Archive for month: December, 2022

News Update

IDF forces arrested a Palestinian suspected of several terrorist shooting attacks. Troops came under fire and explosives during the operation in Nablus early today. Troops returned fire and one attacker was reportedly wounded. No soldiers were harmed.

A bus was fired upon near the settlement of Ofra last night. No one was injured. Security forces are searching for the attackers.

Likud signed a coalition deal with Religious Zionism. The nationalist religious party will get control over the Finance Ministry in rotation with the Shas Party, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, and head a new “National Missions Ministry”. A member of Religious Zionism will also hold a special ministerial level position in the Defense Ministry in charge of West Bank settlement construction. That minister will have full authority over land disputes in illegal outposts without having to answer to the Defense Minister, who has had authority over the military as well as civilian matters in the territories since the 1967 Six Day War.

Religious Zionism will also be given chairmanship over the new Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice committee which will take on responsibility for services to the religious community and will head a newly established Reforms Committee which will legislate changes in Israel’s judicial system.

Avi Maoz, the leader of the far-right Noam party who will be a member of the incoming government, said in an interview that he will not allow the Gay Pride parade to take place in Jerusalem. He will head the Jewish National Identity program with an initial budget of NIS 100 million for the first year, and a further NIS 50 million, in the year following. Prime Minister elect Netanyahu reacted to the statement saying, “The Gay Pride parade will take place in Jerusalem as it had in the past.”

Defense Minister Benny Gantz told a meeting of military attachés from 30 countries that Iran can be in possession of a nuclear bomb within two weeks, if it chooses to. He added that Israel was advancing plans to supply Ukraine with early warning systems and repeated the government’s position that condemns Russian attacks on the civilian population.

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution to mark the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948 as a “catastrophe.” The resolution passed by a vote of 90-30 with 47 abstentions. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and most European Union countries including Germany voted against the anti-Israel resolution. The United Arab Emirates was one of the co-sponsors of the resolution.

Tel Aviv is no longer the world’s most expensive city according to The Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living rankings for 2022, which were published today. Tel Aviv, which topped last year’s rankings, has been pushed down to third place behind Singapore and New York, who tied for first place. For more, click here.