Latest News And Analysis
In Brief: Coalition-building begins after election
Almost two weeks after Israel’s fourth general election in two years, President Reuven Rivlin gave Benjamin Netanyahu the first opportunity to form a government on Monday. He said he did so reluctantly, with “moral and ethical” reservations over the fact that Netanyahu is on trial for corruption. Rivlin’s announcement came after consultations with party leaders[…]
In Brief: Evidence heard in Netanyahu trial
After much delay, Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust began on Monday. Ilan Yeshua, former chief executive of internet news site Walla, told the Jerusalem court that his boss feared that news stories angering Netanyahu would harm his chances of receiving regulatory relief. Netanyahu is charged with bribery for having[…]
In Brief: Hope for Iran nuclear deal in Vienna
The Biden administration has agreed to join talks in Vienna aimed at resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal, which the Trump administration left in 2018. The remaining signatories – China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK – now need to find routes both for the US to lift sanctions imposed on Iran under Trump, and for[…]
Analysis: Jordan rocked by royal family feuding
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan experienced an uncharacteristic episode of instability over the weekend, as a public rift between King Abdullah II and his younger half-brother, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, became public. What happened In videos passed to the BBC on Saturday, Prince Hamzah claimed to have been placed “under house arrest” as part of a wider[…]
In Brief: Internationally led vaccine progress in the Palestinian Territories
The rollout of covid-19 vaccinations in the West Bank and Gaza received a boost on Monday as the Palestinian Authority received 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from the Chinese government. The elderly, frontline medical staff and at-risk groups will be proritised, the PA says. This brings the PA’s total received doses to 153,000 –[…]
In Brief: Labour and Conservative Friends chairs call for international peace fund
Labour Friends of Israel chair Steve McCabe and Conservative Friends of Israel chair Stephen Crabb have written a joint op-ed in today’s Times Red Box, calling on the government to “seize the moment” at the G7 summit in Cornwall later this year by committing to an international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The campaign, led by[…]
In Brief: Post-election coalition building ongoing as fifth election looms
A week after Israel’s fourth election in two years, negotiations to build a coalition government have begun. Of the 13 parties represented in the new Knesset, all have previously ruled out coalitions with at least one other party. Should all keep their promises, it will be impossible for a government to be formed – and[…]
Analysis: Iran and China seal $400bn economic and military pact
Iran and China signed a major 25-year economic and military partnership agreement at the weekend which could boost the Islamic republic’s sanctions-wracked economy by $400bn. The move comes as Tehran continues to resist efforts by the Biden administration to revive the 2015 nuclear deal which Donald Trump withdrew from three years ago. What happened The[…]
In Brief: Vaccination progress in Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Israel’s success in rolling out covid-19 vaccinations has continued this week, with more than 100,000 West Bank Palestinians who work in Israel receiving their first dose so far in March. All Palestinians in East Jerusalem are likewise entitled to be vaccinated by Israel, while a further 2,000 vaccine doses have thus far been donated to[…]
In Brief: Keir Starmer holds call with Israeli Labor leader Merav Michaeli
UK Labour leader Keir Starmer held a phone call with Merav Michaeli, leader of Israel’s Labor Party, last weekend. Days before Israelis went to the polls for the fourth time in two years, Starmer wished Michaeli – elected to lead Labour in January 2021 – luck in the upcoming elections. Michaeli tweeted a photo of[…]
In Brief: No clear lead in polling ahead of May Palestinian elections
The unclear results of Israel’s general election this week appear to be mirrored within the Palestinian Authority, according to polling conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research. Should elections go ahead in May, the polling found that both Fatah, the party of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, and its rival, terror group Hamas,[…]
Analysis: Netanyahu faces further post-election deadlock
Benjamin Netanyahu’s future as prime minister hangs in the balance after Israeli voters delivered another deadlocked election this week. Analysts predict that the country may be returning to the polls – for the fifth time since April 2019 – later this summer. What happened Overall, 57 percent of Israelis voted for parties which didn’t support[…]
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Our weekly update looking at the Middle East peace process, regional developments, domestic Israeli and Palestinian affairs and primary issues affecting UK policy on Israel
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