Israel is facing unprecedented political chaos after Benjamin Netanyahu was formally indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The announcement from attorney general Avichai Mandelblit came less than 24 hours after opposition leader Benny Gantz gave up his efforts to form a government. Both he and Netanyahu Read more…
Mass protests swept Iran over the weekend after the regime abruptly cut fuel subsidies and raised petrol prices. Protests occurred in 100 cities and towns, including Tehran, Shiraz, Tabriz, Kermanshah and Sanandaj. Amnesty International says over 100 people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and baton-wielding security forces. Unofficial reports from Read more…
More than 250 rockets have been launched at Israeli towns and cities by terrorist groups in Gaza over the past two day. The attacks followed an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday morning which targeted and killed the military commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Baha Abu al-Atta, Israel says, was responsible Read more…
LFI’s chair, Louise Ellman, and her predecessor, Joan Ryan, both left the House of Commons this week when parliament was dissolved. Neither will be seeking re-election in the general election on 12 December. Ms Ryan – who will continue to work with LFI in her new role as our honorary Read more…
Hamas security forces arrested dozens of Palestinian activists last week in a bid to prevent anti-government protests similar to those which have rocked Lebanon. The arrests – believed to have targeted left-wing and moderate opponents of Gaza’s Islamist rulers – came as a court in the West Bank ordered the Read more…
LFI chair Dame Louise Ellman has written to the foreign secretary to demand action in response to Hezbollah’s precision missile project, which poses a serious threat to Israel and is in direct violation of UNSCR 1701 that brought an end to the Second Lebanon War. Louise urges Britain to make a Read more…
Israel’s opposition leader, Benny Gantz, will this evening be formally invited to form a government by President Reuven Rivlin. The president made the move after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to assemble a coalition in the required 28 days. Netanyahu did not request a 14-day extension. It is the second time this Read more…
Following Dame Louise Ellman’s decision to resign her membership of the Labour Party, LFI have released the following statement: Jennifer Gerber, director of LFI, said: “Louise Ellman has taken a characteristically brave and principled decision today. It highlights once again the institutional antisemitism which continues to shame the Labour Party Read more…
President Trump’s decision last week to abandon the Kurds and give the green light to Turkey’s invasion of north-eastern Syria has sent shockwaves through the Middle East, including in Israel. Even as the US now apparently scrambles to rein Turkey in, the impact of the president’s actions may be far-reaching. Read more…
“The enemy is on the defensive — we have always been on the defensive, now we are in attack mode,” Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah (pictured), declared last week. Although he has often issued blood-curdling threats against Israel, this was no mere sabre-rattling by the terror group head. As a newly updated Read more…
Benjamin Netanyahu’s decade-long spell in power may be coming to an end. A pre-indictment hearing into charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust levelled against the Israeli prime minister commenced in Jerusalem today, as his attempts to form a government following inconclusive elections last month appeared close to collapse. Read more…
LFI Focus provides a periodic analysis on Israel-Palestine, providing an in-depth view of the issues that affect the region. This edition focuses on the fall-out from Israel’s election in September 2019. You can read it here. To view other editions of LFI Focus, please click here.