Israel’s governing coalition may not have a majority for a preliminary vote for a controversial bill aimed at relieving haredi military-age men from a significant financial sanction if they continue evading IDF service. The sanction in question is the removal of subsidies for daycare payments, and the bill, authored by United Torah Judaism MK … Read more
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich began tearing up during a speech at a press conference before his party meeting on Monday. Smotrich lamented the tide of deaths of IDF soldiers in the last few days but said that particular attention should be paid to their ideals. He said that the price of the war was … Read more
Israel should apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria but not enable Palestinians living there to participate in national elections, former US Ambassador David Friedman said in a conference by the Knesset Israel Victory Caucus in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Friedman, who served as former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s ambassador in Israel, … Read more
Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock complained that the government was “throwing the [war effort] in the trash to save 22 or 33” of the 133 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza in an interview with Army Radio on Wednesday. Strock insisted that her party “very much” wants to bring the hostages … Read more
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, was shouted off the stage on Tuesday at an annual conference held in Ashkelon by the right-wing newspaper Yisrael Hayom. The incident was an indication of the lack of support for Smotrich in the right-wing camp. Smotrich, whose party currently has seven Knesset … Read more
Twenty percent of Jerusalem’s Jewish residents aged 20 and above define themselves as religious; another 25% define themselves as traditional. Yet for religious Jerusalemites who generally define themselves as National Religious, there are three representative lists running for city council in the elections set for the end of this month. Hagit Moshe, the current … Read more
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu squabbled over the ongoing negotiations for a hostage release deal with Hamas and the provision of funds to the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday. The squabble began after Smotrich posted on X, “The war cabinet should send the head of the Mossad to assassinate the leaders … Read more
