Activists in Israel’s social protest movement are reacting with anger after parliament passed a controversial bill Wednesday that opens the way for national committees that would approve future housing projects. Demonstrators blocked intersections in cities across Israel after the vote, from the commercial capital of Tel Aviv to Be’er Sheva in the south and Kiryat […]
Protesters Block Traffic Across Israel After Controversial Housing Vote
US, Israel Push to Avert Palestinian UN Bid
U.S. and Israeli officials say their two countries are working to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians in a last-minute attempt to break the impasse in talks and avoid a diplomatic showdown at the United Nations next month. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Tuesday the United States is “working hard with both parties to […]
Officials: Israeli PM Ready to Negotiate Borders
Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to negotiate the borders of a future Palestinian state using the 1967 cease-fire line that delineates the West Bank as a starting point for talks. Sources in the prime minister’s office revealed the dramatic policy shift to Israeli media outlets late Monday. They said that in […]
Israel to Extradite Bosnian Serb Accused of War Crimes
A court in Jerusalem has approved the extradition of an Israeli citizen to Bosnia-Herzegovina to answer charges that he committed acts of genocide during the 1992-to-1995 Balkans conflict. The court ruled Monday that Aleksandar Cvetkovic could be sent for trial to a war crimes court in Sarajevo. He is a Bosnian Serb who was granted […]
Israeli, Lebanese Forces Exchange Gunfire Along Border
Israeli and Lebanese troops have exchanged gunfire along their tense border, and officials from both sides are blaming the other for the clash. Lebanon says the shooting Monday happened after Israeli soldiers crossed into Lebanese territory, but Israel says its troops came under fire while working along the Israeli side of the border. Both sides […]
Israeli Troops Kill 2 Palestinians in West Bank
Palestinian officials say Israeli troops have killed two Palestinian men during clashes at a refugee camp in the West Bank. The officials said the the soldiers shot the men Monday at the Qalandiya camp after clashes that included young men throwing stones at the troops. The Israeli military said it was carrying out an arrest […]
Israeli PM Offers Talks on Economy; Finance Official Resigns
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is offering steps to deal with the economic situation in Israel, one day after the largest turnout for protests demanding the government do something about the rising cost of living. Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday said he was setting up a committee to open talks with protesters. He told his Cabinet […]
Israelis Protest Cost of Living
Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in cities nationwide to protest the rising cost of living. Thousands thronged the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other major cities Saturday demanding relief from the high cost of food, fuel and housing. The high prices have created a widening gap between rich and […]
Israel, Palestinians Clash Over UN Recognition
Israeli and Palestinian envoys have squared off at the United Nations Security Council over plans to seek U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state in September. The Palestinian U.N. observer, Riyad Mansour, said Tuesday that seeking recognition would not hurt the peace process and would instead strengthen efforts to achieve a two-state solution. He said his […]
Israeli Orchestra Gives Unprecedented Wagner Performance in Germany
An Israeli orchestra visiting Germany has given an unprecedented performance of a piece by Richard Wagner, a 19th-century composer whose music was used in Nazi propaganda before and during World War Two. The Israel Chamber Orchestra performed Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” on Tuesday, at the end of a two-hour concert in the southeastern German town of […]