JERUSALEM (AP) — With the Israeli prime minister under fire internationally for his hard-line policies, a key partner of Benjamin Netanyahu is standing firmly behind him ahead of the March parliamentary elections — heralding what could be an even tougher stance toward the Palestinians if the two sit together in the next government. Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — After bursting onto the political scene with a surprisingly strong showing in Israel’s last election, Yair Lapid said he was bound for the prime minister’s office. But today the telegenic ex-anchorman, actor and novelist hopes to avoid becoming another flash in the pan. His fledgling party, Yesh Atid or “There’s a Future,” came from nowhere … Read More
HERZLIYA, Israel (AP) — For many Israelis, the country’s election campaign has only truly begun with the recent return of “Eretz Nehederet,” a biting TV satire that is Israel’s equivalent of “Saturday Night Live.” The show provides a cultural touchstone for a famously combative political environment that, as the vote draws near, is becoming surprisingly laced with humor. With all … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his unwieldy coalition and called new elections last month, he appeared almost certain to be returned once more to office. But a new center-left alliance has surged past his Likud party in the polls, turning the March 17 contest into a toss-up. After joining forces with former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — Marta Wise was ill and emaciated when she heard the distant sound of soldiers marching toward Auschwitz. The 10-year-old Slovakian Jew assumed it was German troops coming to get her but once she saw the red stars on their uniforms she realized they were Russian. Her nightmare was over. She was liberated. More than a million Jews … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Even casual Israeli basketball fans begin their day with an update on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the newfound obsession with the NBA franchise has little to do with superstar LeBron James. Rookie head coach David Blatt is one of their own, making his name professionally in Israel and raising a family there. Nearly all of … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — One of the most unlikely stars of Israel’s election campaign is a musical artist whose popular video remixes of stump speeches have rocked YouTube, leading some of his most prominent targets to try to recruit him. Drawing his inspiration from the world of hip-hop, Noy Alooshe splices together catchphrases, awkward facial expressions and catchy dance … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — With elections on the horizon, the greatest obstacle standing between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a return to high office could be Netanyahu himself. A slew of challengers, including some of his traditional supporters, are taking aim at the longtime Israeli leader, saying that after nearly nine years in office, it is time for a new face … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — Even before Israel’s hastily called election campaign kicks into gear, a former ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is shaping up to be the biggest potential challenge to his re-election. Moshe Kahlon was the most popular Cabinet minister in Netanyahu’s previous government, drawing wide appeal for his working-class background and for pushing daring reforms. But prior to … Read More
HURA, Israel (AP) — He was a quiet whiz kid at the top of his class in Israel, who overcame tough odds in this minority Arab village to become a star medical student and hospital intern. Could Othman Abu al-Qiyan have been radicalized by Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians — or something else? No one can quite explain what happened … Read More
PETAH TIKVA, Israel (AP) — At first glance, the multi-tiered jungle of concrete off a major central Israeli highway does not appear unusual in this city of bland high-rises. But the burgeoning towers are groundbreaking when you consider its future tenants: They will be homes not for the living but rather the dead. With real estate at a premium, Israel … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A group of young Israeli expats have unleashed controversy back home by encouraging others to join them in Berlin, touching on two of the most sensitive issues in Israel: the country’s high cost of living and Jews’ tortured history with Germany. While Israelis have been angered after learning that food prices are much lower in … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — It used to be that if you wanted to join one of the world’s most secretive espionage organizations you had to sneak into a foreign embassy, answer a cryptic newspaper ad or show up in a nondescript building in Tel Aviv to meet a shadowy recruiter. Now all it takes to apply for a job … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hoping to impress NBA scouts when Maccabi Tel Aviv faces LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers next month, Alex Tyus has an important decision to make — whether to fast the previous day for the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. It’s just the latest twist in the remarkable journey of Tyus, a 6-9 power … Read More
CAMP ZIOUANI, Golan Heights (AP) — For four decades, a multinational United Nations mission has quietly monitored the sleepy Golan Heights — providing a symbol of stability between bitter enemies as it enforced a truce between Israel and Syria. But as Syria has plunged into civil war and the peacekeepers themselves have become targets of al-Qaida-linked rebels, the U.N. observer … Read More