A senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group said on Saturday that Gaza-based terrorists have warned Egyptian mediators of a violent response should Israel continue to retaliate against balloon-borne incendiary devices that have burned crops and property in southern Israel. The comments came a month after the Read more…
Israelis are no longer required to wear masks indoors, more than a year after the public was instructed to do so as the coronavirus pandemic began. Health Ministry director-general Professor Chezy Levy signed an amendment to the public health order on Monday evening to abolish the obligation to wear a mask in closed Read more…
Israel’s 36th government was sworn in this week as Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 years in power came to an end. Netanyahu’s departure followed the new “change government” – an ideologically eclectic administration united by its desire to displace the long-serving former prime minister – winning a vital Knesset confidence vote on Sunday Read more…
Some 8,000 people marched, sang and danced through Jerusalem last week as the city marked its first Pride parade since coronavirus restrictions were relaxed. Participants held flags, balloons and banners as they celebrated in a city that has seen some hostility against LGBT+ people in recent years, especially compared with liberal and secular Tel Read more…
Israel’s “change coalition” faces its most critical test in the coming days as the Knesset holds a confidence vote in the new government on Sunday. Success in the vote will bring to an end to Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12 years in office. What happened On Monday, the Knesset speaker, Yariv Levin, formally notified parliament that Read more…
An overwhelming majority of Israelis support the right of same-sex couples to marry or register for civil unions in Israel, a recent survey by Hiddush has found. Some 73 percent of respondents expressed their support for LGBT+ Israelis being able to enjoy the rights and obligations of heterosexual couples. The Read more…
Two months after Israel’s fourth election in two years, a coalition agreement has been reached that would unseat Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years. What happened Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, informed president Rivlin that he was able to form a government with just 35 minutes left of his mandate Read more…
Israel’s health ministry announced on Sunday that it would lift nearly all the remaining coronavirus restrictions from 1 June. Health minister Yuli Edelstein said that the government would not seek to renew regulations requiring businesses and venues to operate under either the Green Pass or Purple Standard systems, which are due to Read more…
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that David Barnea would be the next director of Israel’s Mossad espionage agency. Mr Barnea, 56, is a veteran of the organisation, having been its deputy head for the past two years. Barnea will replace incumbent director Yossi Cohen on 1 July. Netanyahu declared that Barnea’s top task would be Read more…
After eleven days of fighting, an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terror group was announced on Thursday night, and has since held. What happened The ceasefire was announced late in the night of Thursday 20 May, coming into force at 2am on Friday 21. The announcement followed days of speculation around the possibility of Read more…
Labour Friends of Israel chair Steve McCabe MP has written the below article for The House. Click here to read the original. The announcement of a ceasefire will bring a much-needed and welcome respite for the peoples of Israel and Palestine following the horrific violence of the past two weeks. Read more…
Two people have died and 167 injured, give of them seriously, after a stand supporting dozens of worshippers collapsed during a Shavuot celebration on Sunday night. The events took place in Givat Zeev, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank near Jerusalem. The accident occurred at a synagogue that was still under construction, raising further Read more…