Israel

14 July 2023; MEMO: Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, strongly condemned the Swedish authorities on Friday for allowing the public burning of a copy of the Jewish holy book, Torah, while the Ashkenazi chief Rabbi also wrote to the Swedish Prime Minister, urging him to cancel the planned desecration on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reports.

12 July 2023; MEMO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has informed the UN that his country "demands a full demarcation of its southern border with Israel." Mikati told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Lebanese government is working "diligently" to solve the "tents crisis" through diplomatic channels, adding that, "We told the UN that we are ready for a full drawing of the entire southern border."

12 July 2023; MEMO: Approximately 300 Israeli reservists serving in cyberwarfare units announced they will not be attending their volunteer reserve duties in protest of the Knesset's approval of the first reading of the reasonableness bill.

13 July 2023; MEMO: Israel's National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, accusing him of being a politician with no restrictions, Akka news website has reported. Gantz apparently said that Netanyahu is seeking to partition the nation for the sake of staying in office.

11 July 2023; MEMO: Israeli police arrested dozens of protesters on Tuesday, amid demonstrations against the passing of a bill that would curb the powers of the Supreme Court, Anadolu Agency reports.

In a statement, police said 16 were arrested in Tel Aviv, 15 in areas in central Israel, 8 in Jerusalem and three near the coastal city of Netanya.

The Israeli opposition staged a series of protests across Israel on Tuesday against a Knesset vote on a bill to limit the Court's powers.

11 July 2023; MEMO: "Things are going off the rails," in Israel, outgoing US Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Tom Nides, said yesterday in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Nides will be stepping down from his post after nearly two years as Washington's envoy. Before departing, he sent a parting message about Israel, where he expressed concerns over the planned judicial overhaul and its divisive impact.

12 July 2023; MEMO: Israeli Diaspora Affairs and Social Equality Minister Amichai Chikli yesterday accused US President Joe Biden of fuelling anti-government demonstrations in Israel.

In an interview on Sunday with CNN, Biden criticised the Israeli government and plans to overhaul the judiciary.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Israeli protesters took to the streets on Tuesday and blocked highways leading to Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv as part of countrywide demonstrations against the government’s planned judicial overhaul that has divided the nation.

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 contentious proposed changes to the judiciary despite widespread opposition.

10 July 2023; MEMO: Israeli President Isaac Herzog yesterday condemned the recent attacks against Christians as a "true disgrace".

"I utterly condemn violence, in all its forms, directed by a small and extreme group, towards the holy places of the Christian faith, and against Christian clergy in Israel," stated Herzog.

11 July 2023; MEMO: Scores of Israeli protesters stormed the Knesset yesterday ahead of a vote on the judicial overhaul package, local media reported.

Members of the Knesset Guard forcibly removed the protesters who tried to block the entry of MKs to the Knesset plenum.

Scenes caught on camera showed the guards picking up and dragging several demonstrators sitting on the floor and moving them away from the plenum.