JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday his government would find a way to end exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from Israeli military service in the face of political pressures that threaten his narrow coalition’s future. “We will determine goals for conscripting ultra-Orthodox people to the IDF and national civil service,” Netanyahu said … Read more
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a proposal early Friday for Israel’s indefinite military control of Gaza, repeating hard-line stances he has made before but still surprising the public by putting it all in writing as a concrete postwar plan. For months, Netanyahu has placed two topics largely off-limits in public questioning: What responsibility … Read more
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel seeks open-ended control over security and civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip, according to a long-awaited postwar plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was swiftly rejected Friday by Palestinian leaders and runs counter to Washington’s vision for the war-ravaged enclave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the two-page document … Read more
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — Israel on Sunday condemned Brazil’s president for comparing the war in Gaza to the Holocaust, accusing him of being antisemitic and trivializing the Nazi genocide of European Jews during World War II. The outcry further strained relations between the countries, which have deteriorated since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned … Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that further negotiations over a cease-fire to release hostages from Gaza were pointless given what he called Hamas’s “delusional demands,” which include Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinians from Israeli prisons. These demands, he said, will mean Israel’s defeat. “Clearly, we will not agree to … Read more
TEL AVIV — Family members of Israeli hostages held by Hamas braved winter thunderstorms Saturday for a second night of protests since cease-fire negotiations stalled this week, a development that families blame on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Thousands gathered outside Israeli military headquarters here chanting “Now! Now! Now!” Demonstrators Thursday shut down a major road … Read more
You’re reading an excerpt from the Today’s WorldView newsletter. Sign up to get the rest free, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox every weekday. The chorus of warnings is hard to ignore. International organizations, rights group advocates and even a growing number of Western … Read more
President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Sunday for the first time in more than three weeks, amid rising U.S. concerns over Israel’s plans to launch a major military operation in Rafah, where about 1.3 million civilians are sheltering from ongoing fighting throughout much of Gaza. Much of the 45-minute conversation focused on … Read more
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Qatar said it was appalled Wednesday by leaked remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he criticized the country’s mediation efforts with Hamas, complicating already arduous negotiations meant to halt the hostilities in exchange for a hostage release. In a meeting with families of hostages held by Hamas, … Read more
Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave You’re reading an excerpt from the Today’s WorldView newsletter. Sign up to get the rest free, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox every weekday. Israel’s embattled leader has long opposed the emergence of an independent Palestine. … Read more