Israel

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Wednesday recent quality tests indicated an “apparent irregularity” in the production process of a part installed in some of its converted Boeing Co (BA.N) 737 freighter aircraft.

It has therefore recommended that operators of the 47 aircraft not fly them until it receives the results of a review later in the day by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) of a proposed interim fix.

10 Dec 2019; MEMO: Israeli authorities have denied Turkish singer Gizem Coskun entry into the occupied city of East Jerusalem, Turkey’s Yunus Emre Institute said today, Anadolu Agency reports.

The female singer was planned to attend a Palestinian cultural ceremony in the city later Tuesday.

“We apologize for cancelling the show due to circumstances out of our hands,” the cultural institute said on Twitter.

06 Dec 2019; MEMO: The director of Israel’s Central Elections Committee yesterday warned that it is unprepared for a likely third vote in less than a year, reported the Times of Israel.

“We don’t have staff, offices, equipment. The storerooms are empty. This is the current situation,” Orly Adas said during a press conference at the Knesset.

04 Dec 2019; MEMO: Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Ashkelon Prison announced on Tuesday their intention to go on an open-ended hunger strike in protest against escalating repressive measures by the prison administration.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said 33 prisoners will go on an open-ended hunger strike from Wednesday.

According to the Club, the prison administration has carried out a new repressive measure against the prisoners by transferring ten of them from the prison.

03 Dec 2019; MEMO: Israel’s Blue and White party has stopped its campaign to gather sufficient signatures from Knesset members to enable its leader, Benny Gantz, to form a government, Israel Radio reported.

The station said the party has left the scene open for Likud, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to form a coalition government, however the latter’s chances are also slim.

03 Dec 2019; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a visit to London during the two-day NATO summit which starts today, Israeli media reported yesterday.

Quds Press reported Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth saying that the trip was cancelled after Netanyahu was informed that London would have not be able to afford private security for him.

JERUSALEM, Dec 3 (NNN-MA’AN) — An indictment, charging Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with corruption, was officially submitted on Monday.

Israeli Attorney General, Avihai Mendelblit, publicly released the indictment, allowing a period of 30 days, during which the long-time leader may request parliament to grant him immunity from standing trial.

The 77-page indictment, charges Netanyahu with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, in three separate corruption scandals.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tel Aviv has taken a major step to cement its status as Israel’s secular mecca, launching public transportation services on the Jewish sabbath and redrawing the lines in the country’s culture wars between religious and secular citizens.

27 Nov 2019; MEMO: Several thousand Israelis rallied on Tuesday in support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he faces the gravest threat to his political survival after corruption charges and two failed elections, reports Reuters.

Held under the banner “Stop the Coup”, the protest failed to draw the huge crowds its organisers – members of Netanyahu’s Likud party – had hoped to attract and only a handful of the faction’s senior lawmakers and cabinet ministers attended.

27 Nov 2019; MEMO: Head of Yisrael Beiteinu party Avigdor Lieberman stressed on Monday that he would reject holding a Knesset committee meeting to discuss providing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immunity, Quds Press reported.