Israel

Israel, land of Jewish refugees, riled by influx of Africans

Violent riots broke out in Tel Aviv last night as a growing tide of African migrants strains Israel's ideal as a land for refugees.
Israel: South Africa's desire to label West Bank goods is 'racist'

When South Africa requested imports from Israeli settlements be labeled 'made in the occupied West Bank,' Israel's Foreign Ministry said the move 'bears clear racist characteristics.'
Terrorism & Security
Netanyahu: Iran won't take nuclear talks seriously

Speaking in Prague, Israel's prime minister compared Iran's nuclear drive to that of North Korea, and said he has seen no evidence of Iran taking upcoming talks seriously.
Interview: Michael Sfard, the Israeli lawyer battling illegal settlements

Michael Sfard has won two key rulings in Israel's supreme court that are applying some pressure against Israeli expansion in the West Bank.
Palestinians mark Nakba Day with slingshots, despite calls for calm

Nakba Day, translated to 'catastrophe day,' marks the day the state of Israel was created and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced.
Israel's unity government: How big was the shift to the center?

A new coalition government in Israel was expected to give Prime Minister Netanyahu more flexibility on Palestinian peace talks. But moves on Jewish settlements suggest otherwise.
With Egypt's help, Israel strikes deal to end hunger strike

The deal to end a 77 day fast by Palestinian prisoners highlights ongoing trust between Israel and Egypt.
Israel's unity government: a bid to represent the majority

For decades, Israel's system of representation gave tiny parties an outsized voice, particularly on the issue of settlements. The unity government now has a chance to prioritize majority views.
How Netanyahu's 'unity' government may affect Palestinians, Iran

Prime Minister Netanyahu jolted Israeli politics by forming a 'unity' government with the centrist Kadima party, arguing it will promote stability at a time of contentious challenges.
Backchannels
Where does the Israeli security establishment stand on attacking Iran?

A look at disclosed positions.
New kind of Israeli politician? Yair Lapid doesn't talk about Iran, Palestinians

Yair Lapid, a hunky former TV news columnist, has fashioned himself as the everyman of a new generation of Israelis. But he faces tough competition from incumbent Netanyahu.
Terrorism & Security
Dissent, elections make Israel's next steps on Iran difficult to predict

Former government and security officials' criticism of the Netanyahu government's hard-line approach on Iran is now coupled with the uncertainty of an election campaign.
Backchannels
Israel security establishment goes where US politicians fear to tred

Disagreements in Israel over whether to attack Iran have erupted into the open. In one corner, the Netanyahu government. In the other, a number of Israeli security officials.
Early Israeli elections? What it would mean for US, Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on Sunday for the first time that he is liable to move up Israel’s elections from next year to this year.
Terrorism & Security
Israeli leadership denies divisions on Iran, after army chief made a stir

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak insisted that Iranian leaders are not rational, rebutting comments made earlier in the week by IDF chief Benny Gantz.
Backchannels
Israel legalizes three more West Bank settlement outposts

The decision, which is part of a broader settlement expansion, could pave the way for similar legalizations. Prospects for meaningful peace talks just grew dimmer.
What's the Israel-Azerbaijan connection?

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's visit to Azerbaijan underscores growing ties, including a $1.6 billion Israeli deal to supply Iran's neighbor with a wide range of military equipment.
Backchannels
Israeli army chief says he doubts Iran will build a nuclear weapon

In an interview with Haaretz, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Benny Gantz acknowledged the threat of a nuclear Iran but said Tehran wasn't likely to go there, citing its 'rational' leadership.
Backchannels
Israeli ties with Egypt strained by transition?

Though Egypt and Israel insist the decision to end a gas sales contract wasn't political, it's hard to see annulling the largest ever contract between the two countries as anything but.
Israel bans a textbook promoting Arab rights as 'unbalanced'

Israel's Education Ministry approved the textbook, 'Taking the Civil Road,' just last year but now says it has factual errors. Critics see the ban as part of a broader nationalistic push.
No explanation given: Palestinian PM skips Netanyahu meeting

Looking ahead, Palestinian leaders face few appealing options for advancing their agenda, which has been sidelined by Iran and the US elections.
Israel dismisses 'flytilla' protest, pointing to human rights abuses in Syria, Iran

Israel denied entry and deported several dozen pro-Palestinian activists who flew into Tel Aviv's airport on Sunday, arguing they are missing the bigger regional issues.
With West focused on Iran, Netanyahu moves to expand Israeli settlements

Last week, the prime minister allowed police to evict settlers from an Arab house in Hebron. But he also asked his government to authorize three illegal outposts in the West Bank.
Israel's Iranian Jews grapple with possible strike on their homeland

While he fears an Iranian bomb, a spice seller from Tehran vows that Iranians love peace. One restaurant cook from Isfahan is baffled by 'how things went so wrong.'
Hebron settlers threaten retaliation after Israeli police evict them

The tensions in Hebron, a mainly Arab city that's holy to both Muslims and Jews, test Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's willingness to expand settlement in the West Bank.