Use the Talmuds defense of those who saw gladiators battle to death, but dont ignore the pain and violence of football, Dialogue should prevent Israels slide into civil war, If legal experts with differing opinions could just hash everything out, we might see real, consensus-based reform, For a sustainable future, protest the reforms, The changes will shrink accountability and eliminate safeguards that protect the environment and public health, Meanwhile, in a parallel universe, a woman can hold her ex-husband hostage and refuse to allow him to remarry, Another open letter to Israels friends in North America, Daniel Gordis, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Matti Friedman wrote strongly against judicial reform, but they didnt consider all the reasons to favor it, Ill take my schadenfreude where I can get it, With the world going to hell in a very worrying handbasket, I can still find pleasure in the misfortune of a select few, My annual Super Bowl prediction, using Jewish sources, Both eagles and chiefs appear in this weeks Torah portion, but which will prevail on Sunday? It took standing together at Sinai for the people to become holy an early reminder that representation matters (Yitro), So it begins: A diary of the very near future, This is how the governments sweeping change to Israels constitutional and political regime plays out, My grandmother is still under the rubble, The tragedy across the ocean hit me hard, though I have no personal reason to be upset. At least one protester was forcibly arrested by Border Police officers near the Azrieli junction in Tel Aviv. After all, we have the authority to create a new court no one can say we can't. His military specialty was sharpshooter. 2 min read. Public Figure. The protesters are Israeli patriots and the best of IDF's combat soldiers. We will not tolerate a situation in which people act as they please [against the law] neither in Hawara nor in Tel Aviv," he said. Privacy Policy. Facebook. Israel finds itself in a delicate diplomatic position because of Russias dominant presence in Syria where Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group that is an avowed enemy of Israel, is seen as posing a threat. The Yesh Atid and the Labor parties announced that they decided to walk out of the Knesset building in Jerusalem and join "the thousands of patriotic protesters in Tel Aviv, who demonstrate against the aggressiveness of the government and the destruction of Israeli democracy. (Im not endorsing gambling, but Im nearly always right). We 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved, Illustrative: Civilian volunteers attend a training camp of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces in Brovary, northeast of Kyiv, Ukraine, March 21, 2022. Thats why we know and choose to look the other way, the official added, refusing to say who in the Israeli defense establishment was aware of the secret facility. Get stories that empower and uplift daily. After leaving the Knesset along with other opposition lawmakers to join pro-democracy protesters in Tel Aviv, opposition leader Yair Lapid addressed the demonstrators, urging them to "keep fighting until we win. Among those already on the ground in Ukraine is Diana, a 21-year-old from Rishon Letzion, a Tel Aviv suburb. Israeli ex-soldiers are now fighting the Russian army alongside Ukrainian troops, wishing to defend the country they emigrated from. That picture amazed me, said the Ukrainian president, who is Jewish. Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv reported that 11 people arrived to receive emergency medical aid due to injuries sustained in the pro-democracy protests in the city. Israel counts on Russia's friendly assistance in keeping Syrians from dropping bombs on Israel. So far this year, 62 Palestinians, about half of them affiliated with armed groups, have been killed by Israeli troops and civilians. Israeli ex-soldiers have reportedly decided to fight the Russian army alongside Ukrainian troops, wishing to defend the country they emigrated from. Most of those showing up are, like Mr. Dumansky, veterans of the Israel Defense Forces. ", "The people is the sovereign and not the bureaucrats or a band of failing and embittered politicians," she declared. Israeli military forces at the scene of the shooting where American-Israel dual national Elan Ganeles was killed on Monday evening. The Israeli ex-commando in charge of the program, identified as Danny, said the program started as a rescue mission for stranded Jews from war-stricken areas in Ukraine, who quickly began to require armed escorts as the fighting escalated. Posted 4 Mar 22. And Im going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in. The law, submitted by Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech, was initially promised to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as part of his party's coalition agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Play More foreigners were arriving every day, Mr Shepelyak told Reuters. Only a small number of attendees were able to enter the cemetery; the rest stood quietly in the street outside. My heart also goes out to the people of Hawara who are going through difficult times caused by Jewish rioters.". On Friday, the Ukrainian Embassy spokesman told . Protesters outside Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence in Jerusalem, today. He addressed the crowd saying that "the protesters' stance is clear" and that they will not engage in any dialogue as along as "a gun is pointed to our head. Credit: Olivier Fitoussi Wednesday's events follow a bloody 24 hours that saw two Israelis shot dead in the West Bank town of Hawara on Sunday, leading to a rampage by hundreds of settlers who arrived in the town . News site Ynet has featured a report about special forces joining the fray. Israeli ex-special forces arrive in Odessa to defend the city against the Russians. She called the opposition to the government's proposed judicial overhaul "just a pathetic excuse for the inability of the media and the left to accept the will of the voter. ", Labor party chair Merav Michaeli responded to the use of stun grenades against protesters. People tell me Were afraid to speak out in favor of the reform, because were afraid of losing our job. There are a great many conversos, said lawmaker Simcha Rothman, the chair of the Knessets Constitution, Law and Justice Committee who is spearheading the government's efforts to weaken the courts. Were the bran muffin of journalism. Some have previously served in the military or have a little experience in shooting as a hobby. Identity is a powerful motivator, and is tugging at the emotions of Ukrainian-born Israelis who feel compelled to drop everything to join the fight. A group of Israeli ex-commandos has been training Ukrainian civilians at a secret facility in western Ukraine, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Friday, as the Russian invasion entered. The bill would effectively rule out the possibility of declaring Netanyahu unfit even if he breaches his agreement to refrain from conflicts of interest in the coalition's judicial overhaul plans. I think there are great and amazing people here, we don't see that reflected in the government but they are the majority and we will fight.". Please try again or choose an option below. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused the protesters against his government's judicial overhaul of dragging the country into anarchy. An update on major political events, candidates, and parties twice a week. Israel Police say 39 protesters have been arrested in the protests in Tel Aviv. An Air Force that cannot dominate the skies over Ukraine after two weeks of battle is not about to take on . ", Herzog then went on to suggest that this "historic" moment can be turned into a "foundational constitutional moment, in which the principles of the Declaration of Independence can be enshrined for generations to come.". One is a 72-year-old Druze man, a retired IDF captain who drove hours from his village in northern Israel to sign up, declaring, I want to fight. They prayed [for us].. you are agreeing to our, One month free trial to theMonitorDaily, How these HBCU presidents fixed their colleges financial futures, Stronger NATO, more decisive EU: What Putins war hath wrought, Ukraines lesson for the world: Democracy matters, Ukrainian refugees push westward, feeling both relief and sorrow. That includes Ukraine's special-operations forces, which have doubled in size over that period . Ex-French soldier who witnessed the Bucha war crimes committed against civilians by the Armed Forces of Ukraine survives assassination attempt by Kiev, requests asylum in Russia . 19802023 The Christian Science Monitor. The 35-year-old U.S. veteran has thick, muscular arms and a shaved head. . The police plan to block the on-ramps and exits of the Ayalon Highway at Tel Aviv's Hashalom intersection at 7:45 P.M. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. We want to bridge divides to reach everyone. Sections of this page. Science Monitor has expired. Meanwhile, the Knesset will hold two preliminary readings on bills before they go to committee. Protesters near the Savidor Central railway station in Tel Aviv. A weekly digest of Monitor views and insightful commentary on major events. Your session to The Christian Protesters outside hair salon in central Tel Aviv where Sara Netanyahu is getting her hair done, on Wednesday. Four protesters were arrested. The Knesset has passed two controversial bills in preliminary hearing on Wednesday, as thousands of Israelis take part in a "national day of disruption" to protest the government's plan to weaken the justice system. "I can't sit at home," she said. "These aren't demonstrations. The Palestinian health ministry reports that 37-year-old Sameh Aqtash died from gun shots to the stomach and another is seriously injured from head wounds after being hit by a rock. In an interview with Israel's Channel 12 TV station over the weekend, the US under-secretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nuland, called on Israel to join the group of countries that . Id rather be there than here with no way to help.. 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