Bezalel Smotrich

Tekumah MK

April 24, 2018, 2:01 pm

MK back on Twitter after saying Palestinian teen deserved to be shot

After brief suspension from social network, Smotrich tweets thanks to site for spreading his message that soldier-slapping Ahed Tamimi is a 'terrorist'

By Michael Bachner

Jewish Home MK Bezalel Smotrich at his party's weekly faction meeting at the Knesset, December 25, 2017. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

April 24, 2018, 3:41 am

Twitter suspends MK who said Palestinian teen ‘deserved a bullet’

Jewish Home's Bezalel Smotrich decries 'silencing opinions,' rejects social media site's demand he remove offending tweet about soldier-slapper Ahed Tamimi

By Michael Bachner

April 22, 2018, 9:47 pm

Jewish Home MK says jailed Palestinian teen ‘deserved a bullet’ in the kneecap

Bezalel Smotrich says he is 'very sad' Ahed Tamimi is only in an Israeli jail and wasn't maimed by the soldiers she slapped

By Tamar Pileggi

Army chief rabbi Avichai Rontzki at a memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery for soldiers whose place of burial unknown on February 21, 2010. (Abir Sultan/Flash 90)

April 1, 2018, 5:57 pm

Former military chief rabbi, who expanded Jewish education in IDF, dies aged 66

Avichai Rontzki, an often controversial senior figure in the West Bank settlement movement, praised as a scholar and a warrior

By Sue Surkes

A view of construction in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on January 26, 2017. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

March 4, 2018, 5:10 pm

In West Bank reality, annexation is a pipedream

The settlement enterprise has failed to scuttle a two-state solution; separation is still eminently possible

By Shaul Arieli and Nimrod Novik

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a Likud party faction meeting at the Knesset on February 12, 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

February 12, 2018, 7:40 pm

Israeli official, White House deny PM discussed settlement annexation with Trump

Hours after Netanyahu says 'for a while now I’ve been talking about it' with the Americans, senior diplomatic official says no specific proposals have been brought to Washington

By Raphael Ahren and Jacob Magid

In this Tuesday, May 23, 2017 file photo, US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

February 12, 2018, 5:50 pm

PM says he’s in talks with Trump administration over settlement annexation

Netanyahu stresses that in addition to coordinating measure with White House, legislation should be submitted as a government initiative rather than a private one

By Jacob Magid

President Reuven Rivlin speaks at the 15th annual Jerusalem Conference of the B'sheva group, on February 12, 2018. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

February 12, 2018, 2:29 pm

Amid legislative push, Rivlin backs annexation with full rights for Palestinians

President says he was 'born into the belief' that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews, but stresses all residents would have citizenship under envisioned move

By Marissa Newman

A picture taken from the Israeli settlement of Kedar shows the West Bank Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim (foreground-R), a few kilometers from East Jerusalem (background) on October 26, 2017. (AFP PHOTO / THOMAS COEX)

February 11, 2018, 4:21 pm

Coalition heads delay annexation bill following Syria clashes

Party leaders agree to postpone discussion of legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty over all areas of Jewish settlement

By TOI staff and Jacob Magid

Illustrative: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement to the press during a visit in Har Homa, in East Jerusalem on March 16, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

February 8, 2018, 7:49 pm

PM blocks settlement annexation bill from coming to vote

Netanyahu wants to coordinate the measure with White House first, but bill will still be debated by coalition leaders in their own meeting slated for Sunday

By Jacob Magid

Palestinians carry the corpses of terrorists through the streets of Hebron during a massive funeral march in the West Bank, October 31, 2015. (Flash90)

January 24, 2018, 5:25 pm

Bill allowing Israel to hold terrorists’ bodies for leverage clears first hurdle

Knesset gives preliminary approval to law allowing police to demand family's okay for funeral restrictions aimed at preventing encouragement of more terror attacks

By Michael Bachner and Stuart Winer

Education Minister Naftali Bennett attends the funeral of Rabbi Raziel Shevah, 35, in the West Bank outpost of Havat Gilad on January 10, 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

January 18, 2018, 10:50 am

Bennett apologizes for describing rabbi’s calls to fire IDF chief as ‘insolent’

But Jewish Home leader stands by opposition to comments against promotion of women's service in combat roles

By Michael Bachner

Head of the Jewish Home party Naftali Bennett leads a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on January 1, 2018. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

January 17, 2018, 12:04 pm

Bennett rebuffs rabbi’s ‘insolent’ demand to fire IDF chief over female soldiers

Top national religious politician 'completely rejects' calls for men to refuse to serve if they can't enter a male-only unit

By Michael Bachner

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, right, and other senior officers from the army's Central Command visit the area where a terror attack took place the night before on January 10, 2018. (Israel Defense Forces)

January 10, 2018, 5:01 pm

After killing, army unlikely to heed calls for revenge against Palestinians

Since outbreak of violence in October 2015, IDF chief has practiced restraint, forgoing collective punishment, and that's not liable to change in wake of Raziel Shevach's murder

By Judah Ari Gross

Likud MKs David Bitan (L) and David Amsalem attend a Knesset committee meeting on September 21, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

December 3, 2017, 11:43 am

Netanyahu backers cry foul over corruption probe timing

Police revelation of year-long organized crime investigation into coalition whip David Bitan comes the day before final vote on bill forbidding police from recommending indictments

By TOI staff