Shuli Moalem-Refaeli

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked speaks during her farewell ceremony, at the Ministry of Justice offices in Jerusalem on June 4, 2019 (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

July 5, 2019, 10:06 am

Shaked rejects rabbi’s comments: Women can do everything, including lead a party

Former justice minister responds after prominent Rabbi Shlomo Aviner says politics has ‘no place for the female role’ in explaining opposition to her leading the religious right

By TOI staff

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked attends a Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee meeting in the Israeli parliament on July 9, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

July 4, 2019, 6:43 pm

Rejecting rabbi’s comments, Jewish Home says it backs women in politics

Prominent Rabbi Shlomo Aviner says politics has ‘no place for the female role’ in explaining opposition to Ayelet Shaked leading the religious right

By TOI staff

Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked from the New Right party at an election campaign tour in central Jerusalem on January 23, 2019. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

April 12, 2019, 3:50 pm

Fired: Shaked, Bennett & the 30 other MKs forced to add ‘former’ to their titles

New Right co-leaders are joined by 9 from Likud, 11 from Labor and 10 other lawmakers who ran in the 2019 elections but failed to make it into 21st Knesset

By Jacob Magid

Education Minister Naftali Bennett (L), Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (R), and Alona Barkat (C), hold a New Right party press conference in Tel Aviv on February 7, 2019. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

February 20, 2019, 10:25 am

New Right unveils Knesset slate featuring equal representation for women

Right-wing ticket, led by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, includes several journalists; soccer club owner Alona Barkat in 3rd spot

By Michael Bachner and Raoul Wootliff

Head of the Jewish Home Party Rabbi Rafi Peretz with new party member Yifat Erlich in Tel Aviv, February 13, 2019. (Flash90)

February 13, 2019, 11:55 am

Journalist Yifat Erlich joins Jewish Home party

Writer placed 3rd on religious right-wing faction’s slate; MK Moti Yogev accuses former leader Naftali Bennett of ‘raping’ the party, apologizes later

By Michael Bachner

Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben Dahan (3R), MK Moti Yogev (R) and MK Nissim Smoliansky (C) attend a conference of the Jewish Home Party in Yad Binyamin on January 17, 2019 (Yehuda Haim/Flash90)

January 28, 2019, 12:43 am

Jewish Home party approves committee to choose new leadership

In the wake of breakaway by Bennett and Shaked, party ditches primaries and will have a 17-member forum select faction’s slate for April elections

By TOI staff

Education Minister Nafatli Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (not pictured) announce the establishment of HaYamin HeHadash party at a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 29, 2018. (Jack Guez/AFP)

January 16, 2019, 2:30 pm

In apparent dig at ex-party, Bennett says New Right against ‘religious coercion’

Speaking in closed meeting with AIPAC leaders, education minister who left Jewish Home party says ‘we need a rational, positive, optimistic right’

By Raoul Wootliff

Jewish Home MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli speaks during a Knesset session on July 26, 2017. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

January 10, 2019, 12:26 pm

New Right MK under fire for saying Israel should abide by Jewish religious law

MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli recorded speaking about the ‘battle to bring Torah into every aspect of our lives’; opposition lawmakers assail party

By Michael Bachner

Illustrative of a child using a computer (Photo by Yossi Zamir/Flash 90)

January 1, 2019, 6:21 pm

Knesset approves first reading of bill to curb children’s access to porn

Legislation will require internet service providers to push offer of non-compulsory filtering service to all customers

By Stuart Winer and TOI staff

Illustrative photo of a prostitute in Tel Aviv.(Flash90)

December 31, 2018, 5:59 pm

Knesset approves penalties for prostitution clients

Israel joins small club of nations to criminalize procuring sex services; punishments include fines in the thousands that will grow for repeat offenses

By TOI staff

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, left, and Education Minister Nafatli Bennett announce the establishment of the New Right (HaYamin HeHadash) party at a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 29, 2018. (Jack Guez/AFP)

December 30, 2018, 9:59 am

Bennett, Shaked said to plan to reunite with Jewish Home after elections

Two parties will reportedly run separately in April ballot before uniting for coalition talks with expected winner Netanyahu, in move to help grow the far-right’s Knesset bloc

By TOI staff

Education Minister Nafatli Bennett (R) and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked announce the establishment of the New Right (HaYamin HeHadash) party at a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 29, 2018 (Yossi Zeliger/Flash90)

December 29, 2018, 7:03 pm

Bennett, Shaked quit Jewish Home, announce formation of ‘The New Right’

Two ministers say they felt hobbled by their party’s acquiescence to PM’s edicts, seek to forge full, equal ‘partnership between secular and religious’ with new right-wing party

By TOI staff and Raoul Wootliff

Balad party MKs Hanin Zoabi, right, and Jamal Zahalka, center, both of the Joint (Arab) List Faction, seen at the court hearing of fellow faction member MK Basel Ghattas at the Rehovot Magistrate's Court, January 5, 2017. (Avi Dishi/Flash90)

December 26, 2018, 9:04 pm

MKs cheer news firebrand Arab lawmaker retiring, but she says it’s a nasty rumor

After word spreads that Balad’s Hanin Zoabi and Jamal Zahalka will not run for reelection, Knesset Speaker Edelstein tweets that they contributed nothing to parliament

By TOI staff

Illustrative: A prostitute on a street in south Tel Aviv on January 1, 2013. (Flash90)

December 26, 2018, 1:04 am

Knesset committee clears anti-prostitution bill for final votes

Draft legislation set to be approved in its final readings next week, before Knesset dissolves for elections

By TOI staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, December 9, 2018. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL)

December 9, 2018, 2:10 pm

Netanyahu raises red flag on anti-porn bill amid web privacy concerns

PM says controversial legislation that could force internet providers to automatically censor pornographic sites raises serious questions about online regulation

By Raoul Wootliff