Israel

JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Israelis were stepping up on Thursday their protest against the controversial government plan to overhaul the judiciary, blocking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's route to the airport ahead of an official trip to Italy.

On a nationwide "Day of Resistance," dozens of demonstrations were being held in major cities and crossroads, paralysing traffic in several areas.

From the morning hours, convoys of protestors have been blocking the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport in order to disrupt Netanyahu's departure for an official visit to Rome.

8 Mar 2023; MEMO: Troops from several elite military units in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have joined the protests against the overhaul of the judicial system planned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, local media have reported.

8 Mar 2023; MEMO: Former Israeli spy, Jonathan Pollard, joined calls from far-right lawmakers for Israel to destroy the occupied West Bank village of Huwara.

"It's up to the government right now to re-establish credibility, not only with our own people, but with our enemies as well, and that means unfortunately for some that Huwara must be destroyed," Pollard told the Kan public broadcaster on Sunday...

JERUSALEM, Mar 8 (NNN-WAFA) – At least six more Palestinians were killed in the West Bank yesterday, in an Israeli raid, aimed at arresting a suspect, involved in the killing of two Israeli brothers the previous week, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.

In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that, the Palestinian suspect was killed during the raid in the refugee camp of Jenin in the northern West Bank.

7 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli opposition leaders refused on Monday to hold any talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the judicial overhaul until and unless it is stopped, local media have reported.

JERUSALEM, Mar 7 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel’s former prime minister, Yair Lapid, and former defence minister, Benny Gantz, yesterday urged Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to halt his judicial overhaul plan, which sparked massive protests, and open a dialogue.

“In order to have honest and effective dialogue that will lead to preserving democracy and national unity, Netanyahu must announce a complete, comprehensive, and actual halt to the legislative process,” Lapid and Gantz, leaders of two centrist opposition parties, said.

7 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israel's far-right occupation government approved a bill yesterday which, if it becomes law, will enable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep a large donation that he received from his now-deceased cousin to finance his legal expenses. Despite an objection by the attorney general and watchdogs condemning the move as "political corruption", the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill that will allow public officials to accept donations to cover legal or medical bills.

7 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he has intelligence suggesting that some of the protesters opposed to the government's judicial overhaul are planning to assassinate him, the prime minister or his wife, Israeli media reported.

"Most of them are good people, but among them are those planning the next political murder, who say 'you have to kill Ben-Gvir, Sara Netanyahu, to murder Benjamin Netanyahu,'" the Time of Israel quoted Ben-Gvir as saying.

6 Mar 2023; MEMO: The indices on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange have declined by ten to 15 per cent compared to Stock Exchanges in the United States and Europe, as the Israeli shekel's value continues to decline against the US dollar and the euro.

The decline has prompted the Israeli public as well as companies to withdraw their funds and investment portfolios and transfer them abroad, according to a report published by the Times of Israel news website yesterday.

6 Mar 2023; MEMO: Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset yesterday, warning that he is "leading the State of Israel to a Third Temple destruction."