Knesset - Page 5

Israel Marks First-Ever LGBT Rights Day

TEL AVIV – The Israeli Knesset held its first-ever LGBT Rights Day on Tuesday with support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the heels of a report indicating an increase in  homophobic incidents in the country. The prime minister

Amir Ohana

Israel Approves Drug That Prevents HIV Infection

The Jerusalem Post reports: The Health Ministry approved a preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program to prevent HIV transmission on Tuesday, making Israel one of the first countries to implement it. PrEP involves healthy but high-risk people taking medications that significantly reduce the

FRED TANNEAU/AFP/Getty Images

Israeli MPs Take First Step to Pass Contentious NGO Law

A controversial bill that would compel NGOs receiving most of their funding from foreign governments to declare it in official reports passed its first reading in the Israeli parliament early Tuesday. The proposal — denounced by critics as likely to

German Bundestag (lower house of parliament) President Norbert Lammert (top L) speaks duri

Peretz to Rejoin Labor Party Monday

The Jerusalem Post reports:  Former Labor Party chairman Amir Peretz will formally return to the party on Monday, at a press conference with current chairman Isaac Herzog. Peretz led the Labor Party from November 2005 to June 2007. During that time

Israel's former defence minister Amir Peretz pauses during news conference in Tel Avi

Netanyahu Wants Law to Suspend MPs After Visit to Terrorists’ Families

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he would advance legislation enabling the suspension of parliamentarians for “inappropriate conduct” after Arab MPs met relatives of Palestinian terrorists killed while attacking Israelis. “In a meeting with heads of the coalition parties,

Getty Images

Israel to Mark Day Celebrating Immigrants

A bill enacting an annual day celebrating immigration to Israel passed the Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday, paving the way for a preliminary vote in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday. The legislation, sponsored by Likud MKs Miki Zohar and

GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP/Getty Images

Israel to Appoint First Openly Gay Interior Minister 

TEL AVIV – The Likud party tapped its first openly gay Knesset Member to take over as Interior Minister following former minister Silvan Shalom’s resignation. Amir Ohana, a lawyer, IDF reserve officer (pictured second from left), and veteran of the

Amir Ohana

Green Light for Bill Banning Store Openings on Sabbath

TEL AVIV – A bill closing all stores on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, has been approved by the Israeli government, the Haaretz newspaper reported. The Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday approved Likud Knesset Member Miki Zohar’s bill preventing grocery stores and other

Jerusalem

Israel Lawmakers Snub Netanyahu Plan To Tap Major Gas Field

JERUSALEM (AFP) –  An Israeli parliamentary committee refused to give its blessing Monday to a natural gas deal aimed at tapping a huge field in the Mediterranean despite a strong push by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The 7-6 vote against the

The Associated Press

Netanyahu’s Dog Bites Political Visitors

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently adopted dog Kaiya has sunk her teeth into her new position, biting two visitors at an event on Wednesday, including the husband of the deputy foreign minister. At a candle-lighting ceremony to

Netanyahu dog bites

Netanyahu in Trouble as Right-wing Foreign Minister Quits

JERUSALEM, Israel — “Only in Israel can you win an election and lose it the next day,” intoned the announced on Israel’s Army Radio on Tuesday morning, over audio of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s victory speech from the elections in March. On Monday, Netanyahu’s fragile coalition-building effort suffered a dangerous setback with the sudden departure of Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, which leaves Netanyahu with a slim and unstable 61-59 majority in the Knesset.

Netanyahu (Reuters)

Israel FM: Behead Arab-Israelis Who Commit Treason

In a use of extremely aggressive rhetoric to describe the punishment for those who commit treason against the State of Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Arab-Israelis who side with the enemy should have their heads “chopped off with an axe” as punishment.

Reuters