Israeli politics

George Birnbaum (right), an adviser to Naftali Bennett, appears on MSNBC with anchor Mehdi Hasan. (MSNBC/Screenshot)

June 7, 2021, 8:24 pm

Top Bennett adviser suggests he has ‘evolved’ beyond past inflammatory rhetoric

George Birnbaum, who worked on PM-designate’s most recent campaign, tells MSNBC the new government could change ‘the status quo’ with the Palestinians

By Amy Spiro

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves upon arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, in the Jordanian capital Amman, on May 26, 2021. (Alex Brandon/POOL/AFP)

June 7, 2021, 6:03 pm

US will work with any Israeli government, says Blinken

Pressed on would-be PM Bennett’s opposition to two-state solution, US secretary of state says ‘conditions are not there’ for peace agreement

By Amy Spiro

April 28, 2021, 2:45 pm

Daily Briefing Apr. 28 – What the what is happening in Israeli politics & COVID?

Tune in Sunday through Thursday to hear ToI editors and reporters quickly catch you up on what’s important today

By TOI staff

United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni arrives at a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset on March 3, 2020, a day after the general elections. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

March 4, 2021, 3:49 pm

UTJ head says party won’t join a coalition that doesn’t revoke conversion ruling

Referring to outrage over video implying non-Orthodox streams would even recognize dogs as Jewish, Gafni says he’d have made a ‘much worse’ clip featuring foreign workers

By TOI staff

File: MK Moshe Gafni speaks at the annual international Municipal Innovation Conference in Tel Aviv, on February19, 2020. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

March 3, 2021, 11:32 pm

Ultra-Orthodox party leader disavows colleague’s ‘shiksas’ comment

UTJ chairman says MK Yitzhak Pindrus was wrong to use the pejorative term, but insists ultra-Orthodox rabbis should be the authority on conversions to Judaism

By TOI staff

Then-deputy minister Michael Oren reads his fiction to a crowd at Jerusalem's Tmol Shilshom on January 4, 2018. (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)

September 30, 2020, 3:37 am

Michael Oren defies political and artistic convention with book of short stories

Some know him as a news commentator, former MK, or ambassador — but the US-born Israeli politician has always written fiction, and just released his 3rd work, ‘The Night Archer’

By Ben Sales

Liat Ben-Ari arrives at District Court in Jerusalem, May 24, 2020 (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)

September 7, 2020, 11:55 pm

Prominent Likud activist arrested for threats against Netanyahu prosecutor

Suspect reportedly sent letter to Liat Ben-Ari, a regular target of the PM’s supporters, telling her, ‘This is your end’

By TOI staff

Harel Barak (R) and his husband Yakir Kanneli (L) pose for a picture with an empty stroller at a park in Tel Aviv, on August 14, 2020. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

August 19, 2020, 3:47 pm

Israeli same-sex couples seek end to surrogacy discrimination

Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn says government intends to pass a surrogacy bill by the end of the year in order to comply with recent Supreme Court ruling

By Alexandra Vardi

Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan (L) meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Blair House in Washington, DC on January 27, 2020. (Samaria Regional Council)

August 16, 2020, 4:43 pm

Settler chiefs say PM betrayed them, is ‘adopting rhetoric of extreme left’

After Netanyahu dismisses their criticism for suspending annexation as part of UAE deal, local leaders say premier has ‘failed embarrassingly’ to make good on key election promise

By TOI staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Benny Gantz at the weekly cabinet meeting, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on July 5, 2020. (Amit Shabi/POOL)

August 10, 2020, 12:48 pm

Netanyahu confirms support for budget delay, urges political stability

While hailing proposed bill that would avert immediate threat of elections, PM says previous government was ‘more efficient’ than current one

By TOI staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, (l) speaks with then-cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser at a weekly cabinet meeting in July 2009. (Ariel Jerozolimski/Flash90/File)

August 10, 2020, 10:37 am

Budget delay seen as ploy by Netanyahu to thwart bill disqualifying him as PM

Senior right-wing politician ‘70% sure’ that premier will only back postponement in initial vote, then he’ll torpedo it and trigger elections anyway

By Shalom Yerushalmi

Deputy State Attorney Liat Ben-Ari arrives at the District Court in Jerusalem, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial on May 24, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

August 3, 2020, 11:30 am

Police said to place 24-hour security around Netanyahu prosecutor over threats

Days after man indicted for threats against son of Deputy State Attorney Liat Ben-Ari, the lead attorney in criminal cases against the PM, report says threats have escalated

By TOI staff

July 30, 2020, 5:09 pm

Man indicted for threatening child of Netanyahu prosecutor

Shahar Ben Yehuda alleged to have sent profanity-laced message to underage son of Deputy State Attorney Liat Ben-Ari, the lead attorney in criminal cases against the PM

By Sam Sokol and TOI staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at the Health Ministry, July 23, 2020. (Kobi Gideon / GPO)

July 27, 2020, 5:15 pm

Netanyahu: Israel doesn’t need new elections, it needs a budget

Amid rift with coalition partner Blue and White, PM calls for swift passage of budget, which must be approved by August 25 to keep government from dissolving

By TOI staff

MK Walid Taha in the Knesset, November 19, 2019. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

July 26, 2020, 5:58 pm

Homosexuality ‘almost nonexistent in Arab society,’ Joint List MK says

Walid Taha’s comments come as lawmakers say future of Arab political alliance in doubt after leader Ayman Odeh supported bill banning gay conversion therapy

By Sam Sokol