Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Two blasts went off near bus stops in Jerusalem at the height of morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least 18, in what police said were suspected attacks by Palestinians.

The first explosion occurred near a bus stop on the edge of the city, where commuters usually crowd waiting for buses. The second went off about half an hour later in Ramot, a settlement in the city’s north. Police said one person died from their wounds and at least three were seriously wounded in the blasts.

23 Nov 2022; MEMO: Far-right Israeli parties Jewish Power and Religious Zionism, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich respectively, are "exploiting" Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu with their conditions to join the government coalition, Al-Resalah reported on Tuesday.

"Extremist Israeli parties are exploiting Netanyahu to get sovereign ministries at the expense of the Likud," Israeli affairs specialist Ayman Al-Rafati was quoted as saying. "They insist on getting the defence ministry and interior ministry."

22 Nov 2022; MEMO: Right-wing parties in Israel have demanded that Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu should push through legislation that would enable the Knesset to override rulings against politicians by the High Court of Justice.

21 Nov 2022; MEMO: Ultra-Orthodox Israeli parties have demanded Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu agree to pass a law that would permit gender segregation at publicly funded events, Israel Hayom reported yesterday.

According to the paper, the far-right Religious Zionism and United Torah Judaism parties made the demand in return for joining Netanyahu's coalition government as negotiations renewed.

21 Nov 2022; MEMO: The war in Ukraine and the so-called "Abraham Accords" have been a major boost for Israeli arms manufacturers, according to details of contracts revealed by Haaretz. Military and security exports have surged by 30 per cent over figures from previous years.

New contracts in 2021 totalled $11.3 billion, up from $8.6bn in 2020. Although this year is not yet over, arms export data indicates that Israel is on track to chalk up particularly high sales and a long list of enormous deals.

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli court ruled Monday that former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert defamed his successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, and ordered him to pay damages to the former leader and his family.

The high-profile defamation suit that kicked off earlier this year pitted the only Israeli prime minister ever to go to prison against the ousted longest-serving leader of the country.

21 Nov 2022; MEMO: Coalition talks for the next Israeli government are making little progress, with the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by extremist MK Itamar Ben-Gvir saying yesterday that it was breaking off negotiations due to huge differences, not least over ministerial posts. According to local media, the party accused Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud of pulling away from an agreement to appoint a member of the far-right party as the head of the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee.

21 Nov 2022; MEMO: Israel has refused to sign an agreement that prevents carrying attacks that lead to civilian casualties in residential areas, Al Watan Voice reported yesterday.

Al Watan Voice reported Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth saying that it was expected that Israel will not have sign the agreement as it has been targeting Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian civilian areas.

20 Nov 2022; MEMO: Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has condemned settler assaults on Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron, Anadolu reports.

Dozens of Palestinians were hurt on Saturday as thousands of Israeli settlers escorted by Israeli extremist leader Itamar Ben-Gvir gathered in Hebron's Old City to celebrate the Jewish Sabbath holiday.

Israeli media also reported that settlers had attacked Israeli soldiers during their celebrations.

20 Nov 2022; MEMO: A senior Israeli defense official will soon visit Athens to discuss arms sales, Greek media reported on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

The visit by Amir Eshel, director general of the Israeli Defense Ministry, who has the authority to discuss in depth the sales of Israeli weapons to Greece, signals Tel Aviv's long-term commitment to bilateral relations with Athens, said daily Kathimerini.