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☆ Opinion | Israel: From the Six-Day War to the Six-Front War
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Thomas L. Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Back then, Israel defeated the armies of three Arab states — Egypt, Syria and Jordan — in what became known as the Six-Day War. Today, if you look closely, you’ll see that Israel is now fighting the Six-Front War. But one thing is crystal clear to me: Israel cannot win this six-front war alone. This is the first Israeli government ever to make annexation of the West Bank a stated objective in its coalition agreement. Be advised: If Israel does invade Gaza, corporations everywhere will be facing competing demands from employees to denounce Israel or Hamas.

Persons: Israel, Jordan —, Israel —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Jewish supremacists, we’ve, Ali Reza Zakani, Yossi Klein Halevi, what’s, Mahmoud Abbas, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: West Bank, United, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Wednesday, U.S, Israel, Eye Locations: Israel, Egypt, Syria, West, United States, Gaza, Eilat, Haifa, Jewish, Jerusalem, Aqsa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, U.S, Palestinian, East, Tehran, Lebanese, Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut, Sana, Times, Oslo

☆ Israel’s Strikes on Gaza Are Some of the Most Intense This Century
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | More About Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Since Oct. 7, Israel has said it has targeted scores of Palestinian rocket launchers, command centers and munitions factories. Even as Israel has used precision weapons, it has maintained a broad definition of what constitutes a military target. Fighter jets wrecked the Islamic University in Gaza because Israel said the campus had been used to train intelligence operatives. And they have targeted Hamas commanders in their homes. On Wednesday, it said its forces had assassinated a senior Hamas commander in southern Gaza, and eliminated a Hamas squad that emerged from a tunnel in the north of the enclave.

Persons: Dr, Yousef Al Organizations: Islamic University, European Union, Gaza, Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Akkad

☆ Peace, a Forgotten Word, Renews its Claim in the Holy Land
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Roger Cohen | More About Roger Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Awad Darawshe, shot in the abdomen, bled to death under the stage at the trance music festival that Hamas gunmen transformed into a killing field. A Palestinian Israeli paramedic, he died in a desperate attempt to save the lives of Jews at the Tribe of Nova peace-and-love gathering that marked the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The peacemakers are in the minority as a devastating invasion of Gaza looms. That state of drift, in which peace had become a forgotten or even risible word, now feels untenable. The notion that the Palestinians would drift passively off into the ether as Israel normalized relations with Arab states like Bahrain or Morocco looks more misplaced than ever.

Persons: Awad Darawshe, Darawshe, Yossi, “, ”, Mohammad Darawshe, peacemaking, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Organizations: Palestinian Authority, West Bank Locations: Palestinian, Gaza, Israel, Bahrain, Morocco

☆ Whatever unfolds in Gaza war, judgment day looms for Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the media during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Maya Alleruzzo/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 17 (Reuters) - One Israeli cabinet minister was barred from a hospital visitors' entrance. But there is little love shown for a government being widely accused of dropping the country's guard and engulfing it in a Gaza war that is rattling the region. Whatever ensues, a day of judgment looms for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a record-long career of political comebacks. An opinion poll in Maariv newspaper found that 21% of Israelis want Netanyahu to remain prime minister after the war.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Olaf Scholz, Maya Alleruzzo, Golda Meir, Amotz Asa, Shalom Hartman, Netanyahu, Asa, El, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Israel, Amit Segal, It's, Dan Williams, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Labour, Shalom, Shalom Hartman Institute, Likud, Reuters, National Unity, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Meir's, Jerusalem, Maariv, ISRAEL, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Iran

☆ Israel's top military officer says security failed in Hamas attacks, but there's plenty of blame to go around
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Israel is reeling from the deadly Hamas terror attacks last weekend, with many looking for answers. The surprise assault exposed major shortcomings in Israel's feared military and security and intelligence apparatus. A top IDF officer said the military is to blame, but there are several other things that went wrong. And while a top Israeli officer has acknowledged that the military ultimately mishandled security, the country's troubles appear to run much deeper. Israeli security forces patrol streets of Sderot, Israel on October 11, 2023.

Persons: Israel's, —, Herzi Halevi, Israel, Alexi J, Rosenfeld, Israel Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Beth Sanner, Hezbollah —, Mostafa Alkharouf, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Bruce Hoffman, Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Yahya Sinwar Organizations: IDF, Service, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Israel, —, Getty, United Nations, Reuters, Bloomberg, The New York Times, Hezbollah, West Bank, Council, Foreign Relations, NPR, The Washington Post Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Kfar Aza, Kippur, Reuters Israel, Jihad, Sderot, Anadolu, Egypt, Gaza City, Loay, The

☆ Israeli Troops Massed on Border, Poised to Storm Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Lauren Camera | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

Israeli forces prepared to storm into Gaza on Thursday, staging tanks and troops along the border ahead of what’s expected to be a brutal and bloody boots-on-the-ground operation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been promising for days. The death toll in Gaza stands at roughly 1,400 people, including many Palestinians who are not aligned with Hamas. The Israeli defense minister pledged to wipe Hamas "off the face of the earth." Israeli forces can also expect rockets, anti-armor attacks and even the use of human shields when they enter Gaza. The Israeli government would need to decide whether to potentially leave a weakened Hamas behind in Gaza or to overthrow its de facto administration.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Israel –, It’s, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, ”, Bill Roggio, Joe Biden, Bibi, ” Biden, “, State Anthony Blinken, Blinken, ” Blinken, Biden, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Israel Organizations: Unity, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, ”, State, State Department, Israel, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Gaza, Israel, “, Detroit, Tel Aviv, Blinken, Iran, Lebanon, American, “ Israel

☆ Already a humanitarian crisis, war with Hamas could have major impact on Israel's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Jason Gewirtz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli armuy soldiers deploy at a position near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11, 2023. As Israel prepares for what could be a long war with massive humanitarian implications, there are also concerns about how a protracted fight could weigh on the country's dynamic economy. Israel's standing army, air force and navy is is comprised of 150,000 members. "The impact is substantial," said Eyal Winter, a professor of economics at Hebrew University in Jerusalem who has studied the economic impact of Israel's wars. But, he added, "there's also a major increase in tourism when the fighting ends due to pent up demand."

Persons: Israel, Eyal Winter, there's Organizations: Hebrew University Locations: Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem

☆ Israel’s war with Hamas will cause deep and wide political shockwaves
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Cataclysmic events like the Hamas onslaught on Israel trigger profound political shocks and strategic transformations that no one could predict at the time. They unleashed extraordinary political forces inside nations like the United States and Britain, creating conditions that are still influencing society and elections. The Jewish state is no stranger to rocket attacks from Gaza or Lebanon or bus and suicide bombings. Republicans, led by ex-President Donald Trump, pounced on the Hamas attacks, seeking to saddle Biden with the blame over his attempts to defuse a US confrontation with Iran. So the war in Israel and Gaza will resonate far more widely than a cursed corner of the Middle East.

Persons: –, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, don’t, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Joe Biden, hasn’t, he’s, Biden, pounced, Trump, ”, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel Democratic, White, Biden, GOP, Republicans, South, Israel, Republican, Progressive Democrats, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Ukraine, United Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, United States, Britain, Lebanon, Israeli, Washington, Iran, Islamic Republic, South Carolina, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kyiv, Asia, Beijing, Moscow, America, China, Russia, Europe, Pacific

☆ Hamas and Iran are longtime allies. Did Tehran help with its attack on Israel?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It’s something that we’re going to keep looking at closely.”Yet Iran’s evolving relationship with Hamas and its Palestinian militant partners, the Islamic Jihad, is well documented. Israel says Iran supports Hamas to the tune of some $100 million dollars a year. (Much of the Western world and some Arab countries consider Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad to be terrorist groups.) Therefore Iran is an asset for Hamas and Hamas is an asset for Iran,” Michael said. In April, Hamas’ senior political leader Ismail Haniyeh visited the Lebanese capital for meetings with Nasrallah.

Persons: Jon, ABC’s, Jihad –, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Hezbollah –, Kobi Michael, ” Michael, Saleh Al, Ziad al, General Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Nasrallah, Haniyeh, Marwan Naamani, “ Christian, ”, Khaled Elgindy, ” Elgindy Organizations: CNN, United Nations, –, US State Department, Hezbollah, Palestinian, Islamic, Tel, for National Security Studies, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Gaza, ”, United Arab, Revolutionary Guards, East Institute, Palestinian Affairs, Lebanese Locations: Israel, Iran, Tehran, United States, Jihad, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Lebanon, Lebanese, Sidon, Jerusalem, Hamas, Islam, Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine

Netanyahu’s vow to unleash the full force of the Israeli military on Hamas has raised fears for the safety of Israeli civilians spread in undisclosed locations across the densely populated Gaza Strip. “It will make things much more complicated.”Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesLocating Israeli hostages in Gaza — something Israeli intelligence agencies failed to do in the case of Shalit — poses further challenges. “So the army would have to bomb everything.”Hamas already has said it seeks the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails — some 4,500 detainees, according to Israeli rights group B’Tselem — in exchange for the Israeli captives. There is “absolutely no chance” that the current government would agree to the release of Palestinian prisoners, said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This included the Schalit deal in 2011, and Israel’s release of 1,150 jailed Palestinians in exchange for three Israeli prisoners in 1985.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Gilad Shalit, Israel, Netanyahu, ” Michael Milstein, Shalit, ”, Yaakov Amidror, “, Khalil Shikaki, —, Gayil Talshir, Yair Lapid, Netanyahu “, Bezalel Smotrich, ” “, Ehud Yaari, Tali Levy, Adva Adar Organizations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Hamas, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Center, Policy, Survey Research, Palestinian, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Saturday Locations: Jihad, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, ”, Ashdod

JERUSALEM (AP) — Without warning on Saturday, Gaza's militant Hamas rulers attacked Israel by air, land and sea. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies were scrambling to respond to the rapidly changing events. Here are some key takeaways from the multi-pronged attack that has suddenly plunged Israel into war. In a dramatic escalation unseen in decades, Hamas also sent paragliders flying into Israel, the Israeli military said. Some political analysts have linked Hamas' attack to ongoing U.S.-brokered talks on normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Persons: strode, Benjamin Netanyahu, ISRAEL, —, Golda Meir, Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Itamar Ben, Gvir, lambast Netanyahu, Gilad Shalit, Shalit, Ben, ” Bassem Naim Organizations: JERUSALEM, Israeli, Labor Party, National, National Security, United Nations, Hamas, West Bank, AP, Palestinian Authority Locations: Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon, Aqsa, Ben, Qatar, Egypt, U.S, Saudi Arabia, ISRAEL

The issue has exposed deep divisions between his nationalist-religious supporters and more liberal and secular sections of Israeli society, posing major questions about the constitutional foundations of Israel and its future direction. Over 2,600 Israelis including Zwebner's brother were killed, the largest loss of life Israel has ever suffered in a single war. For many front-line soldiers, the war remains a traumatic event but the feeling many express five decades later is pride in having helped save their country. "I had a meeting with my friends this week which really made me emotional, but you feel very much like you saved the existence of Israel," Zwebner said. For Zwebner, who himself opposes the judicial overhaul, a lesson of the 1973 war was that people had to be prepared to think for themselves rather than blindly accepting what leaders of any kind said.

Persons: Uzy, Yonti, Amir Cohen, Uzy Zwebner, Golda Meir, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Herzi Halevi, Israel, Jordan, Abraham, Zwebner, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Labour Party, ISRAEL, U.S, Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Sinai, Kippur, Tel Aviv, Israel, Yom Kippur, Golan, Soviet Union, Egypt

☆ Israeli police arrest five following uproar over Jews spitting on Christians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Kareem Khadder | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jerusalem CNN —Israel Police arrested five people Wednesday on suspicion of spitting towards Christians or churches in the Old City of Jerusalem, they announced, following an uproar a day earlier over Orthodox Jews spitting at Christian pilgrims. Four of the suspects were arrested for incidents on Wednesday, and one for an incident earlier in the week, police said. One of the individuals was arrested on assault charges, and the other four were arrested on suspicion of unlawful disorderly conduct, Israel Police told CNN. One of the arrests is connected to the viral video from Monday of ultra-Orthodox Jews spitting on Christian pilgrims carrying a cross out of the Church of the Flagellation in the Old City, police said. The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the spitting was part of a wider problem that leads to physical violence.

Persons: Father Matteo, Jesus, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Doron Turgeman, ” Turgeman, Israel’s, Rabbi David Lau Organizations: Jerusalem CNN — Israel Police, Israel Police, CNN, ”, Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem Police Locations: Jerusalem, Old City, Old, Israel

[1/2] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks as he attends an economic forum at Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, in Rome, Italy, March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Tesla Inc FollowSept 18 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Elon Musk to strike a balance between protecting free expression and fighting hate speech at a meeting on Monday after weeks of controversy over antisemitic content on Musk's social media platform X. "I know you're committed to that ... but I encourage and urge you to find a balance," Netanyahu said. Musk responded by saying he was against antisemitism and against anything that "promotes hate and conflict," repeating his previous statements that X would not promote hate speech. The billionaire, who also runs Tesla and SpaceX, noted that he received more pushback from Tesla employees about the meeting with Netanyahu than "anything else I've ever done."

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Remo Casilli, Elon Musk, Musk, Netanyahu, Sheila Dang, Ari Rabinovitch, Yuvraj Malik, Howard Goller Organizations: Ministry of Enterprises, REUTERS, Defamation, ADL, SpaceX, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Fremont , California, Tesla's California, Israel, Dallas, Jerusalem, Bengaluru

☆ Israel’s democracy is at a crossroads as its top court debates a law limiting its power. Here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“The Supreme Court and the government alike possess a credible nuclear threat against the other side … if both sides are rational actors, they will … disarm themselves. That leaves the Supreme Court as the only check on the executive and legislative branches of government. Striking down a Basic Law would be uncharted territory for the Supreme Court, although it has examined and commented on Basic Laws before. Thousands of military reservists and even some active duty soldiers have vowed not to serve if the judicial overhaul went into effect. Or for the Supreme Court that might say we have a right to demonstrate, the right to strike by our so to speak legal system,” Tomer said.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, –, Netanyahu, “, ”, Amit Segal, Netanyahu’s, Biden, Israel doesn’t, Esther Hayut, Aryeh Deri, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ohad, Yariv Levin, Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, ” Segal, it’s, Banks, Haim Tomer, Hassan Nasrallah, ‘, ’ ” Tomer, Joe Biden, Tomer, ” Tomer, he’s, Isaac Herzog’s, Isaac Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ronen Zvulun, Ben Gvir Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, Jerusalem CNN — Israel’s, Israel’s, Supreme, CNN, of Defense, United, National Security, United Nations General Assembly Locations: Jerusalem, Israel, United Kingdom, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia

“There are many checks on the legislative and executive branches, but there are simply no checks on the Supreme Court,” Kontorovich said, without citing examples. Video Ad Feedback Hear Netanyahu respond to judicial overhaul plans amid protests 03:17 - Source: CNNUnlike many democracies, Israel does not have a written constitution. While they are a minority in Israel, they have different reasons for backing the judicial plan. The prime minister in his Thursday interview with CNN failed to confirm whether he’d accept a Supreme Court ruling that struck down the “reasonableness” law. Following backlash from the opposition, however, Netanyahu in a statement attempted to reassure the public, saying that Israeli governments “always respect” court decisions.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Eugene Kontorovich, Kontorovich, Netanyahu, ” Kontorovich, Israel “, ”, Tommy Lamm, Ronnie Lottner, “, Naftali Bennett’s, Tamar Hermann, ” Hermann, Gideon Rahat, Bennett, Yair Lapid, Hermann, Israel Democracy Institue Organizations: CNN, White, Israel’s, West Bank, Israel Democracy Institute, Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s, Israel Democracy Locations: Israeli, Israel, “

☆ Netanyahu defends judicial reforms, air force chief warns of security threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Henriette Chacar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, July 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said parliament's decision to trim Supreme Court powers to overrule government actions as part of his planned judicial overhaul would not hurt Israel's democracy. Now in its seventh month, the crisis escalated on Monday after parliament passed the first of the changes, trimming Supreme Court powers to overrule government actions and raising fears for the court's independence. While Netanyahu downplayed the consequences of his plans, air force chief, Tomer Bar, warned the crisis could be exploited by Israel's enemies. Political watchdog groups have appealed to the Supreme Court to strike the new law, paving the way to a showdown among branches of government when it hears the arguments in September. The prime minister says the changes will balance government branches.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, It's, Tomer, Michael Georgy, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: ABC News, CNN, Thomson

☆ Israel urges calm amid plans for further protest at judicial overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The plans have hit the economy by drawing warnings from credit agencies, triggering foreign investor flight. A Palestinian group aligned with the Islamist movement Hamas said it launched a rocket from the occupied West Bank into Israel in retaliation. Israel has previously acknowledged that were preliminary efforts under way by West Bank fighters to develop a rocket arsenal. Video posted on social media showed scores of other Jews visiting the Jerusalem compound under Israeli police guard. In the latest violence, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian teenager when clashes erupted during an Israeli army raid in Palestinian city of Qalqiliya, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Tisha B'av, Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, Shikma Bressler, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Ben, Nidal al, Dan Williams, Tom Perry, Robert Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: West Bank JERUSALEM, Facebook, West Bank, Police, Palestinian Health Ministry, Thomson Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, West, al, United States, Palestinian, Qalqiliya, Gaza

The threat is unprecedented in its scope, experts say, and the military has pleaded with reservists to remain in their posts. Members of Israeli security forces guard the al-Aqsa Mosque compound following clashes that erupted during Islam's holy fasting month of Ramadan in Jerusalem on April 5. Nearly 10,000 military reservists said before the passage of the controversial “reasonableness” bill on Monday that they would refuse to volunteer for duty if it was passed. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and reiterated the US’ commitment to Israel’s security. “He (Netanyahu) is willing to pay any price to move forward with this.”Golov sees reservists threatening not to serve as a sign of something much bigger.

Persons: Daniel Hagari, ”, Ahmad Gharabli, General Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Chuck Freilich, Freilich, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yiftach, ” Golov, Golov, Israel, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Mahmoud Illean, Netanyahu, ” Freilich, Nasrallah, “ Organizations: CNN, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, Getty, General Staff, Defense, The Institute for National Security Studies, Brothers, Israeli Air Force, West Bank, Palestinian, ” Reuters, Arms Locations: Israel, Jerusalem, AFP, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, Syria, East Jerusalem, Gaza, “, Iran

☆ Israel's Netanyahu takes heat in polls as judicial crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, July 26 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a hit in the polls over a judicial law his hard-right coalition has championed as he attempts to navigate his gravest domestic crisis. Seats held by Netanyahu's Likud party would fall from 32 to 28, according to N12 News, and to as low as 25 seats in a survey by broadcaster Reshet 13. Israel's close ally the United States called the Knesset vote "unfortunate" and urged work toward a broad consensus. "There has been an increase in requests to halt reserve duty," Brigadier General Daniel Hagari told Israeli reporters in remarks confirmed by a military spokesman. Protest leaders said growing numbers of military reservists would no longer report for duty if the government pressed ahead with its plans.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's, Joe Biden’s, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Maayan Lubell, Michael Georgy, Robert Birsel Organizations: Netanyahu's, Netanyahu's Likud, N12, Reshet, Reuters, Thomson Locations: United States, Histadrut

☆ In Israel, the Hobbling of the Supreme Court Is Just the Start - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Adam Shinar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Existing agreements among the coalition are explicit about these goals and legislation reflecting this agenda has already been introduced. To this, we should add subtler but no less drastic changes to the civil service, once heralded as professional and nonpartisan. It is the unraveling of Israel’s basic identity, that of a Jewish and democratic state. Across Israel, there is growing alarm about the rise of religion in the public sphere and the privileging of Jewish interests inside Israel and in the occupied territories. So here goes: Since its establishment, Israel has become only more fragmented and polarized.

Persons: Itamar Ben, Ben Organizations: Netanyahu Locations: Israel

☆ Morgan Stanley cuts Israel sovereign credit to "dislike stance" after judiciary changes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"Markets are now likely to extrapolate the future policy path and we move Israel sovereign credit to a 'dislike stance'." They added that recent developments pointed to "continued uncertainty" in Israel and for the shekel currency to weaken and borrowing costs to rise as investors attach a higher risk premium. "In our adverse scenario we think that growth could weaken significantly to 1.6% (year-on-year) in 2024 with inflation remaining significantly above the Bank of Israel's tolerance band." "For now, we keep our call for one more 25 basis point hike to 5% at the BoI's September meeting, but risks to the rates outlook are now shifting to the upside again." Reporting by Marc Jones and Steve Sheer in Jerusalem, additional reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Amanda CooperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Benjamin Netanyahu, Morgan, Marc Jones, Steve Sheer, Ari Rabinovitch, Amanda Cooper Organizations: Bank of, Thomson Locations: Israel, Jerusalem

☆ Civil unrest, legal appeals and military disobedience: What Israel may face after Supreme Court law change
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Striking down a Basic Law would be uncharted territory for the Supreme Court, although the court has examined and commented on Basic Laws before. Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images People in Tel Aviv, Israel, demonstrate against the judicial overhaul plan on Saturday, July 22. Saeed Qaq/NurPhoto via Getty Images Protesters from Tel Aviv walk the entrance road to Jerusalem after a four-day march on July 22. Ilan Rosenberg/Reuters Protesters block the main entrance to the Ministry of Defense during a protest in Tel Aviv on July 18. Israeli military reservist signs pledge to suspend voluntary military service if the government passes judicial overhaul legislation, near the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel on July 19.

Persons: CNN —, Israel doesn’t, Benjamin Netanyahu, Esther Hayut, ”, ” Hayut, Barak Medina, ” Medina, ” Yohanan Plesner, Ron Dermer, “, Plesner, Netanyahu, Monday, Amir Cohen, Corinna Kern, Oded, Jack Guez, Hazem Bader, Ammar Awad, Aryeh Deri, Shas, Ronaldo Schemidt, Ohad, Mahmoud Illean, Ronen Zvulun, Dar Yaskil, Saeed Qaq, Matan Golan, Eyal Warshavsky, Menahem Kahana, Ilan Rosenberg, Amir Levy, Medina, ” Plesner, Israel, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, ” Dermer, Biden hadn’t, Martin Indyk, Dan Kurtzer, Indyk, Israel hasn’t Organizations: CNN, Law, Supreme, Nation State Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s, of Law, Israel Democracy Institute, Strategic, Israel Medical Association, IMA, High Tech, ”, Reuters, Getty, AP, Protesters, Getty Images, Reuters Protesters, AP People, Ministry of Defense, Air, House Press, New York Times, State Department Locations: Israel’s, United States, Israel, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israeli, AFP, Reuters Israeli

☆ Powerful right-wing radicals are testing democratic checks and balance in both Israel and the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —White House criticism of Israel after its right-wing coalition embarked on a plan to target judicial power is bringing a new kind of turbulence to one of America’s oldest friendships. It shows that Israel, like the United States, is experiencing an era of right-wing politicians seeking to aggressively flex power and test enshrined democratic constraints. The drama is likely to further worsen the long-standing but increasingly brittle relationship between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu. Yet there is deep concern in the White House about the implications of any successful attempt to subvert checks and balances in Israel. And Netanyahu appeared to align himself politically with Trump while he was in the White House.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Biden’s, ”, shockwaves, Jordan, –, Martin Indyk, “, ” Indyk, Lynda Kinkade, hasn’t, Thomas Friedman, ” Biden’s, Karine Jean, Pierre, Isaac Herzog, ” Aaron David Miller, Isa Soares, don’t, Mitch McConnell, “ Mr, Obama, Trump, Mike Pence, Hugh Hewitt, Ron DeSantis, “ Biden, Pramila Jayapal, didn’t Organizations: CNN, –, White House, Trump, Republicans, Democratic, House, West Bank, Biden, CNN International, “, New York Times, Republican, Israel, -, Republican Party, Netanyahu’s Likud Party, Florida Gov, Congressional, Democrat Locations: Iran, Israel, United States, Washington, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Florida

☆ Israel judicial overhaul: protests mount against Benjamin Netanyahu after bill passed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The bill curbing Supreme Court review of some government decisions passed in a stormy Knesset parliament on Monday after a walkout by lawmakers. Protest leaders said growing numbers of military reservists would no longer report for duty if the government continued with its plans. First elected to top office in 1996 and now in his sixth term, Netanyahu, 73, is facing his biggest domestic crisis. A Lebanese source familiar with the development said the men were members of a Hezbollah elite unit on a patrol that had nothing to do with Israel's domestic crisis. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday said Israel's domestic crisis showed it was on a "path of collapse and fragmentation".

Persons: Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Zion Hagay, Kan, Corinna Kern, striding, Hassan Nasrallah, Bezalel Smotrich, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Henriette Chacar, Andrew MacAskill, Laila Bassam, Tom Perry, Andrew Cawthorne, Nick Macfie Organizations: Israeli Democracy, Israel Bar Association, Israel Medical Association, Health Ministry, REUTERS, BANK, Orthodox Jewish, West Bank, Hamas, Hezbollah, Finance, Army Radio, Thomson Locations: JERUSALEM, Israel, Histadrut, United States, Britain, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Washington, Nablus, Palestinian, Lebanese, Iran, London, Beirut

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