Israel’s religious-nationalist governing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was able to pass a two-year budget in the Knesset on Wednesday, clearing the way for renewed government efforts at introducing highly controversial judicial reforms, Reuters reports.
Christians involved in evangelism could face a lengthy prison term in Israel under a proposed law amendment obtained by Worthy News.
The law that severely restricts the High Court of Justice’s ability to strike down regular Knesset laws is set to pass a vote in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Wednesday.
The Knesset rejected on Wednesday an opposition lawmaker’s bill that sought to officially enable same-sex couples and single people to adopt children.
An estimated 70,000 Israeli citizens took to the streets of Jerusalem Monday in protest at the controversial right-wing government bill that would curtail the Supreme Court’s ability to rule on Israel’s Basic Laws and would place the selection of judges in the hands of politicians, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports. Despite the protests, however, the bill passed its first reading by 63-47 votes in the Knesset on Tuesday.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed on first reading of several reforms to Israel’s judiciary early Tuesday, with 63 votes for the bill and 47 votes against it.
The first part of the coalition’s highly controversial judicial overhaul package, which would give the government control over the selection of judges, will be brought for a first reading in the Knesset plenum either this Wednesday or, more likely, next Monday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed top ally Aryeh Deri from the cabinet on Sunday, in a move expected to trigger political uncertainty despite being mandated by the High Court of Justice and advocated by the attorney general.
In a move that raises questions about the stability of Israel’s new government, the country’s High Court ruled Wednesday that Ariyeh Deri, head of the Shas Haredi political party, cannot retain his positions as interior and health minister because of a long history of financial criminal offenses while in public service, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The incoming coalition will hold a special Knesset plenum on Thursday to ratify the new government, Knesset speaker and Likud MK Yariv Levin officially announced on Monday.
As Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu continues to dole out jobs to fellow lawmakers from his conservative Likud party ahead of the establishment of the new government, it seems increasingly likely that Amir Ohana will be named the next speaker of the Knesset, becoming the first openly gay person to hold the position.
Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu will attempt to swear in his governing coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties on Thursday, Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin said Monday, with the former premier looking to retake power before a deadline to get his unruly partners in line.
During a discussion in a Knesset committee concerning a new law, a question was raised about its application after the construction of the Third Temple. Though the suggestion was in jest and generated light-hearted banter, most of the opposition to the law came from the religious MKs while many of the non-religious lawmakers said they supported the law and did not oppose the Temple.
The Knesset on Tuesday elected a new speaker closely allied to the country’s likely next prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, setting the stage for a flurry of contentious new legislation to appease the former leader’s expected coalition partners.
Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party announced Monday that the right-wing bloc had submitted all signatures necessary to replace Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy.
Three separate final polls prior to Israel’s Nov. 1 elections showed opposition leader and Likud Party head Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing/religious bloc standing one seat shy of a parliamentary majority.
Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid has pledged to continue “Muslim rights on the Temple Mount” while he prohibits Jews from praying there and supports a Palestinian state.
Israel’s security cabinet voted Wednesday to move to the final stage of the approval process for the maritime border agreement with Lebanon.
The latest poll shows that if the election for the Knesset were held today, the bloc led by Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would win 61 seats, just enough to form a government. The center-left bloc headed by Prime Minister Yair Lapid would have 55 seats.
With 100 days left before the elections for the 25th Knesset, both the bloc supporting former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the bloc forming the current coalition are projected to fail in forming a majority government, according to a poll published by KAN News on Sunday.