Israel

25 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Times of Israel reported that the Anonymous Sudan group claimed responsibility for hacking the website of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad.

The group said in a post on Telegram that "This attack is just a preparatory attack… for the big attack," according to the Israeli news website.

25 Apr 2023; MEMO: Tensions ran high as ceremonies commemorating slain Israeli soldiers and victims of attacks turned into protests on Tuesday, far from the decades-old tradition of Memorial Day unity, Reuters reports.

Despite calls from Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leaders to put disagreements aside, the friction was palpable as bereaved families laid wreaths and lit candles at graves across the country.

25 Apr 2023; MEMO: Following a backlash from American Jewish leaders and the Biden Administration, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office has backtracked from sending far-right Likud MK, May Golan, to New York as Consul-General, Hebrew media reported on Monday.

Golan has a past of incendiary rhetoric, the Hebrew media said, stating that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, himself had recognised that the appointment was not suitable.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel marked its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks on Tuesday against the backdrop of some of the deepest political divisions in its history and soaring tensions with Palestinians.

Memorial Day is one of the most solemn moments on Israel’s national calendar, in honor of its 24,213 war dead and 4,255 attack victims. It is typically a day of national unity but this year, tensions between Israeli supporters and opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government bubbled up.

24 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Israeli government is gripped by a sense of disappointment after the ongoing rapprochement between Iran and several Arab countries, and efforts to set aside disputes in favour of returning relations to normalcy.

24 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to meet with Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when the expected 2024 presidential candidate visits Israel this week, Netanyahu said on CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

DeSantis is traveling abroad to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. The visit to Israel coincides with protests over Netanyahu's plans to tighten controls on the country's Supreme Court.

23 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israel canceled an emergency program offering Russian and Belarusian nationals an expedited path to Israeli citizenship, local media reported on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

The fast-tracked program for immigration to Israel, or Aliyah, will remain open to Ukrainian immigrants, the daily Haaretz said on the decision, which comes nearly 14 months since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February last year.

23 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend the annual conference of the Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) in Tel Aviv over the fear of protest, according to local media, Anadolu reports.

The daily Haaretz reported that Netanyahu will not attend the annual JFNA conference scheduled for April 23-26 for Israel's Independence Day after the country's judicial overhaul protesters called to hold demonstrations during the event.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Orit Pinhasov strongly opposes the Israeli government’s proposed judicial overhaul, but you won’t find her anywhere near the mass protests against the plan. She says her marriage depends on it.

Pinhasov’s husband sits on the opposite side of Israel’s political divide, and joining the protests will only deepen what she says already are palpable tensions in her household.

“I don’t go to the demonstrations not because I don’t believe in them,” she said. “I don’t go in order to protect my home. I feel like I’m fighting for my home.”

20 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Saudi Arabia could regret its rapprochement with Tehran as Iran is the reason for most of the problems in the Middle East, which he believes the US should be more involved in.

In statements made on Wednesday night to CNBC, Netanyahu said that 95 per cent of the Middle East's problems emanate from Iran.