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☆ Netanyahu to Biden: Israel does not make decisions based on pressures from abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a meeting at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, amid demonstrations after he dismissed the defence minister as his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Jerusalem, March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File PhotoJERUSALEM, March 29 (Reuters) - Israel is a sovereign country that does not make decisions based on pressures from abroad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday in response to comments by U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden earlier said he hoped Netanyahu would abandon judicial changes that had sparked protests in Israel and a political crisis for its government. "Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends." Reporting by Maayan Lubell Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Netanyahu suspends judicial overhaul after day of Israeli turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a meeting at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, amid demonstrations after he dismissed the defence minister as his nationalist coalition government presses on with its judicial overhaul, in Jerusalem, March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, March 28 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused his signature plan to overhaul Israel's judiciary after a day of nationwide turmoil when workers joined a general strike against the proposal and hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets. His dismissal by Netanyahu led thousands to take to the streets and Israel's President Isaac Herzog to urge a halt. An early rally in Israel's shekel currency fizzled out after Netanyahu suspended the overhaul with its eventual fate uncertain. While opposition parties gave a cautious welcome to Netanyahu's decision to suspend the overhaul to allow time to reach an agreement, many protesters remained mistrustful.

☆ Oil spills and near misses: more ghost tankers ship sanctioned fuel
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunSummary Risk of accidents in focus as 'shadow' fleet growsStirs fears of oil spills, decades after Exxon ValdezHundreds of ships carry oil from sanctioned nationsMany ship certifiers and insurers have pulled servicesLONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - An oil tanker runs aground off eastern China, leaking fuel into the water. Many leading certification providers and engine makers that approve seaworthiness and safety have withdrawn their services from ships carrying oil from sanctioned Iran, Russia and Venezuela, as have a host of insurers, meaning there's less oversight of vessels carrying the flammable cargoes. Reuters was unable to independently verify the numbers regarding the size and growth of the shadow fleet. The U.S. Treasury didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on ships carrying sanctioned oil. SHIP-TO-SHIP TRANSFERSAround 774 tankers out of 2,296 in the overall global crude oil fleet are 15 years old or more, according to data provider VesselsValue.

The new documents, reviewed by Reuters, shed light on the concern among the Finance Ministry's most senior officials, who cited unease among foreign investors and a shekel that has depreciated sharply to a three-year low. "Implementing the proposed judicial reform could bring very significant harm to the economy," said a document from the ministry's chief economist. The ministry's budget department wrote separately that there have been "initial indications" of the development of negative sentiments towards the Israeli economy. Moody's Investor Service said this month that the Israeli government's planned judicial reforms could weaken institutions and negatively impact Israel's sovereign credit profile. The Bank of Israel, which has urged judicial independence, expects economic growth of below 3% in 2023 after a 6.4% spurt last year.

☆ 'Huge uncertainty' for investors and economy as Israel's government pushes for controversial reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands of Israeli protesters rally against Israeli Goverment's judicial overhaul bills in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on February 25, 2023. Gili Yaari | Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesPrime Minister Netanyahu has labeled the protests — which are now approaching their third month — an attempt "to create anarchy" and trigger another election. In short, the proposed judiciary overhaul will severely limit the Israeli Supreme Court's ability to review and strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional. The Knesset — Israel's parliament — voted last week to advance a major part of the reforms. The prime minister himself is currently under investigation on numerous counts of corruption and other charges, meaning he would likely benefit from a weaker judiciary.

☆ Israel and Palestinians agree to deepen ties to avert violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows mobile homes in the Jewish settlement of Givat Haroeh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunAMMAN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Israel and Palestinian officials pledged to work towards reviving efforts to reach a "just and lasting peace" deal at the end of talks in Aqaba, saying on Sunday they would work closely to prevent "further violence". Israel was committed to stop "discussing setting up any new settlement units for four months and stop approving any new settlements for six months", the joint statement said. The statement came at the end of a meeting also attended by U.S., Egyptian and Jordanian officials in the Jordanian city, as concerns mount over an escalation of violence in the run-up to the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that begins in late March. Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ West Bank settlers 'sing and dance' after outpost recognized
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows mobile homes in the Jewish settlement of Givat Haroeh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Drama therapist Yael Drori left bustling Jerusalem 16 years ago to live in an unrecognised outpost in the Israeli occupied West Bank. She moved to the West Bank out of ideology, but what she found was a sense of community. Along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, the Palestinians seek the occupied West Bank for a state. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political links to the West Bank, as well as security interests.

☆ Israeli West Bank settlers 'sing and dance' after outpost recognised
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows mobile homes in the Jewish settlement of Givat Haroeh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Drama therapist Yael Drori left bustling Jerusalem 16 years ago to live in an unrecognised outpost in the Israeli occupied West Bank. As a youth, she was active in the Israeli settler movement supporting new communities in the West Bank and protesting against Israeli disengagement from Jewish communities in Gaza. She moved to the West Bank out of ideology, but what she found was a sense of community. Israel disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political links to the West Bank, as well as security interests.

☆ Analysis: Why public health officials are not panicked about bird flu
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They say the attributes that have made this virus thrive in wild birds likely make it less infectious to people. Although the exact changes required for a bird flu virus to become easily transmissible in people are not known, a pair of landmark studies done a decade ago offer some clues. Mink have both avian and human-type receptors, but avian receptors are scarce in humans and located deep in the lungs. That change is a must if a bird flu virus is to spread easily in people. None of the experts discounted the possibility that H5N1 or another avian flu virus could mutate and spark a pandemic, and many believe the world has not seen its last flu pandemic.

☆ At remote desert outpost, Israeli settlers triumphant despite Western anger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Ronen Zvulun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] An aerial view shows a cluster of mobile homes in Beit Hogla, a settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunBEIT HOGLA SETTLEMENT, West Bank, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Between Jericho and the Dead Sea, Israeli settlers rejoice after the government granted their outpost retroactive approval. Drawing Western concern and Palestinian anger, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government authorised nine settler outposts in the occupied West Bank this week, in response to two Palestinian street attacks in which nine Israelis were killed. Israel disputes the illegality of the settlements and cites Biblical and historical ties to the West Bank, which it calls by its Biblical name - Judea and Samaria. More than 450,000 people, or less than 5% of Israel’s population, are Jewish settlers in the West Bank, home to about 3 million Palestinians who exercise limited self-rule there.

☆ 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.

☆ Israel refills the Sea of Galilee, supplying Jordan on the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Ari Rabinovitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A bay at the Sea of Galilee can be seen in northern Israel, January 23, 2023. The Sea of Galilee, whose waters Christians believe Jesus walked upon, is Israel's main reservoir and a big tourist draw. It feeds the Jordan River that flows south to the Dead Sea. The national water carrier is empty at the moment, undergoing seasonal repairs and upgrades. At one junction in northern Israel, engineers work on a pipe more than large enough for them to stand inside.

Now Israel has normalised relations with more Arab states, while Palestinians have grown more isolated and divided. Most world powers consider Israel's settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. Israel says its West Bank raids targeted militants such as the suspects behind deadly attacks carried out by Palestinians inside Israel last year. "Each area of the West Bank is witnessing some form of armed clashes, but these are not united mass-scale movements," said Tahani Mustafa of the International Crisis Group. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel and the West Bank this week.

[1/2] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on as he convenes a weekly cabinet meeting amid surge of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, January 29, 2023. The blue-chip Tel Aviv 35 index (.TA35) was 1.% lower in afternoon trade, while the broader TA-125 index (.TA125) dipped 1.7%. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declined to comment to Reuters. Critics have said the move will compromise the independence of the judiciary and undermine Israel's democratic system of checks and balances. There was no sign of a large-scale military operation in the works, and Netanyahu said Israel was not seeking an escalation.

☆ Israel Supreme Court tells Netanyahu he must fire minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Interior and Health Minister Aryeh Deri gestures as he sits next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/PoolJERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to remove a senior minister over a past tax fraud conviction, in a setback for the new right-wing coalition government. The 10-to-one ruling on Shas party leader Aryeh Deri looks likely to further stoke tensions between the Cabinet and Israel's Supreme Court over government reform plans which aim to rein in the top court. "Most of the judges have determined that this appointment is extremely unreasonable and thus the prime minister must remove Deri from office," said a court summary of the ruling. Political watchdogs had appealed to the Supreme Court to order Netanyahu to strike down Deri's appointment given his recent conviction as well as past offences.

☆ 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".

☆ Misguided getaway sets off another security alert at Israeli airport
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File PhotoJERUSALEM, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A Palestinian car thief rammed through a checkpoint on the way to Israel's main airport on Sunday, authorities said, setting off a security alert in what they described as the result of poor navigation on his part rather than an attempted attack. Video circulated on social media showed passengers in Ben Gurion Airport's departure terminal crouching alongside their luggage as instructions sounded over loudhailers. Police said the suspect, a Palestinian in Israel illegally from the occupied West Bank, arrived at the airport checkpoint in a stolen car and raced through toward the main terminal. As in previous cases, the suspect was believed to have taken a wrong turn off the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, Israeli officials said. The violence has contributed to the rise of far-rightists likely to play significant roles in the incoming Israeli government.

☆ Israeli far right's Ben-Gvir to be police minister in coalition deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Israeli ultranationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks at the president's residence during consultations on Israel's next government with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem November 10, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative Likud party signed its first coalition deal with Itamar Ben-Gvir's far-right Jewish Power party, Likud said in a statement on Friday. "We took a big step tonight toward a full coalition agreement, toward forming a fully, fully right-wing government," Ben-Gvir said in the statement. Netanyahu's Likud and its religious and far-right allies marked a clear victory in Israel's Nov. 1 election, ending nearly four years of political instability. The incoming government looks to be the most right-wing in Israel's history, forcing Netanyahu into a diplomatic balancing act between his coalition and Western allies.

☆ Twin blasts in Jerusalem wound at least 15
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] A damaged bus is seen following an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem November 23, 2022. Television images showed debris strewn around the scene of the first blast, which was cordoned off by emergency services. A spokesman for the Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the apparent bombings but stopped short of claiming responsibility. Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said the bombings "resulted from the crimes conducted by the occupation and the settlers". Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Kim Coghill, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twin blasts in Jerusalem kill one in suspected Palestinian attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Maayan Lubell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"There has not been such a coordinated attack in Jerusalem for many years," police spokesman Eli Levi told Army Radio. [1/6] A damaged bus is seen following an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem November 23, 2022. In Gaza, a spokesman for Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the Jerusalem explosions but stopped short of claiming responsibility. The coordinated blasts appeared to be a step up from a string of mostly Palestinian lone-wolf stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks this year. But families of slain Palestinian militants whose remains are in Israeli custody called for an exchange of corpses.

☆ Tapped to head new hard-right government, Netanyahu pledges Israeli unity
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunJERUSALEM, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an official mandate on Sunday to form a new government and pledged that he would seek national consensus after an election in which Jewish far-rightists surged, drawing concern at home and abroad. Tasking Netanyahu with building the next coalition, President Isaac Herzog noted that Israel's longest-serving premier had received enough recommendations from like-minded parties to secure 64 of parliament's 120 seats. Dismissing what he called "fear-mongering" about the health of Israel's democracy, Netanyahu said the country would continue to be a "beacon" for the region. Herzog noted Netanyahu's trial but said it posed no legal obstacle to him serving as prime minister again. But he looks likely to finalise the talks this week, having launched them semi-formally right after the Nov. 1 election.

☆ Timeline: Israel's election cycle
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The country has been caught in an election cycle since 2019, amid persistent deadlock between former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rivals on the left, right and centre. December 2018 - Netanyahu, veteran leader of the right-wing Likud Party, seemed to be at the peak of his powers, about to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister. April 9, 2019 - Election day, after which Netanyahu - under criminal investigation for corruption - struggles for weeks to put together a coalition and fails. Rather than wait for the opposition to vote them out, the government moves to dissolve parliament, triggering Israel's fifth election since 2019. Whoever is picked, long coalition talks will likely ensue, either delivering a government - or a sixth election.

☆ Israel-South Korea free trade deal to take effect Dec. 1
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIt expects to boost and diversify Israeli exports to South Korea, as well as encourage South Korean investments in the Israeli market. More than 95% of Israeli exports to South Korea will be duty free. Israel recently forged a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates and is negotiating similar deals with China, Vietnam, Bahrain and the United Kingdom. Bilateral trade between Israel and South Korea rose 35% in 2021 to some $3.5 billion. ($1 = 3.5430 shekels)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Steven Scheer, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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