Israel

Climate Emergency: Extreme Heat Waves will increase 600% in Israel, Middle East, over 80 years, as 70% of Youth consider Emigrating

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Ruth Schuster at Haaretz reports on a new study led by Assaf Hochmann at Hebrew University, finding that extreme heat waves in Israel will increase 600% over the next 80 years. Not only will this change strike Israel but also Egypt, Syria, Jordan and southern Turkiye, with the potential for […]

Haredim

Israel enters a dangerous period – public protests swell over Netanyahu’s plan to limit the power of the Israeli Supreme Court

The Conversation

By Dov Waxman, University of California, Los Angeles | – (The Conversation) – Proposals by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government to radically diminish the power and independence of Israel’s judiciary sparked demonstrations across the country starting in January 2023. An estimated 200,000 Israelis took part in protests on Feb. 11 and another 100,000 in […]

Iran

Suspected Israeli Drone Strike In Iran Part Of New ‘Containment Strategy’

Golnaz Esfandiari

( RFE/ RL ) – A suspected Israeli drone strike hit an Iranian military facility in Isfahan on January 28, in an attack that is part of a new effort to contain Tehran, analysts said. Protracted efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers have floundered. In the absence of a […]

Israel

Why Isn’t Israel Helping the only other Jewish Head of State, in Ukraine?

John Feffer

By John Feffer | – ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – There are currently only two Jewish heads of state in the world. The first, not surprisingly, leads Israel. The second is Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine. They don’t get along. Religious affiliation by itself does not determine political or military alliances. Plenty […]

Far Right

Having brought in Disruptive Israeli Extremists, Can Netanyahu’s Government Survive?

Middle East Monitor

By Motasem A Dalloul | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – Before it was formed, the new far-right Israeli government coalition has been plagued with disputes and disagreements, despite the fact that all of its members are from the right-wing parties and all of them, at least, share the same principles, although each Party […]

Far Right

Israel’s Netanyahu Crumbles before Supreme Court demand he Fire Corrupt Minister, as AG considers Banning Netanyahu Too

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Carrie Keller-Lynn at The Times of Israel reports that at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was forced to fire his minister of health and the Interior, Aryeh Makhlouf Deri, who heads up the ultra-right-wing Shas Party. The move was forced on Netanyahu by Israel’s Supreme Court, which holds Deri […]

Authoritarianism

Is Israel becoming a Middle East Dictatorship under Netanyahu? 110,000 Rally against Gov’t

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Some 110,000 Israelis protested Saturday night at two big rallies in Tel Aviv. So reports Al Jazeera. The larger of the two was attended by opposition politicians Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz. Lapid told Israeli radio, “We will defend the nation and democracy. We will not surrender before we reach […]

Haredim

Israel’s new hard-line Government has made Headlines – the bigger demographic Changes that caused it, not so much

The Conversation

By Michael Brenner, American University | – Israel’s new goverment is the most right-wing and religious leadership the country has had in the 75 years of its existence, as many observers have pointed out. And this style of leadership may last because it represents the next generation of Israelis. You don’t have to look far […]

Israel

Israel’s Netanyahu facing off against the supreme Court and proposing to limit judicial Independence – and 3 other Threats to Israeli Democracy

The Conversation

By Boaz Atzili, American University School of International Service | – Democracy is not just about holding elections. It is a set of institutions, ideas and practices that allow citizens a continuous, decisive voice in shaping their government and its policies. The new Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu and sworn in on Dec. 29, […]