Gantz agrees to Lieberman’s conditions for joining a centre-left coalition

Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz agreed to Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman’s coalition demands on Sunday, tweeting a Facebook post by Lieberman showing his party’s preconditions for joining a Gantz-led government and writing, “Agreed, we must move forward.” Read more

From athlete to Head of Delegation: Barry Smorgon’s 50-year Maccabiah journey

He was one of 23 Australians who competed at the 1969 edition, it was his first overseas trip and first journey to Israel. Over 50 years on, he still vividly remembers walking into the opening ceremony. Read more

March of the Living postponed

The leaders have announced that this year’s March of the Living in Poland will be postponed due to the spread of coronavirus, especially in Europe and United States. Read more

The spirit of the Purim holiday: “Nothing will stop us celebrating and enjoying ourselves.”

A tractor, an angel, a robot, native Americans, a coronavirus cleanser, a rubber ball and others were among the festive and fun costumes worn by the fourth-graders of Henrietta Szold school in Jerusalem who visited the President Rivlin’s residence Beit HaNasi. Read more

Johnson takes opportunity to berate Labour’s antisemitic ‘bullying and discrimination’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticized a member of the Labour Party during a Parliament session on Wednesday for her party’s antisemitic “bullying and discrimination” against those who support Israel and the Jewish people. Read more

Do you know worthy to light a torch on Independence Day in Jerusalem

This Israeli government wants a member of the Diaspora to light a torch at this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
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Far-right Polish lawmaker says pogroms were good for Jews, made them powerful

Jews benefited from the murderous pogroms against them in Europe and became more powerful because of the violence, said a far-right Polish lawmaker. Read more

On the other hand

The coronavirus has arrived in Israel with many people in quarantine and tourists from certain countries banned. Read more

Election number three – What was different?

Exit polls, having twice underestimated Prime Minister Netanyahu and his block’s number of Knesset seats in April 2019 and September 2019, now overestimated them. Read more

Blow to Netanyahu as majority of lawmakers aim to pass law barring him from forming govt.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been dealt a blow in his campaign to form the next government and remain Prime Minister with a majority of Members of Knesset (MK) preparing a bill that would prevent indicted MKs from forming a government. Read more

Coronavirus: Multifaith group speaks out against fear and prejudice

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has joined forces with Christian and Muslim organisation in panning those who scapegoat others during the outbreak of Coronavirus. Read more

Poor Him

Purim. Poor Him. But “poor” who? Ahasuerus the drunken incompetent sop of a passive king? Vashti the deposed queen? Perhaps all the virgins corralled into the king’s harem? Esther, the Metoo# nice Jewish girl who had to sleep with the king and face the chance that if she failed to please him she would be denied the starring role and end up an extra in the King’s seraglio? Or Mordechai whose refusal to bow to Haman (thus offending the express command of the King) and disobeying the king’s command not to appear at court in sackcloth, put the whole of the Jewish community at risk? Should we feel sorry for Bigtan and Teresh the incompetent plotters? Or is Haman, who overreached in his quest for power, driven by ambition and hatred, ended with his ten sons strung up on a scaffold? Take your pick. And people do. Read more

MP’s challenged as “Auschwitz. Now.” opens at NZ Parliament

Seventeen MP’s from across New Zealand’s political spectrum attended the official opening of the new exhibition “Auschwitz. Now.” at Parliament in Wellington this week. Read more

Behind the masks

As we prepare to celebrate Purim, Jewish communities worldwide are once again confronted by the same challenges which the Jews of ancient Persia faced. Read more

The real centre ground: The only political show in town

Democracy, the process through which the people get to choose who governs them, involves a choice of leaders telling competing stories about how the world should be organized. Read more

Does push to bar an indicted Netanyahu from leading next government violate democratic norms?

Israel’s fractured political system is possibly entering uncharted territory in the next few weeks. Read more

Netanyahu’s overwhelming victory and Gantz’s parliamentary putsch

Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents claim that the results of the three elections the country has held over the past 12 months have been essentially unchanged, with the embattled prime minister and his right-wing bloc repeatedly proving unable to muster a parliamentary majority. Read more

Hungarian Holocaust survivor turned Olympic gold medalist dies at age 92

Eva Szekely, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who later became an Olympics multiple award-winning swimmer, died on Feb. 29 the age of 92. Read more

Ombudsman: take action against Chief Rabbi for ‘political’ remarks

The Ombudsman’s Office of the Israeli Judiciary has recommended that Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef be tried for disparaging remarks he made in January against immigrants to Israel from the former USSR. Read more

Eden Alene reveals song she plans to sing when she represents Israel in Eurovision 2020

Eden Alene, the Israeli teen selected to represent Israel in the Eurovision international song contest this year, unveiled the track she plans to sing in the competition on May 16 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Read more

Wiesenthal Centre uncovers list of 12,000 Nazis in Argentina with accounts transferred to Credit Suisse

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre announced this week that it has received a list of 12,000 Nazis living in Argentina, many of whom contributed to bank accounts at the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt, which became the Credit Suisse bank, based in Zurich, Switzerland. Read more

Joint Arab List presents conditions for endorsing Gantz government

Joint List Party leader Ayman Odeh said on Thursday if Blue and White leader Benny Gantz must back down from the idea of a “Jewish majority” coalition and abandon efforts to extend Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria before the Joint List can recommend that he form Israel’s next government. Read more

After 40 years, Lionel Richie gives first concert in Israel

American singer Lionel Richie performed his first concert in Israel on Monday night at Tel Aviv’s Menora Mivtachim Arena. Read more

Moriah alleged fraud rises to $7.3 million

The president of Moriah College has written to “The Moriah Family disclosing the alleged fraud discovered in October last year has “been identified as $7.3 million. Read more

‘Increasing awareness of the darkest chapter of our history’: Germany assumes IHRA Chair

Germany on Tuesday assumed the chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for the second time in a move set to “address [Germany’s] historic responsibility” and act as important marker “in times in which freedom, democracy and diversity are under intense pressure,” the German Foreign Ministry stated. Read more

Israel sees increase in February tourism, despite coronavirus fears

Israel’s tourism industry recorded an increase in visits in February, despite the global scare over the spread of Coronavirus and its effect on international tourism. Read more

El Al axes employees and flight routes as coronavirus hits tourism

Israeli national airline El Al has announced it will be forced to dismiss employees, slash senior salaries and cancel flight routes amid the global outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVD-19). Read more

The undemocratic alliance bent on toppling Netanyahu

In Israel’s third election in less than one year, embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defeated his closest challenger by three Knesset seats (36-33), and his bloc of right-wing allies defeated the opposing left-wing bloc supporting challenger Benny Gantz by a stunning 18 seats (58-40). Yet, similar to the first two election contests, Netanyahu still remains precariously shy of a parliamentary majority. Read more

An innovation agreement signed between Israel and New Zealand

An Agreement on Cooperation in Technological Innovation, Research and Development has been signed today between the Government of the State of Israel and the Government of New Zealand resulting to pursue a sustained effort to promote innovation, research and development, technological and economic cooperation between Israel and New Zealand. Read more

Disappointment and fear: PA responds to election results in Israel

The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) leadership has expressed serious concerns following Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent victory in the elections for the 23^rd Knesset and is waiting for a dramatic development that would prevent him from assuming the premiership again. Read more

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