Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel named a new chief of the domestic intelligence service on Monday, moving his government closer to a showdown with the Supreme Court, which temporarily suspended the dismissal of the current spy chief earlier this month. Mr. Netanyahu’s office announced that Eli Sharvit, a former head of the Navy, would … Read more
Israel and Hamas both signaled over the weekend that efforts for a renewed cease-fire in Gaza were underway, less than two weeks after the breakdown of a temporary truce and the resumption of Israel’s air and ground campaign against the militant group in the enclave. Hamas said on Saturday that it had accepted a proposal … Read more
When President Joseph R. Biden Jr. convened democracy summits at the White House in 2021 and 2023, he pointedly disinvited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a man he had once described an “autocrat” who deserved to be driven from office by voters. On Tuesday, President Trump offered a much rosier assessment of the Turkish … Read more
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition enacted legislation on Thursday morning that handed politicians more control over picking judges, part of a contentious effort to overhaul the Israeli judiciary that roiled the country before the war with Hamas. Israel’s 120-seat Parliament, known as the Knesset, passed two laws after an hourslong overnight debate in a vote … Read more
A spending plan approved by Israel’s Parliament hands Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a big political victory and devotes a significant chunk to military spending, signaling that Israel expects to stay on a war footing for the longer term. The $206 billion budget was approved on Tuesday with broad enough support — 66 votes to 52 … Read more
Eighteen months ago, in the aftermath of Hamas’s attack on Israel, Israelis suspended their internal conflicts to form a united military front against a shared external threat. Now, that semblance of common cause has been cast aside. Beyond its borders, Israel has resumed fighting on four fronts — in Gaza, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank … Read more
The Israeli cabinet passed a no-confidence motion on Sunday against the country’s attorney general to begin the process of dismissing her. Critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move part of his effort to curb the independence of the judiciary and purge officials he considers disloyal. Mr. Netanyahu and his allies have accused the … Read more
If it wasn’t obvious that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel believes he has an ally in his battle against the country’s attorney general, its judges and even the head of its domestic security service, he made it clear on Wednesday evening. “In America and in Israel, when a strong right wing leader wins an … Read more
Hamas fired its first barrage of rockets in months into Israeli territory on Thursday as Israeli troops expanded their ground raids in northern Gaza in what looked increasingly like a slide back into full-scale war. There were no reports of casualties from the rockets, which were fired at Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said they … Read more
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was expected on Thursday to formally fire the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency despite growing street protests over the move. The Israeli cabinet was set to convene for a nighttime vote on the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, just days after Mr. Netanyahu … Read more