Benjamin Netanyahu tasked to head government for fourth time in two years, despite corruption probe

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given the task of forming a government from the country’s splintered parliament for the fourth time in two years. Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin handed Netanyahu the task on Tuesday, giving the embattled leader a chance to prolong he lengthy term in office while on trial for corruption.    In … Read more

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu appears in court at his corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court today at his corruption trial to hear prosecutors make their allegations against him. Prosecutors say Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister used his political influence as ‘currency’ to buy favours from media executives and wealthy businessmen. The evidentiary phase of the trial was beginning as Israel’s political parties were … Read more

Israel election results show nation is deeply divided over Benjamin Netanyahu’s future

The final results from Israel’s fourth election in two years show a nation deeply divided over whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should remain in office. Netanyahu and his right-wing allies fell short of winning a parliamentary majority, according to a final vote count released on Thursday. The Prime Minister and his allies captured 52 seats, … Read more

Gaza rocket hits southern Israel shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu toured the region on election day 

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a rocket at southern Israel today, the army said, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the region on election day.  There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties caused by the attack on Israeli territory. ‘A short while ago, a projectile was fired from the Gaza Strip into … Read more

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu denies bribery charges as his corruption trial resumes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded not guilty on Monday to corruption charges at the resumption of his trial some six weeks before Israeli voters again pass judgment on his leadership. ‘I confirm the written answer submitted in my name,’ Netanyahu said, standing before a three-judge panel in a heavily-guarded Jerusalem District Court. He was … Read more

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews ignore Covid lockdown rules in Israel for Rabbi funeral

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis participated today in the funeral of a prominent rabbi in Jerusalem, flouting the country’s ban on large public gatherings amid the pandemic. Shocking images showed the funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died at age 99 and had recently suffered from Covid-19, wending its way through the streets of Jerusalem … Read more

Covid Israel: Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza won’t be vaccinated

Israel is accused of ‘racism’ by Palestinian PM after excluding 4million people in the West Bank and Gaza from its Covid-19 vaccine program Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to vaccinate all citizens by April  Israel’s Arab citizens and Palestinians in East Jerusalem will get a dose Pledge will not, however, be extended to those … Read more

Sheldon Adelson’s coffin lands in Israel, is greeted by Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Jerusalem burial

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson and mega-donor to US President Donald Trump, who died on Tuesday aged 87 after a long illness, has been buried in Jerusalem.  The casino mogul’s coffin was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Adelson’s wife Miriam on Thursday night, and was buried on Friday. The billionaire mogul and power broker, who built a … Read more

Israel ‘paid to jump the vaccine queue’

Israel ‘paid to jump the vaccine queue’ with PM Benjamin Netanyahu phoning Pfizer boss 17 times in just days to secure more supplies of the Covid jab Israel has already vaccinated 1.8million – a fifth of its population – in three weeks But the country did not order any Pfizer-BioNTech jabs until mid-November It reportedly … Read more

EU buys 300million more doses of Pfizer vaccine amid mounting anger at slow roll-out across bloc

The EU today announced it had bought another 300million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and approved a plan to scrape an extra dose out of each vial as the bloc tries to catch up to the faster rollouts in the US and Britain.  With Israel still leading the global race – having given jabs to … Read more