Israel

04 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israel's strategic position has worsened over the past several months due to the judicial overhaul plan proposed by the Premier, warned the Israeli Army Intelligence Directorate's Research Division.

03 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Israeli government yesterday approved the formation of a National Guard under the control of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The cabinet agreed to a 1.5 per cent cut in the budgets of all ministries in order to fund Ben-Gvir's National Guard. This would provide around 1 billion shekels ($278 million) to Ben-Gvir.

Hebrew media reported several ministers in the cabinet expressing opposition to the 1.5 per cent cut in the budgets.

03 Apr 2023; MEMO: A former police chief in Israel warned on Saturday that the "National Guard" unit to be formed and run by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir could be used to carry out a coup against the government. Moshe Karadi led Israel's police service between 2004 and 2007. Ben-Gvir "will use [the unit] against him one day," he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

03 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Israeli government will push ahead with the proposed judicial overhaul immediately after the upcoming Passover holiday, Transportation Minister Miri Regev said on Sunday.

03 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israeli Air Force chief, Tomer Bar, threatened to fire reservist pilots refusing to join training or service amid a rift over controversial judicial overhaul plans, according to Israeli media on Monday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Bar was quoted by Israeli Channel 12 as saying that reservist pilots not showing up for duty will be met with sanctions and possibly being removed from operational activity.

03 Apr 2023; MEMO: A human rights group has termed Israel's National Guard as an armed militia designed for fighting Palestinians, calling for its abolition, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In a statement, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (ADALA) said it has sent an urgent letter to the government's judicial adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir demanding the abolition of the so-called National Guard.

03 Apr 2023; MEMO: Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will visit Israeli troops together with Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, on Monday, an aide said, signalling a possible reconciliation after Netanyahu announced Gallant's ouster last week without following through, Reuters reports.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli troops in an army raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the latest in a year-long spike of violence that shows no sign of abating.

The Israeli military said that troops arrested two people suspected of assisting a gunman who shot two soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara last month. The army said its soldiers came under fire during the raid and shot back, confirming “hits.”

02 Apr 2023; MEMO: Protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul showed no sign of abating on Saturday, despite its suspension by the embattled premier this week, as tens of thousands took to the streets to demand it be scrapped entirely, Reuters reports.

JERUSALEM, Apr 2 (NNN-MA’AN) – Tens of thousands of Israelis resumed demonstrations in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, last night, calling for a complete cancelation of the government’s judicial overhaul plan, according to local media.

The Times of Israel, citing the estimation of Channel 12, reported that some 160,000 people were demonstrating in the major Israeli city. Demonstrations were also held in several other cities.