Israel

23 July 2023; MEMO: Tens of thousands of Israelis protested across the country on Saturday ahead of a vote on the bill that would limit the Supreme Court from using the standard of "reasonableness" to strike down government decisions, Anadolu reports.

A contentious judicial overhaul plan spearheaded by Prime Minister Netanyahu has sparked 29 weeks of mass protests. The overhaul also calls for changing the way judges are selected.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was recovering in a hospital on Sunday after an emergency heart procedure, while opposition to his government’s contentious judicial overhaul plan reached a fever pitch and unrest gripped the country.

20 July 2023; MEMO: Former head of Israel's domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, on Thursday warned the country is on the brink of civil war due to mass protests against the government's judicial overhaul plan, Anadolu Agency reports.

"I have to say, I am afraid that we are on the brink of civil war," Nadav Argaman told Israeli Army Radio.

Shin Bet is the internal intelligence service in Israel, which is also responsible for arresting and interrogating Palestinians.

21 July 2023; MEMO: The global scandal around the targeting of hundreds of journalists and activists around the world using Israeli spyware technology, Pegasus, will become the subject of an inquiry, Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced yesterday. The 54-year-old has announced the formation of a commission to look into the scandal. He has appointed former district judge, Moshe Drori, to lead the probe.

21 July 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will travel to Turkiye on 28 July to hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both leaders' offices said late Thursday, Al Jazeera reports.

According to the report, Netanyahu will be received a few days after Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, who is expected on 25 July, the Turkish presidency said.

22 July 2023; MEMO: Following a letter penned to the Knesset by 1,142 Israeli Air Force reservists declaring suspension of their military service, Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant confirmed that he is trying to delay the reform, Israeli media reported on Friday.

HEMED, Israel, July 22 (Reuters) - Thousands of Israelis opposed to a judicial overhaul planned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marched into Jerusalem on Saturday, as pressure mounts on his rightist government to scrap a bill that would curtail the Supreme Court's powers.

Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition says the bill, which parliament is scheduled to vote on by Monday, is needed to balance out the branches of power because the Court has become too interventionist.

20 July 2023; MEMO: The Israeli government could rethink its polarising drive to overhaul the judiciary if there is a major escalation in protests, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday, in a signal of pliability as Washington tries to close ranks with its ally, Reuters reports.

20 July 2023; MEMO: Around 300 Israeli army reservists announced on Wednesday that they are suspending their voluntary service as doctors in protest against the judicial overhaul being pushed through by the far-right government coalition. The announcement came a day after 161 air force reservists said that they would no longer turn up for voluntary duty.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli protesters blocked highways and gathered outside Tel Aviv’s stock exchange and military headquarters on Tuesday in the latest countrywide demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul.

The latest “day of disruption” came as longtime allies of the prime minister pushed a contentious piece of legislation through a parliamentary committee ahead of a vote expected next week.