scenes peace talks with the Palestinians. The comments, made in a rare interview with an Arab news outlet, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, appeared to be aimed at easing concerns over the far-right makeup of the government that Netanyahu is forming. He has already reached a series of coalition agreements with hard-liners who favour tougher action against Palestinian militants, increased settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and vehemently reject the idea of an independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu told the channel that he will set overall policies. I will govern and I will lead, he said. The other parties are joining me. I'm not joining them. Netanyahu said he hoped to expand the Ab

Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems rolls out 100th surface-to-air missile kit

KRAS is a joint venture set up by Israeli company, Rafael, in partnership with Kalyani Strategic Systems

Palestine slams US pressure over updating companies in Israeli settlements

The UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which was enacted in 2016, deemed these Israeli settlements illegal and urged an immediate end to them in the Palestinian territories

Israeli company Playtika likely to layoff about 600 employees worldwide

Israeli mobile games company Playtika will cut 12 to 15 per cent of its workforce. About 600 employees worldwide will be dismissed including 180 in Israel, the media reported

Jewish Americans fear collision with emerging far-right Israeli government

Israel's ties to the Jewish American community, one of its closest and most important allies, are about to be put to the test, with Israel's emerging far-right government on a collision course with Jews in the United States. Major Jewish American organisations, traditionally a bedrock of support for Israel, have expressed alarm over the far-right character of the presumptive government led by conservative Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Given American Jews' predominantly liberal political views and affinity for the Democratic Party, these misgivings could have a ripple effect in Washington and further widen what has become a partisan divide over support for Israel. This is a very significant crossroads, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a liberal, pro-Israel group in Washington. The potential for specific actions that could be taken by this government, these are the moments when the relationship between the bulk of American Jews and the state of Israel begins to really

Blinken vows US support for Israel despite unease over govt

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday the US will not shrink from its unwavering support for Israel despite stark differences with Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu and concerns the Biden administration may have about potential members of his incoming right-wing government. Speaking to a left-leaning group that some on the right accuse of being too sympathetic to the Palestinians and Iran, Blinken said the United States will remain a stalwart friend of Israel even as it pursues goals that Netanyahu has opposed, including a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a restoration of the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The US-Israel partnership and all that it's produced for the people of our nations and the world has always been underwritten by the United States ironclad commitment to Israel's security, a commitment that has never been stronger than it is today, he said. Blinken said the Biden administration would engage with Netanyahu's governme

India-Israel natural allies, share deep resonance of arts-culture: Herzog

India and Israel are natural allies who are united by a fundamental commitment to the democratic ideals upon which they were founded, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said, as he made a rare appearance at an exhibition here featuring Indian deities and temple rituals. Herzog attended a cultural event at the Israel Museum on Thursday evening to inaugurate the new exhibition titled 'Body of Faith: Sculpture from the National Museum of India.' He called the exhibition a byproduct of the growing friendship between the two countries. "India and Israel are natural allies, united by a fundamental commitment to the democratic ideals upon which both our nations were founded. Yet this evening transcends politics, commerce even diplomacy," he said. "This evening shines a light on our shared humanity while paying tribute to the rich history and cultural legacy of the Indian people," Herzog, who made a rare appearance because of "his love for India", said. "This exhibition, literally 'spiri

Israel says successfully intercepted cruise missile from sea in test

Israel has announced its navy successfully launched a long-range missile from a warship to intercept a cruise missile in a test

Israeli ultra-orthodox army unit linked to American's death exits West Bank

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it is temporarily removing a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers out of the occupied West Bank after a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man died following an arrest by its soldiers early this year. The army said the Netzah Yehuda Battalion will be moved to the Golan Heights, along Israel's northern front with Syria, by the end of the year. The announcement made no mention of the death of Omar Assad, who died after being detained, handcuffed and blindfolded by Israeli soldiers. Instead, it said the decision was made out of a desire to diversify their operational deployment in multiple areas, in addition to accumulating more operational experience. It said the unit would return to the West Bank at the end of next year. Netzah Yehuda, or Judea Forever, is a special unit for ultra-Orthodox Jewish soldiers. The unit was formed to encourage religious men, who often receive special exemptions from compulsory military service, to join the army. But its ..

Wipro Lighting enters into exclusive partnership with Aura Air

Wipro Lighting has entered into an all-India exclusive partnership with Israel-based public company Aura Air, which makes air purifiers, the company said on Wednesday. The arrangement will provide Wipro Lighting exclusive access to all enterprise offerings of Aura Air for India geography, the company said in a statement. "In the post-pandemic scenario, the awareness and demand for better indoor air quality has seen an uptick in corporate and business spaces. We intend to provide these services to our existing institutional clients with exclusive access to all enterprise offerings of Aura Air for the Indian geography. We are confident in the technology and expertise Aura will bring to the table," Wipro Lighting, Vice President, and Business Head for Commercial & Institutional Business, Anuj Dhir said. Through this partnership with Aura Air, Wipro Lighting will be adding the indoor air quality management business to their portfolio. "Aura Air technology is extremely successful in ...

Nadav Lapid: Israel's 'philosophical' filmmaker who has stirred up a storm

Reacting to the backlash for his remarks about The Kashmir Files, Lapid says making bad films is not a crime, but the film is 'crude, manipulative and violent'

Israeli director under fire for comments on The Kashmir Files'

Israeli director and IFFI international jury chairperson Nadav Lapid was at the centre of furious debate on Tuesday for his comments on The Kashmir Files with Israel's ambassador saying he abused India's invitation and jury members distancing themselves from his views. As controversy grew, a day after the director described the The Kashmir Files as "propaganda" and vulgar, BJP leaders, actors such as Anupam Kher and Ranvir Shorey and the film's director Vivek Agnihotri also joined the discourse against him. There were some voices, including from the Congress and some in the film fraternity, who spoke up his defence. Lapid's surprise comments on the much discussed film came at the closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India on Monday attended by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur as well as actors Akshay Kumar and Asha Parekh. Agnihotri has compared The Kashmir Files, which portrays the exodus of Kashmir Pandits from the Valley d

Health ministry: Israeli fire kills Palestinian in West Bank

A Palestinian was killed and 11 were wounded by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that clashes erupted between Israeli forces and residents of north Hebron city on Monday evening. The Israeli military said soldiers shot at Palestinians who hurled rocks and improvised explosive devices at the forces who were operating in the town. It said the Palestinians also shot at the troops, and two army vehicles got stuck due to mechanical issues. The ministry said nine Palestinians were wounded by live fire and two others suffered breathing problems from tear gas. One of the wounded succumbed early Tuesday, the ministry said, without identifying him. Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been surging for months amid nightly Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank prompted by a spate of deadly attacks against Israelis that killed 19 people in the spring. More than 138 Palestinians

Second Israeli, wounded in Jerusalem blasts, dies, says hospital

An Israeli man died Saturday from wounds he sustained in twin blasts that hit Jerusalem earlier this week, bringing to two the number of dead in the explosions that Israeli police blamed on Palestinians. Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem announced that Tadesse Teshome Ben Madeh had died. He was critically wounded in one of the blasts at the city's bus stops. The trauma and intensive care teams of Shaare Zedek fought for his life, but unfortunately his injury was very fatal, the hospital said. The first explosion occurred near a typically crowded bus stop on the edge of the city. The second went off about half an hour later in Ramot, a settlement in the city's north. One of the blasts immediately killed Aryeh Schupak, 15, a dual Israeli-Canadian national who was heading to a Jewish seminary when the blast went off. The blasts wounded about 18 Israelis, three of them seriously. While Palestinians have carried out stabbings, car rammings and shootings in recent years, bombing

US, Israel agree to accelerate operational plans against Iran: Kohavi

Israel and the US have agreed that they are at a "critical point" in time that requires the acceleration of operational plans and cooperation against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have said as its chief held discussions with senior American officials in Washington. Chief of Staff of the IDF Lieutenant General Aviv Kohav landed in the US on Sunday for five days of meetings with senior officials focused on the Iranian threat, the IDF said. The Israeli Army's Chief on Monday met with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, and CIA Director, William Burns. During the discussions, it was agreed that we are at a critical point in time that requires the acceleration of operational plans and cooperation against Iran and its terrorist proxies in the region, the IDF quoted Kohavi as saying in Tweets posted on its social media handle on Tuesday. On the one hand, Iran is under many economic, military,

Israel welcomes Azerbaijan's historic decision to open embassy in Tel Aviv

The decision reflects the depth of the relationship between the two countries and "is the result of the Israeli government's efforts to build strong diplomatic bridges with the Muslim world"