The Israeli cabinet is to consider a raft of new restrictions to dampen the country’s sharp rise in covid-19 cases. The meeting comes just days after Israel became the first country in the world to impose a second national lockdown. As the three-week lockdown – which has seen schools and Read more…
Amnesty International described Iran’s execution of wrestler Navid Afkari as a “travesty of justice”. The 27-year-old was sentenced to death over a security guard murder that occurred during a 2018 wave of anti-government protests. Afkari alleged his confession was secured by torture, stating in audio released by the human rights Read more…
The Knesset’s coronavirus cabinet has agreed to a three-week national lockdown in Israel as cases continue to spike. The decision came ahead of the Jewish high holy days while Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya is said to be overwhelmed and turning away new covid-19 patients. On Sunday, Haredi Minister Yaakov Read more…
In the third announcement of its kind in as many weeks, the Israeli and Bahraini Governments announced the normalising of relations. This follows a similar agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and two Balkan states. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu traveled to Washington DC for a four day trip Read more…
Last Saturday, about 20,000 protesters gathered outside Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem. With parallel gatherings held outside Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea and at over 300 bridges and major intersections nationwide, the demonstrations are in their eleventh consecutive week. Activists are calling on the prime minister to resign Read more…
Having originally refused to recognise the independence of Kosovo, Israel has struck another deal of diplomatic firsts. The Jewish state is to recognise Kosovo, which will open an embassy in Jerusalem – the first Muslim country to do so. Its neighbour Serbia will move its embassy to Jerusalem by July Read more…
The Hezbollah-run Al-Manar TV announced on Sunday that leaders of Hezbollah and the Hamas met to discuss the consequences of diplomatic normalisation between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting comes on the back of US President Donald Trump announcing Israel and the UAE agreeing to normalise relations, Read more…
Having hailed victory over coronavirus back in May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now embarrassed and appearing indecisive over his response to the second wave hitting the Jewish state. Israel operates a four part traffic light system based on the number of new patients per 10,000 residents, ‘red’ being Read more…
In a potentially significant development, a rapid Israeli COVID-19 breath test successfully completed clinical trials, according to a newly peer-reviewed study. The device uses nanotechnology to identify compounds from the lung that are present in the breath of coronavirus patients, and is being developed by Prof. Hossam Haick of the Technion-Israel Institute of Read more…
Hamas, the Gaza-based terror group, announced on Monday night that they had agreed a ceasefire with Israel. Shortly after Hamas’s statement, Israel’s military liaison to the Palestinians tacitly confirmed the agreement, saying it would reopen the border crossing, including to fuel deliveries, as well as the Gaza fishing zone to the Read more…
The United Arab Emirates is to become only the third Arab state – following Egypt and Jordan – to agree to the full normalisation of relations with Israel. The surprise, but historic, announcement of the move last month will have an important impact on the Jewish state’s efforts to Read more…
Israel saw the deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic this week, as ministers prepared to meet today to consider a relaxation of some weekend restrictions. On Tuesday, the Health Ministry announced that 15 people died on Monday, the highest single-day death toll since the pandemic began. Three more deaths Wednesday morning Read more…