Archive for month: June, 2022

News Update

A 31-year old Palestinian woman attempting to stab a soldier today at a checkpoint on a West Bank highway was shot and killed by other soldiers. The woman was recently released from Israeli prison after serving a three-year sentence.

Justice Minister Gideon Saar, leader of the right wing New Hope party, is reportedly in talks with Likud to join a potential Netanyahu led government. Saar is attempting to pass legislation that would extend expiring regulations that apply Israeli law to Israelis living in Judea and Samaria (West Bank). “Without this law, Israelis would be tried through the military courts, which is something we certainly would not want,” Saar said. He has threatened to leave the coalition if this legislation doesn’t pass. But the Islamist Ra’am party is not expected to vote for the legislation, which would prevent it for passing unless some opposition members vote for it. Were he to join a Netanyahu government, Saar would reportedly be appointed foreign minister and members of his party would be given senior positions in the government. Early this morning, PM Bennett summoned the leaders of his coalition parties for a meeting ahead of the Knesset vote.

A US State Department spokesman said yesterday that the Biden Administration remains committed to re-opening a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem and is further discussing the issue with Israelis and Palestinians.

Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted air maneuvers over the Mediterranean Sea last night, simulating striking Iranian nuclear facilities. For more, click here.

Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivai and the UAE’s Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq al-Marri signed a free trade agreement between the two countries this morning in Dubai. The agreement is expected to increase exports and imports between Israel and the UAE and will remove excise from an estimated 96% of the bilateral trade between the two countries including: food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and more. The free trade agreement covers such issues as regulations and standards, excise, cooperation, government procurement, e-commerce, and protecting IP rights. For more, click here.

The CEO of Netflix will visit Israel in the next few weeks over concerns that the Knesset will enact legislation requiring international streaming services like Netflix to invest in the production of original content in Israel. For more, click here.