Israel

Israel: far-right minister defends 'Jewish terrorist' following murder of young Palestinian

07 August 2023; MEMO: Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has backed a Jewish settler accused of carrying out a terrorist attack against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, following the killing of 19-year-old Palestinian Qusay Jamal Matan.

Israel heading for self-destruction, says former Mossad chief

07 August 2023; MEMO: The former head of Israel's Mossad spy agency has said that he believes that the occupation state is heading for self-destruction, the religious-Zionist Makor Rishon news outlet reported on Sunday.

Tamir Pardo explained that he came to his conclusion after the signing of the coalition agreement among the current parties in the far-right cabinet, even before the announcement of the judicial reform plan by Minister of Justice Yariv Levin.

Israel's Netanyahu says he will likely advance legislation to change judges selection committee

JERUSALEM, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted as saying on Sunday that he would work to change the committee that selects judges, amid a wave of protests over planned legislation which could see the highest court stripped of many of its powers.

Asked about the next phase of legislation on the judiciary, Netanyahu said "it would probably be about the composition of the committee that elects judges". He told Bloomberg: "That's basically what's left."

"Because other things I think we should not legislate," he said, without elaborating.

US calls suspected Israeli settler attack terrorism

JERUSALEM, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Washington has condemned as terrorism the killing of a Palestinian by suspected Jewish settlers, in sharpened language that appeared to reflect U.S. frustration with surging violence in the occupied West Bank under Israel's hard-right government.

Israeli police detained two settlers in Friday's incident near Burqa village. According to Palestinians, they were part of a group that threw rocks, torched cars and, when confronted by villagers, shot a 19-year-old dead and wounded several others.

Israeli protesters are calling for democracy. But what about the occupation of Palestinians?

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is being rocked by a wave of mass protests calling for the country’s democracy to be upheld. But the pro-democracy movement lacks any clear message of opposition to Israel’s open-ended military rule over millions of Palestinians.

This contradiction reflects a widely held belief among Jewish Israelis that the conflict with the Palestinians is both intractable and somehow separate from Israel’s internal strife.

Israel: All 15 Supreme Court judges to hear judicial overhaul petitions

31 July 2023; MEMO: Israel's Supreme Court, on Monday, said all 15 judges, in an historic first, would take part in a hearing on arguments against a law Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist government passed as part of an overhaul of the judiciary, Reuters reports.

Israel files complaint against Lebanon at UN Security Council

02 August 2023; MEMO: Israel yesterday submitted an official complaint against Lebanon at the United Nations Security Council, demanding the Lebanese government and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) take immediate action to prevent Hezbollah's ongoing construction of military infrastructure on Israel's northern border, Anadolu news agency reported.

U.S. quietly inspects Israeli crossings for its Palestinian dual-nationals

JERUSALEM, Aug 1 (Reuters) - U.S. observers are in Israel this week to discreetly assess conditions at its border crossings for Palestinian-Americans as part of an emerging Israeli-U.S. visa waiver deal, four officials said.

The officials, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, said the delegation visited Israel's immigration office on Sunday, Ben Gurion Airport on Monday and would on Tuesday tour checkpoints on the occupied West Bank's boundaries.

Israel: Palestinian opens fire in West Bank settlement, wounding 5 people before being killed

MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank (AP) — A Palestinian gunman opened fire in an Israeli settlement east of Jerusalem on Tuesday, wounding at least five people before being shot and killed, Israeli police said.

The shooting outside a shopping mall in the sprawling Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, in the occupied West Bank, was the latest in the most violent stretch of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the territory in nearly two decades.

Subscribe to Israel