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Israel’s Government in Crisis After Senior Lawmaker Quits Coalition, The New York Times
Israel’s fragile government was thrown into crisis on Wednesday after a senior lawmaker quit the coalition, leaving it without a majority in Parliament. Idit Silman, the chairwoman of the governing coalition and effectively its chief whip, said in a letter to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that she was resigning because coalition colleagues had failed to compromise and that the government’s direction did not reflect the values of the voters who brought her party to power.
Israel To Allow West Bank Women, Kids, Some Men Into Al-Aqsa, AP
Israel will allow women, children and men over 40 from the West Bank to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday in an apparent bid to help calm tensions during the holy month of Ramadan. The government said in a statement that it could further relax restrictions if things stay quiet.
Bennett Condemns Bucha Massacre Without Accusing Russia of War Crimes, The Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned on Tuesday the massacre in Bucha, Ukraine, four days after photos of mass civilian casualties came to light, but stopped short of accusing Russia of war crimes.
Victim’s iPhone Hacked by Pegasus Spyware Weeks After Apple Sued NSO, The Guardian
New evidence has revealed that an Apple iPhone was successfully hacked by a government user of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware in December, weeks after the technology giant sued the Israeli company in a US court and called for it to be banned from “harming individuals” using Apple products.
6 Arrested During 4th Night of Clashes Between Police and Palestinians in Jerusalem, The Times of Israel
Police said six Palestinians were detained during clashes at the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday, as Palestinians gathered to celebrate Ramadan. The suspects hurled stones and other items and launched fireworks at officers, police said. It was the fourth night in a row of scuffles at Damascus Gate, an entrance to the Old City’s Muslim Quarter, a frequent point of friction and the site of many past terror attacks.
Ukraine Looking Into Private Arms Deals in Israel, Haaretz
Given Israel’s official refusal to provide military assistance to Ukraine, a Ukrainian delegation has been looking into buying weapons from private Israeli businesspeople, according to sources present at a meeting with the group, though such transactions are unlikely to materialize.
Israel Charges Palestinian Journalists With Incitement — For Doing Their Jobs, The Intercept
Yuval Abraham tells the stories of the arrests of Palestinian journalists. He writes, “As of March 2022, there were 10 Palestinian journalists in Israeli prisons on charges relating to publishing materials online — either as private individuals or through their professional work — that were deemed “incitement,” according to Saleh al-Masri, who heads the Journalist Support Committee in Palestine.”
Palestinians Use Social Media to Out the Israeli Undercover Agents Haunting Their Protests, The Guardian
Hiba Yazbek writes about Israeli undercover agents who pose as Arab citizens, known as Mista’arvim, and how Palestinians started to resist their presence. She reports, “Previously, the agents had been a ghostly presence, more sensed than seen, but this time, activists…along with legal organisations, sent out warnings on WhatsApp and Telegram groups to raise awareness about the presence of these agents – and instructions on how to avoid being arrested by them.”