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☆ Israel's Netanyahu rushed to hospital, his office says he felt dizzy and was likely dehydrated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was rushed on Saturday to a hospital after feeling dizzy, his office said, adding that it appeared the veteran Israeli leader was suffering from dehydration. Netanyahu, 73, remained at Israel's Sheba Hospital, where he continued to undergo medical tests, his office said. In a joint statement with the hospital, his office said Netanyahu had visited the Sea of Galilee, a popular vacation spot in northern Israel, on Friday. According to the statement, Netanyahu began to feel "mild dizziness" on Saturday and his doctor instructed him to go to Sheba Hospital, near the city of Tel Aviv. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid issued a statement wishing Netanyahu a "full recovery and good health."

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Netanyahu's, Yair Lapid, Lapid Organizations: Palmachim Air Force Base, Sheba, Twitter Locations: Rishon Lezion, Israel, Galilee, Tel Aviv, Caesaria, Yom Kippur

☆ Israeli lawmakers give first nod to new judicial overhaul bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, July 4 (Reuters) - Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday gave an initial nod to a bill that limits Supreme Court power to rule against the government after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would press on with contentious changes to the justice system. In a stormy session broadcast live, Parliament's constitution committee, dominated by Netanyahu's nationalist-religious ruling coalition, voted in favour of the bill that limits "reasonableness" as a standard of judicial review. At present, the Supreme Court can rule against government and elected officials' decisions if they are deemed unreasonable. After the committee vote, the shekel weakened by 0.3% against the dollar. Netanyahu has defended the changes as restoring balance between branches of government and redressing what his coalition allies see as judicial overreach.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Critics, Steven Scheer, William Maclean, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Netanyahu's, Israel's Ben, Washington, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Israel's Ben Gurion

☆ Videos capture intense Israeli combat operations during an assault on a West Bank city targeting militant safe havens
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Israeli forces launched a major "counterterrorism" operation in the occupied West Bank on Monday. Israeli military armoured vehicles advance on a road during an operation in Jenin city in the occupied West Bank, on July 3, 2023. Palestinian armed militants take up position during a confrontation with Israeli army in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on July 3, 2023. Palestinians react back to Israeli forces who killed at least 9 and injured 50 Palestinians in Jenin, West Bank. "The operation comes after months of growing tension that once again reminds us of the extremely volatile & unpredictable situation across the occupied West Bank.

Persons: —, RONALDO SCHEMIDT, Richard Hecht, JAAFAR ASHTIYEH, Michael Herzog, Yair Lapid, Issam Rimawi, Wennesland Organizations: West Bank, UN, Service, West, Israel Defense Forces, Jenin Brigade, IDF, Getty Images, Islamic, Getty, United Nations, Palestinian Authority, Anadolu Agency, Twitter Locations: Israel, West Bank, Jenin, AFP, Israel's, Iran, Palestinian, Jordan, Egypt, West

☆ Israel reboots fiercely opposed judicial campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows protesters holding banners as they demonstrate against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Oren AlonJERUSALEM, June 25 (Reuters) - Israeli lawmakers on Sunday began debating a bill that would limit the Supreme Court's powers, rebooting a fiercely opposed judicial overhaul instigated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition. Anti-government demonstrations had prompted Netanyahu to suspend his judicial drive in March to allow compromise talks with opposition parties. The proposed judicial overhaul has also stirred Western concern over Israel's democratic health and spooked investors. Reporting by Maayan Lubell Additional reporting by Dan Williams Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Oren Alon JERUSALEM, rebooting, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Gilad Kariv, Yair Lapid, Maayan Lubell, Dan Williams, David Goodman Organizations: Israeli, REUTERS, Sunday, Coalition, Twitter, reining, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel

☆ Netanyahu seeks 'active steps' on Israel judicial overhaul this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, June 18 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would pursue "active steps" on a contested judicial overhaul this week after what he described as months of wasteful compromise talks with the political opposition. The proposed legislation set off unprecedented street protests, with critics of Netanyahu - who is on trial on corruption charges he denies - accusing him of trying to curb judicial independence. "We gave a month and then another month and then another month - three months. "Most of Israeli society understands that there need to be changes in the judicial system," he said. "That's why we will meet this week and commence with active steps ... in a measured way commensurate with the mandate we were given."

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Lapid, Dan Williams, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Thomson Locations: Israel

Morocco considers Western Sahara its own, but the Algeria-backed Polisario front demands an independent state there. The NSC's head, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, met Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita on Wednesday, Morocco's foreign ministry said without offering further details. At that meeting, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said: "I hope we will meet very soon in a different desert but with the same spirit." Moroccan media reported a possible plan to reconvene in the Western Sahara town of Dakhla. Holding it in coastal Dakhla could pose a challenge for Washington, which has never followed through on Trump's pledge to open a U.S. consulate in Western Sahara.

Persons: Yair Lapid inaugurates, Moroccan Foreign Ministry Mohcine, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Donald Trump, Tzachi Hanegbi, Nasser Bourita, Eli Cohen, Israel's, Abraham, Dan Williams, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Christina Fincher, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Moroccan Foreign Ministry, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, REUTERS, Wednesday, Western, Reuters, National Security Council, National Security, Israeli, Abraham Accords, Moroccan, Washington, Thomson Locations: Rabat, Morocco, REUTERS JERUSALEM, RABAT, Sahara, Western Sahara, Algeria, Polisario, Israel, statecraft, Moroccan, Spain, NEGEV, Abraham, Dakhla, U.S, Laayoune, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain

An official in Netanyahu's office played down concerns, saying: "The prime minister along with the finance minister intend to pass a responsible budget in the coming weeks that will serve all Israelis. "The finance clerks don't understand Haredim," ultra-Orthodox lawmaker Yizhak Pindrus told Kan radio. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the funds would fix years of injustice toward the Haredim, whose children often are packed into derelict classrooms. Government figures already forecast Israel's economic growth will ease in 2023 from 6.5% in 2022 to about 2.7% and down from the 3% forecast in January. "Netanyahu has sold Israel's economy and our children's future in order to stay in power," said opposition leader Yair Lapid.

☆ EU in Israel cancels Europe Day event over far-right minister's participation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, May 8 (Reuters) - The European Union delegation in Israel on Monday cancelled its Europe Day diplomatic reception over the planned participation of far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who criticised the decision as a form of "undiplomatic silencing". Brussels marks May 9 as "Europe Day", honouring a 1950 French declaration that led to the founding of the body that became the EU. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir was set to represent the Israeli government at this year's event. "It is a shame that the European Union, which claims to represent the values of democracy and multiculturalism, is engaging in undiplomatic silencing," Ben-Gvir said in a statement. (This story has been refiled to say 'undiplomatic silencing,' not 'undemocratic silencing,' in paragraph 1)Writing by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Ari RabinovitchOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israel says it is discussing possible direct Haj flights to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Netanyahu's centrist predecessor, Yair Lapid, said on March 10 that, as prime minister last year, he secured Saudi consent for what would be the first direct Haj flights from Israel, some 18% of whose population are Muslim. Asked whether the direct flights would happen for next month's pilgrimage to the holy Saudi city of Mecca, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said a request had been submitted. "But with that, I am optimistic that we can advance peace with Saudi Arabia." The Biden administration last June predicted there would be direct charter flights from Israel to Saudi Arabia for the Haj. Saudi Arabia has been allowing Israeli airlines to overfly it to UAE and Bahrain since 2020, a corridor that it and next-door Oman have since expanded to include other destinations.

☆ Political Chaos Unsettles Israel as It Looks to Honor the Fallen and Its Independence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Every Memorial Day, thousands of families who have lost brothers, sisters and siblings to Israel’s endless wars and terrorist attacks gather to remember the dead, a commemoration that was to have been followed this year by a jubilant celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the country. But Israel is deeply divided as never before, and what should have been a time of national contemplation and celebration is being overshadowed by protests and political chaos, which have rived the country for the past few months. The minister overseeing the televised state ceremony for the country’s 75th Independence Day celebration, which will be marked from sundown Tuesday until sundown Wednesday, has instructed the event’s director to cut from a live broadcast to a prerecorded dress rehearsal in the event of a disruption by protesters. Yair Lapid, the leader of the parliamentary opposition, has announced that he will not attend. And bereaved families are pleading for politicians to forgo the usual speeches that they deliver on Memorial Day at military cemeteries across the country, fearing angry outbursts at a time when Israelis are supposed to unite in honoring the dead.

JERUSALEM, March 29 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Wednesday that he would find compromise with the political opposition over his judicial overhaul after the contested reforms drew a strong reproach from U.S. President Joe Biden. Separately, Netanyahu predicted on Wednesday that Israel would join the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme in September after passing legislation required by Washington. The national guard was launched last year under former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. "We don't trust the government and certainly not the prime minister and his gang," said 75-year-old retiree Chanoch Lipperman in Tel Aviv. But Biden, when asked by a reporter if he would be inviting Netanyahu, replied: "No, not in the near term."

☆ Israel's Netanyahu buys time, but is still in a fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Angus Mcdowall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It shows the dilemma facing Israel's longest-serving prime minister, who managed a comeback last year, brushing aside an ongoing corruption scandal and the political obituaries written after his last coalition collapsed in 2020. Announcing the delay of the judicial law on television, Netanyahu cited the wisdom of Solomon to say he would extend a hand for dialogue. With polls showing his coalition would lose any new election, Netanyahu can meanwhile count on little goodwill from old foes and former allies still sore from previous encounters. Netanyahu describes the cases as politically motivated, denies wrongdoing and says they are not linked to his judicial reforms. His coalition partners include hard-right supporters of Jewish settlers, who have dismayed Israel's foreign allies with harsh statements about Palestinians.

☆ Netanyahu fires defense minister for urging halt to overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seen during the the 2016 Genesis Prize award-ceremony in Jerusalem, June 23, 2016. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister on Sunday, a day after he called on the Israeli leader to halt a planned judicial overhaul that has fiercely divided the country and prompted growing discontent within the ranks of the military. "The prime minister of Israel is a threat to the security of the state of Israel," Lapid wrote on Twitter. "The prime minister will be forced to bow his head before the law and comply with the provisions of the law." The prime minister responded saying the appeal should be dismissed and said that the Supreme Court didn't have grounds to intervene.

☆ Israeli defence minister calls for halt to judicial overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, March 25 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday called on the government to halt legislation on changes to the judiciary, saying the bitter dispute over the measures poses a danger to national security. Far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Netanyahu to fire Gallant, who he said had caved to opposition pressure. Israeli media said around 200,000 Israelis rallied against the plan in Tel Aviv on Saturday, with tens of thousands more across the country. I will do everything in my power, to prevent my country from becoming one," said Tel Aviv protester Janna Gur, 64. Additional reporting by Rami Amichay in Tel Aviv; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israel president says judicial compromise "closer", markets jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday said a compromise over the government's plans to overhaul the judicial system, which has led to mass protests, is "closer than ever", sending financial markets sharply higher. There are agreements behind the scenes on most things," Herzog said in a statement, without giving details. The judicial overhaul plan, which has already received initial parliamentry approval, would give the government greater sway on selecting judges and limit the power of the Supreme Court to strike down legislation. Proponents say the changes are needed to curb what they deem an activist judiciary that interferes in politics. But analysts said optimism over a compromise sent the shekel up 2% on Monday to 3.59 per dollar - its strongest level since Feb. 21.

☆ Israel president says judicial compromise 'closer' as protests escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday said a compromise in the government's judicial overhaul plan could be imminent even as protests against the reform continued to spread. In a statement late on Monday, Netanyahu criticised the threats to refuse military service, which he said endangered Israel's existence. "There is room for protest, there is room for disagreements, for expressing opinions, but there is no room for refusal." Herzog last month floated a compromise plan to spare the country what he described as a "constitutional collapse". The judicial overhaul plan, which has already received initial parliamentary approval, would give the government greater sway on selecting judges and limit the power of the Supreme Court to strike down legislation.

☆ Protesters "fight for Israel's soul" as parliament readies judicial overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Polls have found that most Israelis want the reforms slowed to allow for dialogue with critics - or shelved altogether. Ahead of the afternoon reading, protesters posted online videos of themselves trying to prevent lawmakers from Netanyahu's coalition leaving for the Knesset. "Demonstrators who talk about democracy are themselves bringing about the end of democracy when they deny elected delegates the fundamental right in a democracy - to vote," Netanyahu said in a statement. Opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted that demonstrations would mount "in the fight for the soul of the nation". Israel's head of state, President Isaac Herzog, has repeatedly urged the government and opposition to hold compromise talks.

☆ Tens of thousands of Israelis protest against justice reform plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms to reduce powers of the Supreme Court in Tel Aviv, Israel February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Israelis braved heavy rain on Saturday for a fifth week of protests against judicial reform plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government that critics say threaten democratic checks on ministers by the courts. "I'm here tonight protesting against the transition of Israel from a democracy to an autocracy," Dov Levenglick, 48, a software engineer told Reuters in Tel Aviv. Opposition leader Yair Lapid joined demonstrations in the coastal city of Haifa, where he said protesters "came to save their country, and we came to protest with them." Reporting by Emily Rose Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Start-up and VC fund to move funds out of Israel over judicial plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Jan 26 (Reuters) - An Israeli venture capital fund and a local startup are moving their bank accounts out of Israel, they said on Thursday, as opposition mounts against government plans to overhaul the country's judicial system. This is a painful but necessary business step," said Guez, a vocal critic of the government's judicial plans. Barnoach told the Calcalist financial daily that the reforms are like a "legal coup" that could lead to economic instability. He said his foreign investors are worried and they may not continue to invest in Israel if the reforms pass. An S&P Global Ratings analyst this month told Reuters that Israel's judicial reforms plan could pressure the country's sovereign credit rating.

☆ Netanyahu fires key cabinet ally amid nationwide protests over judicial reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired a key Cabinet ally on Sunday, heeding a Supreme Court ruling commanding him to do so and deepening a rift over the power of the courts. Netanyahu announced he was firing Aryeh Deri, who serves as Interior and Health Minister, at a meeting of his Cabinet. Israel’s Supreme Court decided last week Deri could not serve as a Cabinet minister because of a conviction last year over tax offenses. The court ruling came as Israel is mired in a dispute over the power of the judiciary. Netanyahu’s far-right government wants to weaken the Supreme Court, limit judicial oversight and grant more power to politicians.

☆ Israel's Herzog tries to prevent 'constitutional crisis' over judicial reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Lightning strikes as Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms to reduce powers of the Supreme Court in a main square in Tel Aviv, Israel January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Israel's president warned on Sunday that the country faced an "historic constitutional crisis" over a contested judicial reform plan, and said he was mediating between the relevant parties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now in his sixth term, wants to rein in the Supreme Court, which members of his religious-nationalist coalition accuse of overreach and elitism. This conflict worries me deeply, as it worries many across Israel and the (Jewish) Diaspora," President Isaac Herzog said in a statement. Judicial reforms, he said, had been sought by previous governments of various political stripes "and no one then thought about talking about an end to democracy".

☆ Netanyahu government unveils plan to rein in Israel's top court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new hard-right Israeli government unveiled a plan on Wednesday that would allow parliament to overturn some Supreme Court rulings and grant the government more say in nominations to the bench. Israelis opposed to the measures defend the court as a bulwark for minority rights and a separation of synagogue and state. Netanyahu, who returned to power after winning a Nov. 1 election, is on trial for corruption on charges he denies. On Thursday, the Supreme Court is due to hear appeals against the appointment of ultra-Orthodox Jewish politician Aryeh Deri as cabinet minister despite his having been convicted of tax fraud. Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would fight against the proposed measures and "cancel them when we return to power."

☆ U.N. asks World Court to give opinion on Israel's occupation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ammar AwadUNITED NATIONS, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The 193-member United Nations General Assembly on Friday asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem - areas the Palestinians want for a state - in a 1967 war. The Hague-based ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the top U.N. court dealing with disputes between states. The request for a court opinion on Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories was made in a resolution adopted by the General Assembly with 87 votes in favor. Any decision from a judicial body which receives its mandate from the morally bankrupt and politicized U.N. is completely illegitimate," Israel's U.N.

☆ Netanyahu seals dramatic comeback as he is sworn in as Israel prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The plans have sparked an unprecedented uproar from across Israeli society, including the military, LGBTQ rights groups, the business community and others. Netanyahu is the country’s longest serving prime minister, having held office from 2009 until 2021 and a stint in the 1990s. Netanyahu’s previous administrations have been strong proponents of Israel’s West Bank settlement enterprise, and that is only expected to be kicked into overdrive under the new government. Most of the international community considers Israel’s West Bank settlements illegal and an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu has tried to allay those concerns by pledging no harm to LGBTQ rights.

☆ New Israel finance minister says to keep free-market policies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Incoming Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would pursue a broad free-market policy on Wednesday, an apparent effort to allay fears he would be guided by Jewish biblical principles. "I will pursue a broad free-market policy," he wrote. Smotrich said he would be inspired by U.S. right-to-work laws and pursue similar measures to reduce union control in Israel’s labour force. His "traditionalist bloc" in Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition had been "vilified" by U.S. media, he said. The $1.3 trillion fund's executive board this month had decided to exclude Israeli security and analytics software provider Cognyte Software Ltd (CGNT.O) from its portfolio citing human rights concerns.

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