Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli was interviewed recently on 103FM radio and addressed a number of current issues, including the drafting of the ultra-Orthodox and his support for far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. “I do not accept the terminology surrounding the draft law,” Chikli began, “It is an injustice to Jewish values. … Read more
Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli recently spoke with Gadi Ness on Radio North 104.5FM about the Supreme Court’s ruling that ultra-Orthodox must be recruited into the army. “I think the court was wrong in allowing the Knesset to continue the debates. Currently, the debates are taking place at a leisurely pace,” … Read more
The High Court of Justice’s ruling on Tuesday stated the obvious: that the government of Israel must abide by the existing National Service Law, which states that every 18-year-old Israeli must report for military service. The real question was how far the court would go and which tools it would use to ensure that … Read more
In Israel, “the day after” is a euphemism for the issue of who will lead and administer the people of Gaza after the war ends. It is an important question, one the Israeli government doggedly seeks to ignore. There is a far more important “day after” dilemma. Who will lead and administer the people … Read more
Israel’s High Court of Justice began on Sunday morning a hearing on the contentious issue of the long-standing exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from IDF service. The hearing could lead the court to give a final order to the state to begin drafting haredi men, which could have dramatic social and political ramifications. The two … Read more
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to his party, the Likud, that he would not renege on passing the ultra-Orthodox draft bill and that without the bill, the government would not remain in place, KAN Reshet B reported on Monday morning. Netanyahu’s announcement came in the wake of minister-without-portfolio and National Unity chair Benny Gantz’s … Read more
As February 27 approaches, Mayor Moshe Lion’s reelection seems assured; and against the backdrop of the war, there appears to be little interest in who will win seats on the city council. Nevertheless, competition for the 30 city council seats is cross-sectoral, with lists that declare themselves to be representative of the moderate secular/Religious … Read more
“New groups” of Israeli citizens should be required to serve in the IDF, Likud Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli and MKs Moshe Saada and Dan Illouz wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. Chikli, Illouz, and Saada’s letter indicated their support for the recruitment of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) … Read more
Until last week, it seemed as though nothing would be able to awaken the city’s residents’ interest in the upcoming municipal elections. With a popular mayor and against the backdrop of the war, the general consensus has been that there are more important issues at the moment than the usual fights and mutual backbiting … Read more
Noticeable just four weeks prior to election day, February 27, is the absence of the election fever that has characterized previous campaigns. There are several reasons for this – the war of course, but not that alone. Jerusalemites are well aware of the importance of these elections, but passion is missing among candidates and … Read more
