In the age of removing inequalities, Israel has decided to take a major step to give more recognition and rights to the LGBT community.

Putting an end to decades old rule, on Thursday, Israel government announced that the gay men will now be able to donate blood.

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/live-afghanistan-crisis-several-killed-amid-firing-by-taliban-and-stampede-during-rally-in-asadabad-406687" hreflang="en">LIVE Afghanistan: Several killed amid firing by Taliban during rally</a></h2>

"The prohibition on gay men donating blood was a relic of a stereotype that belongs in the past,"&nbsp;Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced. "Any blood donor seeking to save lives will receive the same treatment, regardless of his gender or sexual orientation."

Usually someone hoping to donate blood is asked to fill a questionnaire in advance in which one question inquired if a man has had any sexual relationship with another man. That clause will now be removed, as per the Health Minister.

"The clause prohibiting receiving blood from a man who had sexual relations with another man (even a permanent partner) will be cancelled,"&nbsp;a statement from the health ministry announced.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-wion-special-women-in-taliban-country-406870">WATCH</a>&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-wion-special-women-in-taliban-country-406870/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Now the new questionnaires will now instead ask the donators if they have had "high-risk sexual relations with a new partner or multiple partners"&nbsp;in the past three months.

As of now, gay men could donate blood only if they hadn’t had sexual relationship with another man in the last 12 months.

After the health minister, who himself is a gay man, announced the new rule, the Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel appreciated the move as a "historic move for the Proud community and the Israeli society on its way to equality".

"The blood of hundreds of thousands of citizens is not second class," the association's statement added.

In the age of removing inequalities, Israel has decided to take a major step to give more recognition and rights to the LGBT community. Putting an end to decades old rule, on Thursday, Israel government announced that the gay men will now be able to donate blood.

In the age of removing inequalities, Israel has decided to take a major step to give more recognition and rights to the LGBT community. Putting an end to decades old rule, on Thursday, Israel government announced that the gay men will now be able to donate blood. LIVE Afghanistan: Several killed amid firing by Taliban during rally "The prohibition on gay men donating blood was a relic of a stereotype that belongs in the past," Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced. "Any blood donor seeking to save lives will receive the same treatment, regardless of his gender or sexual orientation." Usually someone hoping to donate blood is asked to fill a questionnaire in advance in which one question inquired if a man has had any sexual relationship with another man. That clause will now be removed, as per the Health Minister. "The clause prohibiting receiving blood from a man who had sexual relations with another man (even a permanent partner) will be cancelled," a statement from the health ministry announced. WATCH Now the new questionnaires will now instead ask the donators if they have had "high-risk sexual relations with a new partner or multiple partners" in the past three months. As of now, gay men could donate blood only if they hadn’t had sexual relationship with another man in the last 12 months. After the health minister, who himself is a gay man, announced the new rule, the Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel appreciated the move as a "historic move for the Proud community and the Israeli society on its way to equality". "The blood of hundreds of thousands of citizens is not second class," the association's statement added.

Israel to now allow gay men to donate blood

This charade doesn’t leave anyone safer. It’s gone on long enough.

American politicians often warn that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will spark a nuclear stampede across the Middle East. Allowing Tehran to get the bomb, Senator Robert Menendez, the current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,&nbsp;predicted&nbsp;in March 2020, could “set off a dangerous arms race in the region.” In an interview in December, President-elect Joe Biden&nbsp;cautioned&nbsp;that if Iran went nuclear, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt might too, “and the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability.”

Such statements are so familiar that it’s easy to overlook their artifice. In warning that Iran could turn the Middle East nuclear, American politicians imply that the region is nuclear-free now. But it’s not. Israel already has nuclear weapons. You’d just never know it from America’s leaders, who have spent the last half-century feigning ignorance. This deceit undercuts America’s supposed commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, and it distorts the American debate over Iran. It’s time for the Biden administration to tell the truth.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-vows-to-israel-no-nuclear-weapon-for-iran-on-my-watch-394580">Biden vows to Israel: No nuclear weapon for Iran on my watch</a>

American officials began hiding the truth about Israeli nuclear weapons after Israeli leaders hid the truth from them. In the early 1960s, writes Avner Cohen in his book “The Worst Kept Secret,” Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion repeatedly told President John F. Kennedy that the reactor Israel was building in the desert town of Dimona “was for peaceful purposes only.” When the United States sent inspectors to the site, the Israelis&nbsp;concocted&nbsp;an elaborate ruse, which included building fake walls to conceal the elevators that led to an underground reprocessing plant. By decade’s end, the die was cast. The C.I.A. concluded that Israel already possessed nuclear warheads.

So Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Golda Meir&nbsp;hatched&nbsp;a deal. Neither Israel nor the United States would acknowledge that Israel had nuclear weapons, and Washington would not pressure Israel to submit them to international oversight. For 50 years now, American presidents have abided by the bargain. Scholars&nbsp;believe&nbsp;that when Israel tested a nuclear weapon in the Indian Ocean in 1979, the Carter administration covered it up. In 2009, when a journalist&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Barack Obama if he knew of “any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons,” Mr Obama responded, “I don’t want to speculate.”

Feigning ignorance about Israeli nuclear weapons makes a mockery of America’s efforts at nonproliferation. Mr Obama vowed to pursue a nuclear-free world. Yet to prevent public discussion of Israel’s arsenal, his administration&nbsp;helped squelch&nbsp;a United Nations conference on a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The Biden administration continues to impose punishing sanctions on Iran in an attempt to force its government to accept inspections&nbsp;more stringent&nbsp;than those required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Meanwhile, Israel, which has never signed the NPT, permits no inspections at all.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-says-irans-raisi-extreme-committed-to-nuclear-programme-392707">Israel says Iran's Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programme</a>

This hypocrisy leads many around the world to smirk when American diplomats claim to be defending the “rules-based order.” It also empowers those Iranians who claim Tehran has the right to match its regional rival.

Finally, the American government’s deceptive silence prevents a more honest debate at home about the dangers an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose. American politicians&nbsp;sometimes&nbsp;say&nbsp;an Iranian bomb would pose an “existential” threat to Israel. That’s a dubious claim, given that Israel possesses a nuclear deterrent it can&nbsp;deploy on air, land and sea. But many Americans find the claim plausible because,&nbsp;according to recent polling&nbsp;conducted by Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland, barely 50 per cent know Israel has nuclear weapons. A higher percentage thinks Tehran has the bomb.

Even if an Iranian bomb wouldn’t existentially threaten Israel, the United States should still work to forestall one diplomatically. With&nbsp;negotiations with Tehran at risk of collapse, the Biden administration should commit to lifting the sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy in return for verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear capacity. But if those efforts fail — and the Biden administration faces pressure to wage war rather than allow Iran to gain the capacity to build a nuclear weapon — it’s crucial that Americans make an informed decision about the risk a nuclear Iran poses to America’s closest ally in the Middle East. That’s harder when the American government never publicly admits that Israel has the means to deter a nuclear attack.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-pm-bennett-weighs-against-nuclear-talks-with-irans-hangmen-regime-392766">Israel PM Bennett weighs against nuclear talks with Iran's 'hangmen regime'</a>

The Biden administration is not going to force Israel to give up its nuclear weapons. But that doesn’t mean it must undermine America’s global credibility and deceive its people by denying reality. Perhaps a more honest American discussion of Israel’s nuclear arsenal will breathe new life into the distant dream of a nuclear-free Middle East. Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be bracing, after a half-century of lying by omission, simply to hear America’s leaders tell the truth.

This charade doesn’t leave anyone safer. It’s gone on long enough. American politicians often warn that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will spark a nuclear stampede across the Middle East.

This charade doesn’t leave anyone safer. It’s gone on long enough. American politicians often warn that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will spark a nuclear stampede across the Middle East. Allowing Tehran to get the bomb, Senator Robert Menendez, the current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, predicted in March 2020, could “set off a dangerous arms race in the region.” In an interview in December, President-elect Joe Biden cautioned that if Iran went nuclear, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt might too, “and the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability.” Such statements are so familiar that it’s easy to overlook their artifice. In warning that Iran could turn the Middle East nuclear, American politicians imply that the region is nuclear-free now. But it’s not. Israel already has nuclear weapons. You’d just never know it from America’s leaders, who have spent the last half-century feigning ignorance. This deceit undercuts America’s supposed commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, and it distorts the American debate over Iran. It’s time for the Biden administration to tell the truth. Also read | Biden vows to Israel: No nuclear weapon for Iran on my watch American officials began hiding the truth about Israeli nuclear weapons after Israeli leaders hid the truth from them. In the early 1960s, writes Avner Cohen in his book “The Worst Kept Secret,” Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion repeatedly told President John F. Kennedy that the reactor Israel was building in the desert town of Dimona “was for peaceful purposes only.” When the United States sent inspectors to the site, the Israelis concocted an elaborate ruse, which included building fake walls to conceal the elevators that led to an underground reprocessing plant. By decade’s end, the die was cast. The C.I.A. concluded that Israel already possessed nuclear warheads. So Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Golda Meir hatched a deal. Neither Israel nor the United States would acknowledge that Israel had nuclear weapons, and Washington would not pressure Israel to submit them to international oversight. For 50 years now, American presidents have abided by the bargain. Scholars believe that when Israel tested a nuclear weapon in the Indian Ocean in 1979, the Carter administration covered it up. In 2009, when a journalist asked Barack Obama if he knew of “any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons,” Mr Obama responded, “I don’t want to speculate.” Feigning ignorance about Israeli nuclear weapons makes a mockery of America’s efforts at nonproliferation. Mr Obama vowed to pursue a nuclear-free world. Yet to prevent public discussion of Israel’s arsenal, his administration helped squelch a United Nations conference on a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The Biden administration continues to impose punishing sanctions on Iran in an attempt to force its government to accept inspections more stringent than those required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Meanwhile, Israel, which has never signed the NPT, permits no inspections at all. Also read | Israel says Iran's Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programme This hypocrisy leads many around the world to smirk when American diplomats claim to be defending the “rules-based order.” It also empowers those Iranians who claim Tehran has the right to match its regional rival. Finally, the American government’s deceptive silence prevents a more honest debate at home about the dangers an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose. American politicians sometimes say an Iranian bomb would pose an “existential” threat to Israel. That’s a dubious claim, given that Israel possesses a nuclear deterrent it can deploy on air, land and sea. But many Americans find the claim plausible because, according to recent polling conducted by Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland, barely 50 per cent know Israel has nuclear weapons. A higher percentage thinks Tehran has the bomb. Even if an Iranian bomb wouldn’t existentially threaten Israel, the United States should still work to forestall one diplomatically. With negotiations with Tehran at risk of collapse, the Biden administration should commit to lifting the sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy in return for verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear capacity. But if those efforts fail — and the Biden administration faces pressure to wage war rather than allow Iran to gain the capacity to build a nuclear weapon — it’s crucial that Americans make an informed decision about the risk a nuclear Iran poses to America’s closest ally in the Middle East. That’s harder when the American government never publicly admits that Israel has the means to deter a nuclear attack. Also read | Israel PM Bennett weighs against nuclear talks with Iran's 'hangmen regime' The Biden administration is not going to force Israel to give up its nuclear weapons. But that doesn’t mean it must undermine America’s global credibility and deceive its people by denying reality. Perhaps a more honest American discussion of Israel’s nuclear arsenal will breathe new life into the distant dream of a nuclear-free Middle East. Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be bracing, after a half-century of lying by omission, simply to hear America’s leaders tell the truth.

America needs to start telling the truth about Israel’s nukes

Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, Israel's military said. 
 
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the strike that targeted what the military said was a rocket launching site and a compound belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza. Hamas had no immediate comment. 
 
Since a May 21 ceasefire ended 11 days of Israel-Hamas fighting, Palestinians in Gaza have sporadically launched balloons laden with incendiary material across the border, causing fires that have burned fields in Israel. 
 
Palestinians say the balloons aim to pressure Israel to ease restrictions on the coastal enclave that were tightened during the May fighting. 
 
Balloon launches had mostly ebbed after Israel eased some restrictions on Gaza. 
 
But on Friday, balloons were again launched from Gaza, causing at least four brush fires in areas near the Israel-Gaza frontier. 
 
The Israeli military said its air strikes were in "response to continual launches of incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel throughout the day." 
 
The blazes along the Gaza frontier broke out on Friday as Israel separately traded fire over its northern border with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, in a third day of cross-border salvoes amid wider regional tensions with Iran.

Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, Israel's military said.

Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave, Israel's military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the strike that targeted what the military said was a rocket launching site and a compound belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza. Hamas had no immediate comment. Since a May 21 ceasefire ended 11 days of Israel-Hamas fighting, Palestinians in Gaza have sporadically launched balloons laden with incendiary material across the border, causing fires that have burned fields in Israel. Palestinians say the balloons aim to pressure Israel to ease restrictions on the coastal enclave that were tightened during the May fighting. Balloon launches had mostly ebbed after Israel eased some restrictions on Gaza. But on Friday, balloons were again launched from Gaza, causing at least four brush fires in areas near the Israel-Gaza frontier. The Israeli military said its air strikes were in "response to continual launches of incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel throughout the day." The blazes along the Gaza frontier broke out on Friday as Israel separately traded fire over its northern border with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, in a third day of cross-border salvoes amid wider regional tensions with Iran.

Israel strikes Hamas sites in Gaza in response to fire balloons: Military

Three rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel just after noon on Wednesday, causing warning sirens to sound in the Kiryat Shmona region.

Two rockets landed in wide spaces. There were no casualties reported.&nbsp;

The Israeli Defense Forces retaliated by firing artillery munitions at locations in Lebanon.

According to Channel 12, Israel has warned Lebanon via UN troops that if the border is not calmed, it will escalate its reaction.&nbsp;

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RAW FOOTAGE: 3 rockets were just fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel. 2 rockets landed in Israel, and 1 fell inside Lebanon. 
 
In response, our artillery forces fired into Lebanon. <a href="https://t.co/Sf3754RqRU">pic.twitter.com/Sf3754RqRU</a>
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1422857842843869186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The warnings went off near Metula on the border with Lebanon. There have been several similar incidents in recent months. 
 
The fire is believed to have been launched by Palestinian groups based in Lebanon, and not Hezbollah, the group that most concerns Israel. It's unlikely that the groups could operate without Hezbollah's consent. 
 
Since Israel's 2006 battle against Hezbollah terrorists, who control southern Lebanon and have sophisticated missiles, the border has remained relatively peaceful.

Small Palestinian factions in Lebanon, on the other hand, have shot rockets towards Israel on a periodic basis in the past, and two rockets were fired at Israel on July 20, inflicting no damage or casualties.

Israel retaliated with artillery fire in response to the event.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Three rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel just after noon on Wednesday, causing warning sirens to sound in the Kiryat Shmona region. Two rockets landed in wide spaces.

Three rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel just after noon on Wednesday, causing warning sirens to sound in the Kiryat Shmona region. Two rockets landed in wide spaces. There were no casualties reported. The Israeli Defense Forces retaliated by firing artillery munitions at locations in Lebanon. According to Channel 12, Israel has warned Lebanon via UN troops that if the border is not calmed, it will escalate its reaction. RAW FOOTAGE: 3 rockets were just fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel. 2 rockets landed in Israel, and 1 fell inside Lebanon. In response, our artillery forces fired into Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/Sf3754RqRU — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 4, 2021 × The warnings went off near Metula on the border with Lebanon. There have been several similar incidents in recent months. The fire is believed to have been launched by Palestinian groups based in Lebanon, and not Hezbollah, the group that most concerns Israel. It's unlikely that the groups could operate without Hezbollah's consent. Since Israel's 2006 battle against Hezbollah terrorists, who control southern Lebanon and have sophisticated missiles, the border has remained relatively peaceful. Small Palestinian factions in Lebanon, on the other hand, have shot rockets towards Israel on a periodic basis in the past, and two rockets were fired at Israel on July 20, inflicting no damage or casualties. Israel retaliated with artillery fire in response to the event. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel hit by rockets fired from Lebanon, responds with artillery: Army

Two&nbsp;crew&nbsp;members of an&nbsp;oil&nbsp;tanker&nbsp;managed by a company owned by a prominent Israeli businessman were killed in an&nbsp;attack&nbsp;off&nbsp;Oman, the vessel's London-based&nbsp;operator&nbsp;said Friday.

Analysts said the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;bore all the hallmarks of tit-for-tat exchanges in the "shadow war" between Israel and Iran, in which vessels linked to each nation have been targeted in waters around the Gulf.

Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, said the incident onboard&nbsp;the MT Mercer Street&nbsp;on&nbsp;Thursday left one Romanian and a UK national&nbsp;dead.

"We are not aware of harm to any other personnel," it said in a statement, adding that the&nbsp;Japanese-owned&nbsp;tanker&nbsp;was back under the control of its&nbsp;crew, and was steaming to an undisclosed "safe location" under US naval escort.

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Update on the situation involving the M/T Mercer Street: <a href="https://t.co/sRuuyvwLA8">pic.twitter.com/sRuuyvwLA8</a>
— Zodiac Maritime (@Zodiac_Maritime) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zodiac_Maritime/status/1421080931067219974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The British victim worked as a guard for UK maritime security firm Ambrey, the company said.

In Israel, the office of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and spokespeople for Defence Minister Benny Gantz and the Israeli army, declined to comment&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;attack.

'Probably Iran'&nbsp;

Meir Javedanfar, an expert&nbsp;on&nbsp;Iranian diplomacy and security at Israel's IDC Herzliya University, told AFP the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;was "most probably Iran".

The exact details of how the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;occurred have yet to be confirmed.

Javedanfar said Iranians "feel badly disadvantaged when it comes to responding to attacks inside Iran which have been associated to Israel", including an April strike&nbsp;on&nbsp;the Natanz uranium enrichment site reportedly executed by Israel.

An&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on&nbsp;a maritime vessel "is one area where (Iranians) feel they can try to at least retaliate," he added, calling the latest strike an escalation in the "shadow war" between the&nbsp;two&nbsp;Middle Eastern powerhouses.

But he assessed the fundamental dynamics of the rivalry would change little. "Both sides will continue what they're doing," he said.

Zodiac Maritime is part of the Zodiac Group, owned by billionaire Ofer, whose enterprises span shipping, real estate, technology, banking and investments.

Ofer was ranked the world's 197th richest person by Forbes this year, with a fortune of $11.3 billion. His firms own and operate over 160 ships.

The Arabian Sea and surrounding Indian Ocean were plagued by piracy around a decade ago, but incidents have waned in recent years after foreign navies stepped up patrols.

'Significant escalation'&nbsp;

Zodiac initially called the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on&nbsp;MT Mercer Street "a suspected piracy incident".

The vessel was in the northern Indian Ocean, travelling from Dar es Salaam to Fujairah with no cargo on board when the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;occurred, it added.&nbsp;

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an anti-piracy task force run by the Royal Navy -- also issued a report of "a vessel being attacked" around 152 nautical miles (280 kilometres)&nbsp;off&nbsp;the&nbsp;coast&nbsp;of&nbsp;Oman.

It classed the incident as "non-piracy".

Maritime industry analysts Dryad Global said the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;was similar to previous incidents against vessels associated with Israel and Iran.

Two&nbsp;ships operated by Israeli firm Ray Shipping were attacked earlier this year.&nbsp;

"The&nbsp;attack&nbsp;on&nbsp;the MT Mercer Street is now assessed to be the fifth&nbsp;attack&nbsp;against a vessel connected to Israel," Dryad said in an email note&nbsp;on&nbsp;the incident.&nbsp;

But it said before the deaths were confirmed that the loss of&nbsp;two&nbsp;personnel "would represent a significant escalation in events that... would likely lead to significant international condemnation and would require diplomatic redress".

It advised clients that the risk to commercial vessels associated with Israel and Iran in the Gulf waterway was "heightened", pointing to lingering tensions between the&nbsp;two&nbsp;powers over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"Such incidents remain irregular and are highly unlikely to impact normal commercial operations throughout the region," it added.

Two crew members of an oil tanker managed by a company owned by a prominent Israeli businessman were killed in an attack off Oman, the vessel's London-based operator said Friday.

Two crew members of an oil tanker managed by a company owned by a prominent Israeli businessman were killed in an attack off Oman, the vessel's London-based operator said Friday. Analysts said the attack bore all the hallmarks of tit-for-tat exchanges in the "shadow war" between Israel and Iran, in which vessels linked to each nation have been targeted in waters around the Gulf. Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, said the incident onboard the MT Mercer Street on Thursday left one Romanian and a UK national dead. "We are not aware of harm to any other personnel," it said in a statement, adding that the Japanese-owned tanker was back under the control of its crew, and was steaming to an undisclosed "safe location" under US naval escort. Update on the situation involving the M/T Mercer Street: pic.twitter.com/sRuuyvwLA8 — Zodiac Maritime (@Zodiac_Maritime) July 30, 2021 × The British victim worked as a guard for UK maritime security firm Ambrey, the company said. In Israel, the office of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and spokespeople for Defence Minister Benny Gantz and the Israeli army, declined to comment on the attack. 'Probably Iran' Meir Javedanfar, an expert on Iranian diplomacy and security at Israel's IDC Herzliya University, told AFP the attack was "most probably Iran". The exact details of how the attack occurred have yet to be confirmed. Javedanfar said Iranians "feel badly disadvantaged when it comes to responding to attacks inside Iran which have been associated to Israel", including an April strike on the Natanz uranium enrichment site reportedly executed by Israel. An attack on a maritime vessel "is one area where (Iranians) feel they can try to at least retaliate," he added, calling the latest strike an escalation in the "shadow war" between the two Middle Eastern powerhouses. But he assessed the fundamental dynamics of the rivalry would change little. "Both sides will continue what they're doing," he said. Zodiac Maritime is part of the Zodiac Group, owned by billionaire Ofer, whose enterprises span shipping, real estate, technology, banking and investments. Ofer was ranked the world's 197th richest person by Forbes this year, with a fortune of $11.3 billion. His firms own and operate over 160 ships. The Arabian Sea and surrounding Indian Ocean were plagued by piracy around a decade ago, but incidents have waned in recent years after foreign navies stepped up patrols. 'Significant escalation' Zodiac initially called the attack on MT Mercer Street "a suspected piracy incident". The vessel was in the northern Indian Ocean, travelling from Dar es Salaam to Fujairah with no cargo on board when the attack occurred, it added. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an anti-piracy task force run by the Royal Navy -- also issued a report of "a vessel being attacked" around 152 nautical miles (280 kilometres) off the coast of Oman. It classed the incident as "non-piracy". Maritime industry analysts Dryad Global said the attack was similar to previous incidents against vessels associated with Israel and Iran. Two ships operated by Israeli firm Ray Shipping were attacked earlier this year. "The attack on the MT Mercer Street is now assessed to be the fifth attack against a vessel connected to Israel," Dryad said in an email note on the incident. But it said before the deaths were confirmed that the loss of two personnel "would represent a significant escalation in events that... would likely lead to significant international condemnation and would require diplomatic redress". It advised clients that the risk to commercial vessels associated with Israel and Iran in the Gulf waterway was "heightened", pointing to lingering tensions between the two powers over Iran's nuclear ambitions. "Such incidents remain irregular and are highly unlikely to impact normal commercial operations throughout the region," it added.

Two dead in attack on Israel-linked oil tanker off Oman

Palestinian officials said on Tuesday that a Palestinian man was killed in gunfire in the occupied West bank. The Palestinian health ministry said that Shadi Omar Lotfi Salim (41) was shot dead near flashpoint Palestinian village of Beita

AFP quoted Beita deputy mayor Mussa Hamayel as saying that Israeli soldiers killed the man as he entered the village as he came back from work.

"He was killed in cold blood," the deputy mayor alleged, adding that there had been no protests in the area Tuesday night.

The Israeli army issued a statement saying that while on routine duty soldiers "spotted a Palestinian suspect in the area," south of Nablus.&nbsp;

"When the Palestinian began advancing rapidly towards the troop with a suspicious object identified as an iron bar in his hand, the troop operated to stop the suspect following the standard procedures, including by firing warning shots into the air," the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said in a statement.&nbsp;

"When the suspect continued advancing, the commander of the troop fired towards the suspect. The incident will be investigated," it said

Since May, Beita has been the scene of frequent unrest.

(With inputs from agencies)

Palestinian officials said on Tuesday that a Palestinian man was killed in gunfire in the occupied West bank. The Palestinian health ministry said that Shadi Omar Lotfi Salim (41) was shot dead near flashpoint Palestinian village of Beita AFP quoted Beita deputy mayor Mussa Hamayel as saying that Israeli soldiers killed the man as he entered the village as he came back from work.

Palestinian officials said on Tuesday that a Palestinian man was killed in gunfire in the occupied West bank. The Palestinian health ministry said that Shadi Omar Lotfi Salim (41) was shot dead near flashpoint Palestinian village of Beita AFP quoted Beita deputy mayor Mussa Hamayel as saying that Israeli soldiers killed the man as he entered the village as he came back from work. "He was killed in cold blood," the deputy mayor alleged, adding that there had been no protests in the area Tuesday night. The Israeli army issued a statement saying that while on routine duty soldiers "spotted a Palestinian suspect in the area," south of Nablus. "When the Palestinian began advancing rapidly towards the troop with a suspicious object identified as an iron bar in his hand, the troop operated to stop the suspect following the standard procedures, including by firing warning shots into the air," the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said in a statement. "When the suspect continued advancing, the commander of the troop fired towards the suspect. The incident will be investigated," it said Since May, Beita has been the scene of frequent unrest. (With inputs from agencies)

Israeli forces killed Palestinian in West Bank, say Palestinian authorities

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will travel to France this week to discuss spyware sold by Israeli cyber firm NSO that was allegedly used to target French President Emmanuel Macron. 
 
Macron's phone was on a list of targets that were possibly under surveillance by Morocco, which used NSO Group's Pegasus software, according to France's Le Monde newspaper. The French leader has called for an investigation. 
 
Gantz will meet French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Wednesday, an official Israeli statement said. 
 
"Gantz will discuss the crisis in Lebanon and the developing agreement with Iran. He will also update the minister on the topic of NSO," it said. 
 
Israel's Defence Ministry oversees commercial exports of spyware and cyber-surveillance technologies like Pegasus. 
 
A global investigation published last week by 17 media organisations, led by the Paris-based non-profit journalism group Forbidden Stories, said Pegasus had been used in attempted and successful hacks of smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists. 
 
Israel has since set up a senior inter-ministerial team to assess any possible misuse of the spyware. 
 
NSO rejected the reports, saying it was "full of wrong assumptions and uncorroborated theories". Pegasus is intended for use only by government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime, the company said. 
 
Gantz's trip was planned before the NSO affair and was meant to focus on the growing economic crisis in Lebanon, which shares a border with Israel, and on world powers' efforts to resume a nuclear deal with Iran, Israeli media said. 
 
Israel is concerned a revival of the deal may eventually allow its arch-foe Tehran to acquire atomic weapons. Iran denies seeking the bomb. Attempts to revive the 2015 accord, after then-President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018, have been slow to make progress. 
 
France's foreign ministry said on Monday that Iran was endangering the chance of concluding an accord with world powers over reviving the deal if it did not return to the negotiating table soon.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will travel to France this week to discuss spyware sold by Israeli cyber firm NSO that was allegedly used to target French President Emmanuel Macron.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will travel to France this week to discuss spyware sold by Israeli cyber firm NSO that was allegedly used to target French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron's phone was on a list of targets that were possibly under surveillance by Morocco, which used NSO Group's Pegasus software, according to France's Le Monde newspaper. The French leader has called for an investigation. Gantz will meet French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Wednesday, an official Israeli statement said. "Gantz will discuss the crisis in Lebanon and the developing agreement with Iran. He will also update the minister on the topic of NSO," it said. Israel's Defence Ministry oversees commercial exports of spyware and cyber-surveillance technologies like Pegasus. A global investigation published last week by 17 media organisations, led by the Paris-based non-profit journalism group Forbidden Stories, said Pegasus had been used in attempted and successful hacks of smartphones belonging to journalists, government officials and human rights activists. Israel has since set up a senior inter-ministerial team to assess any possible misuse of the spyware. NSO rejected the reports, saying it was "full of wrong assumptions and uncorroborated theories". Pegasus is intended for use only by government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime, the company said. Gantz's trip was planned before the NSO affair and was meant to focus on the growing economic crisis in Lebanon, which shares a border with Israel, and on world powers' efforts to resume a nuclear deal with Iran, Israeli media said. Israel is concerned a revival of the deal may eventually allow its arch-foe Tehran to acquire atomic weapons. Iran denies seeking the bomb. Attempts to revive the 2015 accord, after then-President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018, have been slow to make progress. France's foreign ministry said on Monday that Iran was endangering the chance of concluding an accord with world powers over reviving the deal if it did not return to the negotiating table soon.

Israel defence minister to visit France to discuss Iran, row over NSO spyware Pegasus

Reiterating earlier findings, the Israel government is planning to give a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNtechn <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine?page=1">coronavirus vaccine</a> to the elderly population without waiting for the FDA approval.

A health official claimed on Monday that even though the FDA has not yet approved the booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine, the increasing coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant have raised concerns in the country. To fight the 'variant of concern', Israel is considering inoculating the elder population of the country with the booster shot.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-and-pfizer-mixed-shots-boost-antibody-levels-study-400778" hreflang="en">AstraZeneca and Pfizer mixed shots boost antibody levels: Study</a>

"This is the big dilemma. The decision is on our shoulders when we don't have the world's backing. It is a very complex decision," Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said in a health conference on Monday.

Israel had started offering booster shots to vulnerable and immune-compromised people, on a case-by-case basis, from this month.

Meanwhile, Pfizer is seeking US emergency authorisation for the third dose and is aiming to provide a higher level of protection from the deadly coronavirus.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-government-plans-to-make-vaccines-compulsory-for-university-students-report-400770" hreflang="en">UK government plans to make vaccines compulsory for university students: Report</a>

Israel is considering the third shot for the elderly as the country has observed a drop in the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Delta variant. So, in order to fully safeguard citizens against this deadly variant, the government is considering administering the third shot too.

However, some experts have shot back at the government and have claimed that the data may not be completely trusted due to possible bias that could be skewing the data. "I estimate that this data is true, it could be more or it could be less," Ash answered back. "But the signs are, at least here, that immunity is waning."

Reiterating earlier findings, the Israel government is planning to give a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNtechn coronavirus vaccine to the elderly population without waiting for the FDA approval.

Reiterating earlier findings, the Israel government is planning to give a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNtechn coronavirus vaccine to the elderly population without waiting for the FDA approval. A health official claimed on Monday that even though the FDA has not yet approved the booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine, the increasing coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant have raised concerns in the country. To fight the 'variant of concern', Israel is considering inoculating the elder population of the country with the booster shot. Also read | AstraZeneca and Pfizer mixed shots boost antibody levels: Study "This is the big dilemma. The decision is on our shoulders when we don't have the world's backing. It is a very complex decision," Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash said in a health conference on Monday. Israel had started offering booster shots to vulnerable and immune-compromised people, on a case-by-case basis, from this month. Meanwhile, Pfizer is seeking US emergency authorisation for the third dose and is aiming to provide a higher level of protection from the deadly coronavirus. Also read | UK government plans to make vaccines compulsory for university students: Report Israel is considering the third shot for the elderly as the country has observed a drop in the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Delta variant. So, in order to fully safeguard citizens against this deadly variant, the government is considering administering the third shot too. However, some experts have shot back at the government and have claimed that the data may not be completely trusted due to possible bias that could be skewing the data. "I estimate that this data is true, it could be more or it could be less," Ash answered back. "But the signs are, at least here, that immunity is waning."

Israel mulls booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to elderly: Official

Israel's government on Sunday unanimously approved a plan to drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2050, a move hailed as "a historic moment" as Israel ramps up efforts to tackle climate change.&nbsp;

The measures, initially released on Friday, call for reducing carbon emissions by at least 85 per cent by 2050 compared with 2015 levels, with an intermediary target of 27 per cent by 2030.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/greenhouse-gas-emissions-to-set-a-new-record-in-2023-399336">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/greenhouse-gas-emissions-to-set-a-new-record-in-2023-399336/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It includes targets for a 96 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in transportation, 85 per cent in the electricity sector and 92 per cent in municipal waste.

After Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's cabinet approved the measures at a meeting Sunday, Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg hailed "a historic moment for health, the environment and future generations".

Bennett called it "a precedent-setting decision that will gradually shift the State of Israel to a low-carbon economy".

Israel signed the 2015 Paris climate accord, pledging to keep its carbon emissions stable until 2030.

Israel's government on Sunday unanimously approved a plan to drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2050, a move hailed as "a historic moment" as Israel ramps up efforts to tackle climate change.

Israel's government on Sunday unanimously approved a plan to drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2050, a move hailed as "a historic moment" as Israel ramps up efforts to tackle climate change. The measures, initially released on Friday, call for reducing carbon emissions by at least 85 per cent by 2050 compared with 2015 levels, with an intermediary target of 27 per cent by 2030. WATCH | It includes targets for a 96 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in transportation, 85 per cent in the electricity sector and 92 per cent in municipal waste. After Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's cabinet approved the measures at a meeting Sunday, Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg hailed "a historic moment for health, the environment and future generations". Bennett called it "a precedent-setting decision that will gradually shift the State of Israel to a low-carbon economy". Israel signed the 2015 Paris climate accord, pledging to keep its carbon emissions stable until 2030.

Israel government approves plan to slash carbon emissions by 2050

Israel secretly authorized a group of cyber-surveillance firms to work for the government of Saudi Arabia despite international condemnation of the kingdom’s abuse of surveillance software to crush dissent, even after the Saudi killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, government officials and others familiar with the contracts said.

After the murder of Khashoggi in 2018, one of the firms, NSO Group, cancelled its contracts with Saudi Arabia amid accusations that its hacking tools were being misused to abet heinous crimes.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jamal-khashoggi-murder-saudi-arabia-court-hands-death-penalty-to-five-24-years-imprisonment-to-three-269717">Jamal Khashoggi murder: Saudi Arabia court hands death penalty to five, 24 years imprisonment to three</a>

But the Israeli government encouraged NSO and two other companies to continue working with Saudi Arabia and issued a new license for a fourth to do similar work, overriding any concerns about human rights abuses, according to one senior Israeli official and three people affiliated with the companies.

Since then, Saudi Arabia has continued to use the spyware to monitor dissidents and political opponents.

The fact that Israel’s government has encouraged its private companies to do security work for the kingdom — one of its historic adversaries and a nation that still does not formally recognize Israel — is yet more evidence of the reordering of traditional alliances in the region and the strategy by Israel and several Persian Gulf countries to join forces to isolate Iran.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-declassify-report-on-assassination-of-jamal-khashoggi-357888">Biden to declassify report on assassination of Jamal Khashoggi</a>

NSO is by far the best known of the Israeli firms, largely because of revelations in the past few years that its Pegasus program was used by numerous governments to spy on, and eventually imprison, human rights activists.

NSO sold Pegasus to Saudi Arabia in 2017. The kingdom used the spyware as part of a ruthless campaign to crush dissent inside the kingdom and to hunt down Saudi dissidents abroad.

It is not publicly known whether Saudi Arabia used Pegasus or other Israeli-made spyware in the plot to kill Khashoggi. NSO has denied that its software was used.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense also licensed for Saudi work a company called Candiru, which Microsoft accused last week of helping its government clients spy on more than 100 journalists, politicians, dissidents and human rights advocates around the world.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/israeli-company-is-behind-malware-that-affected-windows-pcs-microsoft-398381">Israeli company is behind malware that affected Windows PCs: Microsoft</a>

Microsoft, which conducted its investigation in tandem with Citizen Lab, a research institute at the University of Toronto, said Candiru had used malware to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft products, enabling its government clients to spy on perceived enemies.

Candiru has had at least one contract with Saudi Arabia since 2018.

Israel has also granted licenses to at least two other firms, Verint, which was licensed before the Khashoggi killing, and Quadream, which signed a contract with Saudi Arabia after the killing.

A fifth company, Cellebrite, which manufactures physical hacking systems for mobile phones, has also sold its services to the Saudi government, but without ministry approval, according to the newspaper Haaretz.

Israel insists that if any Israeli spyware were used to violate civil rights that it would revoke the company’s license.

If the Defense Ministry “discovers that the purchased item is being used in contravention of the terms of the license, especially after any violation of human rights, a procedure of cancellation of the defense export license or of enforcing its terms is initiated,” the ministry said in a statement in response to questions from The New York Times.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudis-who-killed-journalist-khashoggi-received-paramilitary-training-in-us-report-393221">Saudis who killed journalist Khashoggi received paramilitary training in US: Report</a>

The ministry declined to respond to specific questions about the licenses it gave to the Israeli firms, but said that “a wide range of security, diplomatic and strategic considerations are taken into account” when considering whether to grant a license to export offensive cyber technology.

Revelations about the abuses of NSO products led the company to hire a group of outside consultants in 2018 to provide advice about which new clients NSO should take on and which to avoid. The group included Daniel Shapiro, the former Obama administration ambassador to Israel, and Beacon Global Strategies, a Washington strategic consulting firm.

Beacon is led by Jeremy Bash, a former CIA and Pentagon chief of staff; Michael Allen, a former staff director for the House Intelligence Committee; and Andrew Shapiro, a former top State Department official.

While the group’s mandate was to vet potential new clients, the international outrage over Khashoggi’s killing in October 2018 led the group to advise NSO to cancel its Saudi contracts and shut down NSO systems in the kingdom.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/activists-call-for-fresh-probe-into-killings-of-turkish-journalists-386949">Activists call for fresh probe into killings of Turkish journalists</a>

Separately, NSO conducted an internal investigation into whether any of its tools were used by Saudi officials for the Khashoggi operation and concluded that they were not. However a lawsuit against NSO by a friend of Khashoggi’s claims that his phone had been hacked by Saudi Arabia using Pegasus, and that hack gave Saudi officials access to his conversations with Khashoggi, including communications about opposition projects.

Over several days in late 2018, executives both of NSO and the private equity firm that owned it at the time, Francisco Partners, met in Washington with the advisory group.

According to several people familiar with the meetings, the NSO executives argued that the Israeli government was strongly encouraging the company to weather the storm and continue its work in Saudi Arabia. They also said that Israeli officials had indicated to them that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Trump</a> administration also wanted NSO’s work with Saudi Arabia to continue.

In the end, NSO management heeded the advice of the outside group and canceled its contracts with Saudi Arabia in late 2018. Shapiro, the former ambassador to Israel, ended his work for the company shortly afterward.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wion-investigates-unearthing-the-nso-controversy-260269">WION investigates: Unearthing the NSO controversy</a>

Months later, however, after another private equity firm bought NSO, the company was once again doing business with Saudi Arabia.

NSO’s new owner, Novalpina, rejected the advice of the outside advisory group and NSO resumed its work in Saudi Arabia in mid-2019. Around that time, Beacon ended its work with NSO.

The new contract with the Saudis came with some restrictions. For example, NSO set up its system to block any attempts by Saudi officials to hack European telephone numbers, according to a person familiar with the programming.

But it is clear that Saudi Arabia has continued to use NSO software to spy on perceived opponents abroad.

In one case that has come to light, three dozen phones belonging to journalists at Al-Jazeera, which Saudi Arabia considers a threat, were hacked using NSO’s Pegasus software last year, according to Citizen Lab. Citizen Lab traced 18 of the attacks back to Saudi intelligence.

After the revelation of the attack on Al-Jazeera journalists, NSO recently shut down the system, and at a meeting in early July, the company’s board decided to declare new deals with Saudi Arabia off-limits, according to a person familiar with the decision.

Israel’s defense ministry is currently fighting lawsuits by Israeli rights activists demanding that it release details about its process for granting the licenses.

The Israeli government also imposes strict secrecy on the companies that receive the licenses, threatening to revoke them if the companies speak publicly about the identity of their clients.

An NSO statement said the company could not discuss the identity of its government customers, but added: “As NSO has previously stated, our technology was not associated in any way with the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi. This includes listening, monitoring, tracking or collecting information.”

Officials with Candiru, Verint and the government of Saudi Arabia declined to comment. Officials with Quadream could not be reached.

These business ties came as Israel was quietly building relationships directly with the Saudi government.

Benjamin Netanyahu, then Israel’s prime minister, met several times with Saudi Arabia’s day-to-day ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and military and intelligence leaders of the two countries meet frequently.

While Saudi Arabia was not officially party to the Abraham Accords — the diplomatic initiatives during the end of the Trump administration normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab countries — Saudi leaders worked behind the scenes to help broker the deals.

Israel secretly authorized a group of cyber-surveillance firms to work for the government of Saudi Arabia despite international condemnation of the kingdom’s abuse of surveillance software to crush dissent, even after the Saudi killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, government officials and others familiar with the contracts said.

Israel secretly authorized a group of cyber-surveillance firms to work for the government of Saudi Arabia despite international condemnation of the kingdom’s abuse of surveillance software to crush dissent, even after the Saudi killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, government officials and others familiar with the contracts said. After the murder of Khashoggi in 2018, one of the firms, NSO Group, cancelled its contracts with Saudi Arabia amid accusations that its hacking tools were being misused to abet heinous crimes. Also read | Jamal Khashoggi murder: Saudi Arabia court hands death penalty to five, 24 years imprisonment to three But the Israeli government encouraged NSO and two other companies to continue working with Saudi Arabia and issued a new license for a fourth to do similar work, overriding any concerns about human rights abuses, according to one senior Israeli official and three people affiliated with the companies. Since then, Saudi Arabia has continued to use the spyware to monitor dissidents and political opponents. The fact that Israel’s government has encouraged its private companies to do security work for the kingdom — one of its historic adversaries and a nation that still does not formally recognize Israel — is yet more evidence of the reordering of traditional alliances in the region and the strategy by Israel and several Persian Gulf countries to join forces to isolate Iran. Also read | Biden to declassify report on assassination of Jamal Khashoggi NSO is by far the best known of the Israeli firms, largely because of revelations in the past few years that its Pegasus program was used by numerous governments to spy on, and eventually imprison, human rights activists. NSO sold Pegasus to Saudi Arabia in 2017. The kingdom used the spyware as part of a ruthless campaign to crush dissent inside the kingdom and to hunt down Saudi dissidents abroad. It is not publicly known whether Saudi Arabia used Pegasus or other Israeli-made spyware in the plot to kill Khashoggi. NSO has denied that its software was used. Israel’s Ministry of Defense also licensed for Saudi work a company called Candiru, which Microsoft accused last week of helping its government clients spy on more than 100 journalists, politicians, dissidents and human rights advocates around the world. Also read | Israeli company is behind malware that affected Windows PCs: Microsoft Microsoft, which conducted its investigation in tandem with Citizen Lab, a research institute at the University of Toronto, said Candiru had used malware to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft products, enabling its government clients to spy on perceived enemies. Candiru has had at least one contract with Saudi Arabia since 2018. Israel has also granted licenses to at least two other firms, Verint, which was licensed before the Khashoggi killing, and Quadream, which signed a contract with Saudi Arabia after the killing. A fifth company, Cellebrite, which manufactures physical hacking systems for mobile phones, has also sold its services to the Saudi government, but without ministry approval, according to the newspaper Haaretz. Israel insists that if any Israeli spyware were used to violate civil rights that it would revoke the company’s license. If the Defense Ministry “discovers that the purchased item is being used in contravention of the terms of the license, especially after any violation of human rights, a procedure of cancellation of the defense export license or of enforcing its terms is initiated,” the ministry said in a statement in response to questions from The New York Times. Also read | Saudis who killed journalist Khashoggi received paramilitary training in US: Report The ministry declined to respond to specific questions about the licenses it gave to the Israeli firms, but said that “a wide range of security, diplomatic and strategic considerations are taken into account” when considering whether to grant a license to export offensive cyber technology. Revelations about the abuses of NSO products led the company to hire a group of outside consultants in 2018 to provide advice about which new clients NSO should take on and which to avoid. The group included Daniel Shapiro, the former Obama administration ambassador to Israel, and Beacon Global Strategies, a Washington strategic consulting firm. Beacon is led by Jeremy Bash, a former CIA and Pentagon chief of staff; Michael Allen, a former staff director for the House Intelligence Committee; and Andrew Shapiro, a former top State Department official. While the group’s mandate was to vet potential new clients, the international outrage over Khashoggi’s killing in October 2018 led the group to advise NSO to cancel its Saudi contracts and shut down NSO systems in the kingdom. Also read | Activists call for fresh probe into killings of Turkish journalists Separately, NSO conducted an internal investigation into whether any of its tools were used by Saudi officials for the Khashoggi operation and concluded that they were not. However a lawsuit against NSO by a friend of Khashoggi’s claims that his phone had been hacked by Saudi Arabia using Pegasus, and that hack gave Saudi officials access to his conversations with Khashoggi, including communications about opposition projects. Over several days in late 2018, executives both of NSO and the private equity firm that owned it at the time, Francisco Partners, met in Washington with the advisory group. According to several people familiar with the meetings, the NSO executives argued that the Israeli government was strongly encouraging the company to weather the storm and continue its work in Saudi Arabia. They also said that Israeli officials had indicated to them that the Trump administration also wanted NSO’s work with Saudi Arabia to continue. In the end, NSO management heeded the advice of the outside group and canceled its contracts with Saudi Arabia in late 2018. Shapiro, the former ambassador to Israel, ended his work for the company shortly afterward. Also read | WION investigates: Unearthing the NSO controversy Months later, however, after another private equity firm bought NSO, the company was once again doing business with Saudi Arabia. NSO’s new owner, Novalpina, rejected the advice of the outside advisory group and NSO resumed its work in Saudi Arabia in mid-2019. Around that time, Beacon ended its work with NSO. The new contract with the Saudis came with some restrictions. For example, NSO set up its system to block any attempts by Saudi officials to hack European telephone numbers, according to a person familiar with the programming. But it is clear that Saudi Arabia has continued to use NSO software to spy on perceived opponents abroad. In one case that has come to light, three dozen phones belonging to journalists at Al-Jazeera, which Saudi Arabia considers a threat, were hacked using NSO’s Pegasus software last year, according to Citizen Lab. Citizen Lab traced 18 of the attacks back to Saudi intelligence. After the revelation of the attack on Al-Jazeera journalists, NSO recently shut down the system, and at a meeting in early July, the company’s board decided to declare new deals with Saudi Arabia off-limits, according to a person familiar with the decision. Israel’s defense ministry is currently fighting lawsuits by Israeli rights activists demanding that it release details about its process for granting the licenses. The Israeli government also imposes strict secrecy on the companies that receive the licenses, threatening to revoke them if the companies speak publicly about the identity of their clients. An NSO statement said the company could not discuss the identity of its government customers, but added: “As NSO has previously stated, our technology was not associated in any way with the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi. This includes listening, monitoring, tracking or collecting information.” Officials with Candiru, Verint and the government of Saudi Arabia declined to comment. Officials with Quadream could not be reached. These business ties came as Israel was quietly building relationships directly with the Saudi government. Benjamin Netanyahu, then Israel’s prime minister, met several times with Saudi Arabia’s day-to-day ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and military and intelligence leaders of the two countries meet frequently. While Saudi Arabia was not officially party to the Abraham Accords — the diplomatic initiatives during the end of the Trump administration normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab countries — Saudi leaders worked behind the scenes to help broker the deals.

Israeli companies aided Saudi spying despite Khashoggi killing

Muslim protesters clashed with Israeli police on Sunday at a flashpoint shrine in Jerusalem Old City shrine when Jews were headed there to mark a religious holiday, said police.

Palestinians condemned the Jewish pilgrimage to Al-Aqsa mosque which is known to the Jews as the Temple Mount.

Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stood by Isarel's decision to allow Jews to visit the site

According to police, in the early hours of the morning Palestinian "youths began throwing stones at the Temple Mount esplanade toward police forces, who dispersed them". There were no official reports of arrests or injuries.&nbsp;

The European Union delegation to Palestinian territories said in a tweet that it was "concerned over ongoing tensions". It urged that there be no "act of incitement".

It also called for respect for the site's status quo urging Israeli, religious and community leaders to urgently "calm down this explosive situation".

The incident took place on the Jewish festival of Tisha B'av, marking the day of the year thousands of years ago when, according to tradition, both Jewish temples located on the Temple Mount were destroyed.

The holy site lies in east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied and annexed in 1967, but is administered by the Muslim Waqf organisation which reluctantly grants Jews limited access.

Muslim protesters clashed with Israeli police on Sunday at a flashpoint shrine in Jerusalem Old City shrine when Jews were headed there to mark a religious holiday, said police.

Muslim protesters clashed with Israeli police on Sunday at a flashpoint shrine in Jerusalem Old City shrine when Jews were headed there to mark a religious holiday, said police. Palestinians condemned the Jewish pilgrimage to Al-Aqsa mosque which is known to the Jews as the Temple Mount. Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stood by Isarel's decision to allow Jews to visit the site According to police, in the early hours of the morning Palestinian "youths began throwing stones at the Temple Mount esplanade toward police forces, who dispersed them". There were no official reports of arrests or injuries. The European Union delegation to Palestinian territories said in a tweet that it was "concerned over ongoing tensions". It urged that there be no "act of incitement". It also called for respect for the site's status quo urging Israeli, religious and community leaders to urgently "calm down this explosive situation". The incident took place on the Jewish festival of Tisha B'av, marking the day of the year thousands of years ago when, according to tradition, both Jewish temples located on the Temple Mount were destroyed. The holy site lies in east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied and annexed in 1967, but is administered by the Muslim Waqf organisation which reluctantly grants Jews limited access.

Tension increase at Al-Aqsa mosque on Jewish holy day

Israel&nbsp;said Sunday it would punish Palestinians for the practice of paying militants for attacks by feezing tax payments it collects for the Palestinian Authority.

The amount withheld would balance the amount the PA pays to Palestinian attackers and their families.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-palestine-conflict-france-jordan-egypt-hold-talks-seek-ceasefire-385927">Israel-Palestine conflict: France, Jordan, Egypt hold talks, seek ceasefire</a>

The move, approved by the security cabinet of recently appointed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, was likely to cause a crisis with the PA, who took action against similar measures in the past.&nbsp;

The cabinet was told the PA transferred 597 million shekels ($183 million, 154 million euros) "in indirect support of terrorism in 2020" in the form of payments "to terrorists and their families," Bennett's office said.

"These funds will be frozen on a monthly basis out of the payments that&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;transfers to the Palestinian Authority," the statement added.

Israel&nbsp;collects around $190 million a month in customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports, and then it transfers the money to the PA.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-israel-palestine-where-is-the-conflict-heading-385830">Opinion | Israel-Palestine: Where is the conflict heading?</a>

In February 2019,&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;began withholding around $10 million a month, saying the amount corresponded to what the PA paid to families of Palestinians jailed for attacks against Israelis.

The cut prompted a crisis between&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;and the PA, with the Palestinians refusing to receive all funds for eight months.

Israel&nbsp;alleges the payments to those who have carried out attacks encourage further violence. The PA says the payments are a form of welfare to the families who have lost their main breadwinner.

Israel said Sunday it would punish Palestinians for the practice of paying militants for attacks by feezing tax payments it collects for the Palestinian Authority.

Israel said Sunday it would punish Palestinians for the practice of paying militants for attacks by feezing tax payments it collects for the Palestinian Authority. The amount withheld would balance the amount the PA pays to Palestinian attackers and their families. Also read | Israel-Palestine conflict: France, Jordan, Egypt hold talks, seek ceasefire The move, approved by the security cabinet of recently appointed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, was likely to cause a crisis with the PA, who took action against similar measures in the past. The cabinet was told the PA transferred 597 million shekels ($183 million, 154 million euros) "in indirect support of terrorism in 2020" in the form of payments "to terrorists and their families," Bennett's office said. "These funds will be frozen on a monthly basis out of the payments that Israel transfers to the Palestinian Authority," the statement added. Israel collects around $190 million a month in customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports, and then it transfers the money to the PA. Also read | Opinion | Israel-Palestine: Where is the conflict heading? In February 2019, Israel began withholding around $10 million a month, saying the amount corresponded to what the PA paid to families of Palestinians jailed for attacks against Israelis. The cut prompted a crisis between Israel and the PA, with the Palestinians refusing to receive all funds for eight months. Israel alleges the payments to those who have carried out attacks encourage further violence. The PA says the payments are a form of welfare to the families who have lost their main breadwinner.

Israel to deduct Palestinian money over 'terror' payments

Israel's former prime minister Benjamin&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;formally departed his&nbsp;official&nbsp;Jerusalem&nbsp;residence&nbsp;early on Sunday, nearly a&nbsp;month&nbsp;after&nbsp;he was ousted by his successor Naftali Bennett.

"A little&nbsp;after&nbsp;midnight the&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;family left the&nbsp;residence&nbsp;on Balfour [Street]," a spokesman for the family told journalists in a statement.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-netanyahu-era-ends-in-israel-what-to-expect-now-391616">Opinion: Netanyahu era ends in Israel, what to expect now?</a>

Moving trucks were spotted outside the&nbsp;residence&nbsp;and black Audi cars were filmed being towed from the property over the weekend.&nbsp;

The hawkish&nbsp;Netanyahu, who served as Israel's leader for 12 straight years following an earlier three-year term, stayed in&nbsp;office&nbsp;longer than any other prime minister in Israel's history.&nbsp;

He remained in&nbsp;office&nbsp;even as he went to trial on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. He denies the charges and says they are a left-wing plot against him.&nbsp;

He led Israel through four deeply divisive elections in less than two years before right-wing nationalist Bennett was sworn in on June 13 to head an ideologically disparate coalition, unseating him.&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;did not vacate the prime ministerial&nbsp;residence.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-well-be-back-soon-says-netanyahu-vows-to-stay-in-politics-391256">Israel: 'We'll be back soon', says Netanyahu; vows to stay in politics</a>

Instead, he continued to host dignitaries including Nikki Haley, who served as US ambassador to the United Nations under former President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

In late June,&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;and Bennett's offices announced a final date for the former premier to move out: Saturday, July 10.&nbsp;

Netanyahu&nbsp;left&nbsp;after&nbsp;midnight Sunday, slightly&nbsp;after&nbsp;the deadline he agreed to.&nbsp;

"Crime Minister", an organisation that has mounted weekly protests against&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;outside the&nbsp;residence&nbsp;for more than a year, mocked him on Sunday.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/benjamin-netanyahu-the-former-military-commando-who-led-israel-for-15-years-391287">Benjamin Netanyahu: The former military commando who led Israel for 15 years</a>

"The defendant and his family fled as the last of the thieves in the night," the group wrote on Facebook.&nbsp;

Bennett is to take over the prime minister's&nbsp;residence&nbsp;on Sunday.&nbsp;

Israel's former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally departed his official Jerusalem residence early on Sunday, nearly a month after he was ousted by his successor Naftali Bennett.

Israel's former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally departed his official Jerusalem residence early on Sunday, nearly a month after he was ousted by his successor Naftali Bennett. "A little after midnight the Netanyahu family left the residence on Balfour [Street]," a spokesman for the family told journalists in a statement. Also read | Opinion: Netanyahu era ends in Israel, what to expect now? Moving trucks were spotted outside the residence and black Audi cars were filmed being towed from the property over the weekend. The hawkish Netanyahu, who served as Israel's leader for 12 straight years following an earlier three-year term, stayed in office longer than any other prime minister in Israel's history. He remained in office even as he went to trial on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. He denies the charges and says they are a left-wing plot against him. He led Israel through four deeply divisive elections in less than two years before right-wing nationalist Bennett was sworn in on June 13 to head an ideologically disparate coalition, unseating him. However, Netanyahu did not vacate the prime ministerial residence. Also read | Israel: 'We'll be back soon', says Netanyahu; vows to stay in politics Instead, he continued to host dignitaries including Nikki Haley, who served as US ambassador to the United Nations under former President Donald Trump. In late June, Netanyahu and Bennett's offices announced a final date for the former premier to move out: Saturday, July 10. Netanyahu left after midnight Sunday, slightly after the deadline he agreed to. "Crime Minister", an organisation that has mounted weekly protests against Netanyahu outside the residence for more than a year, mocked him on Sunday. Also read | Benjamin Netanyahu: The former military commando who led Israel for 15 years "The defendant and his family fled as the last of the thieves in the night," the group wrote on Facebook. Bennett is to take over the prime minister's residence on Sunday.

Netanyahu leaves official residence a month after losing office

Israeli cabinet said on Sunday that Israel will withhold USD 180 million in tax revenue it collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA). This is about 7 per cent of total tax revenue of the PA. Israel said that this decision has been taken to offset stipends paid to militants and their families

Under a 2018 law, Israel calculates each year how much it believes the Palestinian Authority has paid in stipends to militants, and deducts that amount from the taxes it has collected on the Palestinians` behalf.

Taxes collected by Israel form about half of the income of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel calls stipends for militants and their families a “pay for slay” policy that encourages violence.&nbsp; 
Palestinians hail their jailed brethren as heroes in a struggle for an independent state and their families as deserving of support.

Qadri Abu Baker, head of prisoners affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the Israeli measure a crime of “terror and piracy.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Israeli cabinet said on Sunday that Israel will withhold USD 180 million in tax revenue it collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA). This is about 7 per cent of total tax revenue of the PA.

Israeli cabinet said on Sunday that Israel will withhold USD 180 million in tax revenue it collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA). This is about 7 per cent of total tax revenue of the PA. Israel said that this decision has been taken to offset stipends paid to militants and their families Under a 2018 law, Israel calculates each year how much it believes the Palestinian Authority has paid in stipends to militants, and deducts that amount from the taxes it has collected on the Palestinians` behalf. Taxes collected by Israel form about half of the income of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel calls stipends for militants and their families a “pay for slay” policy that encourages violence. Palestinians hail their jailed brethren as heroes in a struggle for an independent state and their families as deserving of support. Qadri Abu Baker, head of prisoners affairs in the Palestine Liberation Organization, called the Israeli measure a crime of “terror and piracy.” (With inputs from agencies)

Israel withholds USD 180 million Palestinian funds over militant stipends

In a step towards equality, Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of surrogacy for same-sex couples in the country.

The critics argued that allowing surrogacy for same-sex couples will a hindrance to the already existing family values. However, the Supreme Court ruled that any and all restrictions imposed on same-sex couples regarding surrogacy should be lifted within six months.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-israel-set-to-offer-booster-shot-of-pfizer-vaccine-against-delta-variant-397393">Israel to offer booster shot of Pfizer vaccine against Delta variant of Covid</a>

Surrogacy is a process of reproduction where a woman agrees to bear a child for someone and then gives the baby to the couple after delivery. The process was legalised in 1996 but same-sex couples were still fighting to earn their rights.

The battle reached courts when a same-sex couple, Etai and Yoav Arad-Pinkas in 2010, first appealed for the right to surrogacy. However, their attempt failed and they had to file another petition in 2015 with the help of another LGBTQ rights group.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-orders-demolition-of-palestinian-homes-in-west-bank-village-396548" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-orders-demolition-of-palestinian-homes-in-west-bank-village-396548&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjRhoWZndvxAhUFjeYKHeWjAEk4ChAWMAV6BAgJEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw0yVHs2yOy7OZ55AuZFXUAF" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-orders-demolition-of-palestinian-homes-in-west-bank-village-396548" target="_blank">Israel&nbsp;orders demolition of Palestinian homes in West Bank village</a>

After a long battle, the Supreme Court ruled that excluding same-sex couples and single men from practicing the right to surrogacy is unconstitutional.

"It's a lot easier and more sane," Gay rights advocate Oz Parvin, head of the Association of Israeli Gay Fathers said.

Several same-sex couples from Israel have had to resort to going to other countries such as India, Nepal, Thailand, and the US to adopt a baby by surrogacy.

In a step towards equality, Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of surrogacy for same-sex couples in the country. The critics argued that allowing surrogacy for same-sex couples will a hindrance to the already existing family values.

In a step towards equality, Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of surrogacy for same-sex couples in the country. The critics argued that allowing surrogacy for same-sex couples will a hindrance to the already existing family values. However, the Supreme Court ruled that any and all restrictions imposed on same-sex couples regarding surrogacy should be lifted within six months. Also read | Israel to offer booster shot of Pfizer vaccine against Delta variant of Covid Surrogacy is a process of reproduction where a woman agrees to bear a child for someone and then gives the baby to the couple after delivery. The process was legalised in 1996 but same-sex couples were still fighting to earn their rights. The battle reached courts when a same-sex couple, Etai and Yoav Arad-Pinkas in 2010, first appealed for the right to surrogacy. However, their attempt failed and they had to file another petition in 2015 with the help of another LGBTQ rights group. Also read | Israel orders demolition of Palestinian homes in West Bank village After a long battle, the Supreme Court ruled that excluding same-sex couples and single men from practicing the right to surrogacy is unconstitutional. "It's a lot easier and more sane," Gay rights advocate Oz Parvin, head of the Association of Israeli Gay Fathers said. Several same-sex couples from Israel have had to resort to going to other countries such as India, Nepal, Thailand, and the US to adopt a baby by surrogacy.

Israel's Supreme Court allows surrogacy for same-sex couples

Israeli moviemaker Nadav Lapid`s love-hate relationship with his homeland plays out in his competition entry to this year`s Cannes Film Festival, a back-of-beyond tale inspired by his own experience of government meddling. 
 
'Ahed's Knee'&nbsp;tells of an Israeli moviemaker who arrives in a dusty desert town for a screening of one of his productions. There he meets a young culture ministry official, who asks him to sign a form listing discussion topics he wishes to explore.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/cannes-2021-helen-mirren-jessica-chastain-adam-driver-and-others-sashayed-down-the-red-carpet-396522" hreflang="en">Cannes 2021: Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver and others sashayed down the red carpet</a> 
 
That triggers the moviemaker's outrage, but he also displays moments of affection for Israeli, recording a desert sunset on his phone for his dying mother, and sharing a joyous car ride with a local to the sound of Bill Withers` 'Lovely Day'. The film has divided critics, and Lapid said his own conflicted sense of identity had crept into it. 
 
"A sort of intimacy towards Israel sneaked behind my back and got into the screen," he told a news conference, adding that he was more interested in inner conflicts than in politics. 
 
The film jumps between flashbacks to its filmmaking hero's time in military service, where the soldiers play cruel tricks on each other, to his growing despair in the desert.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/netflix-expands-deal-with-bridgerton-producer-shonda-rhimes-396872" hreflang="en">Netflix expands deal with 'Bridgerton' producer Shonda Rhimes</a> 
 
"I want to show how people`s souls are changed, tormented, perverted sometimes by a state, by a place, less than talking about the state of Israel itself," he said. 
 
Back at home in Tel Aviv Lapid has started a new project - a film about Ahed Tamini, a Palestinian girl who is 2017, aged 16, slapped an Israeli soldier and served a prison term. 
 
She became a hero to campaigners against the occupation of the West Bank.

Israeli moviemaker Nadav Lapid`s love-hate relationship with his homeland plays out in his competition entry to this year`s Cannes Film Festival, a back-of-beyond tale inspired by his own experience of government meddling.

Israeli moviemaker Nadav Lapid`s love-hate relationship with his homeland plays out in his competition entry to this year`s Cannes Film Festival, a back-of-beyond tale inspired by his own experience of government meddling. 'Ahed's Knee' tells of an Israeli moviemaker who arrives in a dusty desert town for a screening of one of his productions. There he meets a young culture ministry official, who asks him to sign a form listing discussion topics he wishes to explore. Cannes 2021: Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver and others sashayed down the red carpet That triggers the moviemaker's outrage, but he also displays moments of affection for Israeli, recording a desert sunset on his phone for his dying mother, and sharing a joyous car ride with a local to the sound of Bill Withers` 'Lovely Day'. The film has divided critics, and Lapid said his own conflicted sense of identity had crept into it. "A sort of intimacy towards Israel sneaked behind my back and got into the screen," he told a news conference, adding that he was more interested in inner conflicts than in politics. The film jumps between flashbacks to its filmmaking hero's time in military service, where the soldiers play cruel tricks on each other, to his growing despair in the desert. Netflix expands deal with 'Bridgerton' producer Shonda Rhimes "I want to show how people`s souls are changed, tormented, perverted sometimes by a state, by a place, less than talking about the state of Israel itself," he said. Back at home in Tel Aviv Lapid has started a new project - a film about Ahed Tamini, a Palestinian girl who is 2017, aged 16, slapped an Israeli soldier and served a prison term. She became a hero to campaigners against the occupation of the West Bank.

At Cannes, filmmaker Nadav Lapid takes seething swipe at Israeli identity

<div>As a result of strong winds and high temperatures, the Cyprus wildfire is spreading rapidly, forcing the evacuation of several villages. Cyprus on Saturday requested emergency assistance of European and Israeli planes, to help fight the blaze.</div>

Calling it a "very difficult day", the Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades, in a statement, expressed his gratitude to the Greeks and the Israelis for responding positively to the appeal.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-dead-in-cyprus-worst-forest-fire-in-decades-395745">Four dead in Cyprus' worst forest fire in decades</a>

The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, announced on Twitter a mobilization of aerial firefighting assets, including planes from Italy and Greece.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After a huge fire broke out in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cyprus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cyprus</a> Limassol district, our Emergency and Response Coordination Centre invited <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Greece?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Greece</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Italy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Italy</a> to mobilise the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rescEU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rescEU</a> aerial firefighting capacity. 
 
🇬🇷 plane will arrive still tonight. 
 
We remain in close contact with 🇨🇾 authorities. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EUCivPro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EUCivPro</a> <a href="https://t.co/dCSqPZIpLO">https://t.co/dCSqPZIpLO</a>
— Janez Lenarčič (@JanezLenarcic) <a href="https://twitter.com/JanezLenarcic/status/1411379958916730885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office also confirmed that they were sending "two firefighting planes", which are slated for arrival on Sunday.

There is no immediate report of casualties in the fire that started in Limassol's southern district of Arakapa. However, property damage has been reported.&nbsp;

Some villages in Larnaca were also evacuated as a precautionary measure, to prevent damage as temperatures in Cyprus have risen to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) during a week-long heatwave.

Nikos Christodoulides, Cyprus' foreign minister, while talking to the official CNA news agency said that the island nation had requested assistance.

The minister said that four aircrafts had been requested to combat the blaze.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/pics-cyprus-faces-worst-forest-fires-in-decades-395784">Pics | Cyprus faces worst forest fires in decades</a>

Off-duty personnel have also been called in to help with firefighting efforts as the fire seems to be raging on several fronts.

Costas Kadis, Agriculture Minister, said the situation is challenging which is why the government had to request assistance.

Assisted by British troops, and equipment already on the Mediterranean island, more than twenty firefighting vehicles, six helicopters and four planes have already been deployed to fight the flames.

The situation is so dire that dense smoke is visible from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away, residents of Larnaca, the southern resort town south of Limassol have reported seeing the sun turning a "blood orange" colour.

As a result of strong winds and high temperatures, the Cyprus wildfire is spreading rapidly, forcing the evacuation of several villages. Cyprus on Saturday requested emergency assistance of European and Israeli planes, to help fight the blaze.

As a result of strong winds and high temperatures, the Cyprus wildfire is spreading rapidly, forcing the evacuation of several villages. Cyprus on Saturday requested emergency assistance of European and Israeli planes, to help fight the blaze. Calling it a "very difficult day", the Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades, in a statement, expressed his gratitude to the Greeks and the Israelis for responding positively to the appeal. Also read | Four dead in Cyprus' worst forest fire in decades The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, announced on Twitter a mobilization of aerial firefighting assets, including planes from Italy and Greece. After a huge fire broke out in #Cyprus Limassol district, our Emergency and Response Coordination Centre invited #Greece & #Italy to mobilise the #rescEU aerial firefighting capacity. 🇬🇷 plane will arrive still tonight. We remain in close contact with 🇨🇾 authorities. #EUCivPro https://t.co/dCSqPZIpLO — Janez Lenarčič (@JanezLenarcic) July 3, 2021 × Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office also confirmed that they were sending "two firefighting planes", which are slated for arrival on Sunday. There is no immediate report of casualties in the fire that started in Limassol's southern district of Arakapa. However, property damage has been reported. Some villages in Larnaca were also evacuated as a precautionary measure, to prevent damage as temperatures in Cyprus have risen to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) during a week-long heatwave. Nikos Christodoulides, Cyprus' foreign minister, while talking to the official CNA news agency said that the island nation had requested assistance. The minister said that four aircrafts had been requested to combat the blaze. Also read | Pics | Cyprus faces worst forest fires in decades Off-duty personnel have also been called in to help with firefighting efforts as the fire seems to be raging on several fronts. Costas Kadis, Agriculture Minister, said the situation is challenging which is why the government had to request assistance. Assisted by British troops, and equipment already on the Mediterranean island, more than twenty firefighting vehicles, six helicopters and four planes have already been deployed to fight the flames. The situation is so dire that dense smoke is visible from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away, residents of Larnaca, the southern resort town south of Limassol have reported seeing the sun turning a "blood orange" colour.

Cyprus seeks international assistance to combat 'worst forest fire' in decades

Israel is in talks with other countries about a deal to unload its surplus of Pfizer/BioNtech <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccines</a>, doses of which are due to expire by the end of the month, a health ministry official said on Sunday.

Hezi Levi, the ministry's director-general, did not provide details about the number of doses Israel was looking to hand over in an apparent swap arrangement.

In an interview with Radio 103 FM, he confirmed that such a deal had been discussed with Britain last week but said an agreement had not materialised and was "a thing of the past".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-to-reroute-10-million-astrazeneca-covid-vaccines-to-countries-in-need-379016">Israel to reroute 10 million AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to countries in need</a>

Israel's Haaretz newspaper put the number of doses at about 1 million.

"We are negotiating with other countries," Levi told Radio 103 FM, without naming them. "We are dealing with this day and night."

He said the doses expire on July 31 and that any deal would have to win Pfizer's approval.

A Pfizer spokesperson said the company "is happy to discuss potential donations requests of the Pfizer/BioNTech <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID</a> vaccine between governments on a case-by-case basis, particularly if this helps ensure the vaccine is used to protect people from this disease".

Last month the Palestinians rejected about a million doses from Israel, saying they were too close to their expiry date.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestinians-cancel-deal-for-near-expired-covid-19-vaccines-from-israel-392515">Palestinians cancel deal for near-expired COVID-19 vaccines from Israel</a>

Israel launched in December one of the world's fastest vaccine drives and has since vaccinated nearly 90 per cent of people over the age of 50, a group considered to be at the highest risk from the coronavirus.

Overall, however, around a fifth of all eligible Israelis have not yet had the vaccine, according to health ministry data.

With infections falling from more than 10,000 daily cases in January to single digits, Israel, with a population of 9.3 million, has dropped nearly all coronavirus curbs.

But an uptick of cases that began in mid-June, attributed to the more contagious Delta variant, may bring some restrictions back, Levi said.

Vaccination rates peaked in January and gradually fell until June when 12 to 15-year-olds were made eligible for the jab. Delta's spread, particularly among schoolchildren, has spurred parents to get their children inoculated and the rate has increased five-fold since early June.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-part-of-worlds-fastest-vaccination-programme-israel-begins-rolling-out-coronavirus-booster-shots-355831">As part of world's fastest vaccination programme, Israel begins rolling out coronavirus booster shots</a>

Levi said Pfizer's vaccine was about 85-88 per cent&nbsp;effective against the delta variant, a high figure but lower in comparison with its effectiveness against other strains.

He based that figure on a British study as well as recent research by the health ministry. A ministry spokesperson did not immediately provide more details about the study.

Israel is in talks with other countries about a deal to unload its surplus of Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccines, doses of which are due to expire by the end of the month, a health ministry official said on Sunday.

Israel is in talks with other countries about a deal to unload its surplus of Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccines, doses of which are due to expire by the end of the month, a health ministry official said on Sunday. Hezi Levi, the ministry's director-general, did not provide details about the number of doses Israel was looking to hand over in an apparent swap arrangement. In an interview with Radio 103 FM, he confirmed that such a deal had been discussed with Britain last week but said an agreement had not materialised and was "a thing of the past". Also read | Israel to reroute 10 million AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to countries in need Israel's Haaretz newspaper put the number of doses at about 1 million. "We are negotiating with other countries," Levi told Radio 103 FM, without naming them. "We are dealing with this day and night." He said the doses expire on July 31 and that any deal would have to win Pfizer's approval. A Pfizer spokesperson said the company "is happy to discuss potential donations requests of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine between governments on a case-by-case basis, particularly if this helps ensure the vaccine is used to protect people from this disease". Last month the Palestinians rejected about a million doses from Israel, saying they were too close to their expiry date. Also read | Palestinians cancel deal for near-expired COVID-19 vaccines from Israel Israel launched in December one of the world's fastest vaccine drives and has since vaccinated nearly 90 per cent of people over the age of 50, a group considered to be at the highest risk from the coronavirus. Overall, however, around a fifth of all eligible Israelis have not yet had the vaccine, according to health ministry data. With infections falling from more than 10,000 daily cases in January to single digits, Israel, with a population of 9.3 million, has dropped nearly all coronavirus curbs. But an uptick of cases that began in mid-June, attributed to the more contagious Delta variant, may bring some restrictions back, Levi said. Vaccination rates peaked in January and gradually fell until June when 12 to 15-year-olds were made eligible for the jab. Delta's spread, particularly among schoolchildren, has spurred parents to get their children inoculated and the rate has increased five-fold since early June. Also read | As part of world's fastest vaccination programme, Israel begins rolling out coronavirus booster shots Levi said Pfizer's vaccine was about 85-88 per cent effective against the delta variant, a high figure but lower in comparison with its effectiveness against other strains. He based that figure on a British study as well as recent research by the health ministry. A ministry spokesperson did not immediately provide more details about the study.

Official says, Israel negotiating Pfizer surplus with other countries

Israel's new foreign minister Yair Lapid expressed "serious reservations" over Iran nuclear deal. He voiced his concerns in his first meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Though he raised concerns, he pledged a more co-operative approach.

"Israel has some serious reservations about the Iran nuclear deal that is being put together in Vienna. We believe the way to discuss those disagreements is though direct and professional conversations, not in press conferences," Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said as he opened a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome.

World powers are currently in talks with Iran to revive the nuclear deal it struck in 2015

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-have-drones-with-7000-km-range-says-irans-top-commander-394311">We have drones with 7,000 km range, says Iran's top commander</a>

In 2015, the deal was struck but US under Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran.

The talks to revive the deal were on but have now been adjourned for respective delegations to hold consultation in respective capitals.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's new foreign minister Yair Lapid expressed "serious reservations" over Iran nuclear deal. He voiced his concerns in his first meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Israel's new foreign minister Yair Lapid expressed "serious reservations" over Iran nuclear deal. He voiced his concerns in his first meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Though he raised concerns, he pledged a more co-operative approach. "Israel has some serious reservations about the Iran nuclear deal that is being put together in Vienna. We believe the way to discuss those disagreements is though direct and professional conversations, not in press conferences," Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said as he opened a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome. World powers are currently in talks with Iran to revive the nuclear deal it struck in 2015 Also Read | We have drones with 7,000 km range, says Iran's top commander In 2015, the deal was struck but US under Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran. The talks to revive the deal were on but have now been adjourned for respective delegations to hold consultation in respective capitals. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel voices 'serious reservations' on Iran deal to Blinken

Israel&nbsp;summoned Poland's ambassador on Sunday to express its "deep disappointment" over a Polish bill that critics say will make it harder for Jews to recover property seized by the country's Nazi occupiers during World War Two and then kept by post-war communist rulers, the foreign ministry said.

Poland's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a draft bill introducing a statute of limitations on claims for the restitution of property, drawing a furious response from&nbsp;Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who labelled it a "disgrace".

A statement from the&nbsp;Israeli foreign ministry said the legislation could affect up to 90 per cent&nbsp;of property restitution requests from Holocaust survivors and their descendants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poland-president-to-review-holocaust-bill-after-israeli-concern-31024">Poland president to review Holocaust bill after Israeli concern</a>

"This is not a historical debate about responsibility for the Holocaust but a moral debt of Poland to those who were its citizens and whose property was looted during the Holocaust and under the communist regime," the statement said.

The Polish foreign ministry has, in turn, summoned&nbsp;Israel's charge d'affaires in Warsaw for Monday, deputy foreign minister Pawel Jablonski said on Sunday.

Almost all of Poland's Jews, about three million people, were wiped out in the Nazi Holocaust. Jewish former property owners and their descendants have been campaigning for compensation from Poland since the fall of communism in 1989.

The legislation would implement a 2015 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that there should be a deadline after which faulty administrative decisions can no longer be challenged. The law sets this deadline at 30 years.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jews-slam-polish-pm-for-calling-wwii-restitution-a-win-for-hitler-220215">Jews slam Polish PM for calling WWII restitution a win for Hitler</a>

The legacy of World War Two, and related Polish legislation, has previously strained ties between Poland and&nbsp;Israel. Thousands of Poles risked their lives to protect Jewish neighbours during the war. But research published since 1989 showed that thousands also killed Jews or denounced those who hid them to the German occupiers.

In 2018 the government was forced to back down and remove parts of a Holocaust law that imposed jail terms on people who suggested the nation was complicit in Nazi crimes, which had angered the United States and&nbsp;Israel.

Israel summoned Poland's ambassador on Sunday to express its "deep disappointment" over a Polish bill that critics say will make it harder for Jews to recover property seized by the country's Nazi occupiers during World War Two and then kept by post-war communist rulers, the foreign ministry said.

Israel summoned Poland's ambassador on Sunday to express its "deep disappointment" over a Polish bill that critics say will make it harder for Jews to recover property seized by the country's Nazi occupiers during World War Two and then kept by post-war communist rulers, the foreign ministry said. Poland's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a draft bill introducing a statute of limitations on claims for the restitution of property, drawing a furious response from Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who labelled it a "disgrace". A statement from the Israeli foreign ministry said the legislation could affect up to 90 per cent of property restitution requests from Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Also read | Poland president to review Holocaust bill after Israeli concern "This is not a historical debate about responsibility for the Holocaust but a moral debt of Poland to those who were its citizens and whose property was looted during the Holocaust and under the communist regime," the statement said. The Polish foreign ministry has, in turn, summoned Israel's charge d'affaires in Warsaw for Monday, deputy foreign minister Pawel Jablonski said on Sunday. Almost all of Poland's Jews, about three million people, were wiped out in the Nazi Holocaust. Jewish former property owners and their descendants have been campaigning for compensation from Poland since the fall of communism in 1989. The legislation would implement a 2015 Constitutional Tribunal ruling that there should be a deadline after which faulty administrative decisions can no longer be challenged. The law sets this deadline at 30 years. Also read | Jews slam Polish PM for calling WWII restitution a win for Hitler The legacy of World War Two, and related Polish legislation, has previously strained ties between Poland and Israel. Thousands of Poles risked their lives to protect Jewish neighbours during the war. But research published since 1989 showed that thousands also killed Jews or denounced those who hid them to the German occupiers. In 2018 the government was forced to back down and remove parts of a Holocaust law that imposed jail terms on people who suggested the nation was complicit in Nazi crimes, which had angered the United States and Israel.

Israel summons Polish envoy over Holocaust property bill

Gaza's Pepsi bottling company was forced to halt operations this week due to Israeli import restrictions that were tightened during an 11-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants last month, the company's owners say. 
 
With a truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas largely holding, Israel on Monday allowed a limited resumption of exports from the enclave. 
 
But it has kept in place tightened measures on raw material imports, including carbon dioxide gas and syrup that the bottling company's factory needs to produce Pepsi, 7UP and Mirinda soda, said Pepsi Gaza's Hamam al-Yazeji. 
 
"Yesterday, we completely ran out of raw materials, and unfortunately, we had to shut down the factory, sending home 250 workers," Yazeji said. Before the May fighting, he said, Pepsi Gaza was generally allowed to import needed materials. 
 
Asked for comment, COGAT, a branch of Israel's defence ministry, said: "Due to the security situation, the import of industrial raw materials from the State of Israel into the Gaza Strip is not possible." 
 
COGAT said Israel was allowing other imports into Gaza, including fuel, food, medicine and medical equipment. 
 
Israel and neighbouring Egypt keep tight control over Gaza's borders, and say the restrictions are necessary to stop weapons reaching Hamas and prevent them from being produced locally. 
 
Egypt and the United Nations stepped up mediation last week after incendiary balloons launched from Gaza drew retaliatory Israeli air strikes on Hamas sites, challenging the fragile ceasefire. 
 
Shutdowns could also occur in other Gaza factories if Israeli restrictions are kept up, analysts say. Manufacturing makes up around 10 per cent of Gaza's service sector-dominated economy, according to UN&nbsp;data. 
 
Pepsi Gaza's factory has operated continuously since 1961, when the Gaza-based Yazeji Soft Drinks Company acquired rights to produce 7UP and other types of soda in the enclave. 
 
Worth about $15 million, the owners say, the factory's products are distributed locally. A separate branch operates in the occupied West Bank, worth about $30 million, which serves the territory as well as East Jerusalem. 
 
Company officials had made plans to celebrate 60 years of operations before the shutdown on Sunday. 
 
Yazeji had tears in his eyes as he walked through his empty factory on Monday. The shutdown was 'catastrophic', he said. 
 
"This year should have been exceptional, celebrating 60 years since we began production. 
 
"We are deprived of marking this anniversary." 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Gaza's Pepsi bottling company was forced to halt operations this week due to Israeli import restrictions that were tightened during an 11-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants last month, the company's owners say.

Gaza's Pepsi bottling company was forced to halt operations this week due to Israeli import restrictions that were tightened during an 11-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants last month, the company's owners say. With a truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas largely holding, Israel on Monday allowed a limited resumption of exports from the enclave. But it has kept in place tightened measures on raw material imports, including carbon dioxide gas and syrup that the bottling company's factory needs to produce Pepsi, 7UP and Mirinda soda, said Pepsi Gaza's Hamam al-Yazeji. "Yesterday, we completely ran out of raw materials, and unfortunately, we had to shut down the factory, sending home 250 workers," Yazeji said. Before the May fighting, he said, Pepsi Gaza was generally allowed to import needed materials. Asked for comment, COGAT, a branch of Israel's defence ministry, said: "Due to the security situation, the import of industrial raw materials from the State of Israel into the Gaza Strip is not possible." COGAT said Israel was allowing other imports into Gaza, including fuel, food, medicine and medical equipment. Israel and neighbouring Egypt keep tight control over Gaza's borders, and say the restrictions are necessary to stop weapons reaching Hamas and prevent them from being produced locally. Egypt and the United Nations stepped up mediation last week after incendiary balloons launched from Gaza drew retaliatory Israeli air strikes on Hamas sites, challenging the fragile ceasefire. Shutdowns could also occur in other Gaza factories if Israeli restrictions are kept up, analysts say. Manufacturing makes up around 10 per cent of Gaza's service sector-dominated economy, according to UN data. Pepsi Gaza's factory has operated continuously since 1961, when the Gaza-based Yazeji Soft Drinks Company acquired rights to produce 7UP and other types of soda in the enclave. Worth about $15 million, the owners say, the factory's products are distributed locally. A separate branch operates in the occupied West Bank, worth about $30 million, which serves the territory as well as East Jerusalem. Company officials had made plans to celebrate 60 years of operations before the shutdown on Sunday. Yazeji had tears in his eyes as he walked through his empty factory on Monday. The shutdown was 'catastrophic', he said. "This year should have been exceptional, celebrating 60 years since we began production. "We are deprived of marking this anniversary." (With inputs from agencies)

Gaza Pepsi factory shuts down, owners blame Israeli restrictions

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden plans to host Israel's new president, Reuven Rivlin, at the White House on June 28, the White House said on Saturday. 
 
"President Rivlin's visit will highlight the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel and the deep ties between our governments and our people," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. 
 
Rivlin will visit shortly before he is due to end his seven-year term in July. 
 
Isaac Herzog was elected the country's new president this month in elections that marked the end of the era of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. 
 
The role of president is largely ceremonial but also meant to promote unity among ethnic and religious groups. 
 
The government changed after last month's fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza also touched off rare mob violence among the Jewish majority and Arab minority within Israeli cities. 
 
"President Rivlin approaches the end of his term, this visit will honour the dedication he has shown to strengthening the friendship between the two countries over the course of many years," Psaki said. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden plans to host Israel's new president, Reuven Rivlin, at the White House on June 28, the White House said on Saturday. "President Rivlin's visit will highlight the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel and the deep ties between our governments and our people," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden plans to host Israel's new president, Reuven Rivlin, at the White House on June 28, the White House said on Saturday. "President Rivlin's visit will highlight the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel and the deep ties between our governments and our people," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. Rivlin will visit shortly before he is due to end his seven-year term in July. Isaac Herzog was elected the country's new president this month in elections that marked the end of the era of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. The role of president is largely ceremonial but also meant to promote unity among ethnic and religious groups. The government changed after last month's fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza also touched off rare mob violence among the Jewish majority and Arab minority within Israeli cities. "President Rivlin approaches the end of his term, this visit will honour the dedication he has shown to strengthening the friendship between the two countries over the course of many years," Psaki said. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden to host Israeli President Rivlin on June 28: White House

Israel's new government approved on Sunday an official inquiry into a stampede in April in which killed 45 people at a Jewish pilgrimage site long deemed dangerously crowded by authorities.

Though it was the country's worst civilian disaster, a full-scale investigation into the Mount Meron deaths and dozens of injuries had lagged under the previous government amid feuding between its ultra-Orthodox Jewish and opposition politicians.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-state-watchdog-to-investigate-religious-festival-stampede-382570">Israeli state watchdog to investigate religious festival stampede</a>

Establishing the state commission of inquiry a week after he was sworn in, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in televised remarks that while it "cannot bring back those who are gone, the government can do everything to prevent future needless loss".

A cabinet statement said the inquiry's findings would help safeguard other mass-attendance events in&nbsp;Israel, which has sites sacred to Islam and Christianity as well as to Judaism.

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews thronged to the Galilee hillside tomb of 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shim Bar Yochai on April 30 for the annual Lag B'Omer festival that includes all-night prayer, mystical songs and dance.

The numbers were lower than in previous years but still beyond those permitted by COVID-19 curbs. Some&nbsp;Israelis questioned if the former government under Benjamin Netanyahu and police were reluctant to further limit the crowd size because of pressure from influential ultra-Orthodox leaders.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-killed-in-stampede-at-israeli-religious-bonfire-festival-381531">Israel pilgrimage stampede: At least 44 killed in biggest Covid-era gathering</a>

During the ceremony, part of the crowd surged into a narrow tunnel and the 45 men and boys were asphyxiated or trampled.

Police are already carrying out a probe and&nbsp;Israel's government watchdog, which years ago deemed the Mount Meron site hazardous, has announced its own investigation, though it cannot bring criminal charges.

Netanyahu had promised a thorough investigation, but his cabinet, which included ultra-Orthodox Jewish ministers, never took formal action and major hostilities between&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out less than two weeks later.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-elects-new-president-mixed-reactions-across-world-392652">Iran elects new president, mixed reactions across world</a>

Bennett is himself religiously observant but his broad coalition does not include any ultra-Orthodox parties. In his cabinet remarks, he said Meron draws Jews "from all sectors", an allusion to denominations other than the ultra-Orthodox.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz, who pushed for the inquiry, said its findings would carry "heavy weight" and could not be ignored.

Israel's new government approved on Sunday an official inquiry into a stampede in April in which killed 45 people at a Jewish pilgrimage site long deemed dangerously crowded by authorities.

Israel's new government approved on Sunday an official inquiry into a stampede in April in which killed 45 people at a Jewish pilgrimage site long deemed dangerously crowded by authorities. Though it was the country's worst civilian disaster, a full-scale investigation into the Mount Meron deaths and dozens of injuries had lagged under the previous government amid feuding between its ultra-Orthodox Jewish and opposition politicians. Also read | Israeli state watchdog to investigate religious festival stampede Establishing the state commission of inquiry a week after he was sworn in, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in televised remarks that while it "cannot bring back those who are gone, the government can do everything to prevent future needless loss". A cabinet statement said the inquiry's findings would help safeguard other mass-attendance events in Israel, which has sites sacred to Islam and Christianity as well as to Judaism. Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews thronged to the Galilee hillside tomb of 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shim Bar Yochai on April 30 for the annual Lag B'Omer festival that includes all-night prayer, mystical songs and dance. The numbers were lower than in previous years but still beyond those permitted by COVID-19 curbs. Some Israelis questioned if the former government under Benjamin Netanyahu and police were reluctant to further limit the crowd size because of pressure from influential ultra-Orthodox leaders. Also read | Israel pilgrimage stampede: At least 44 killed in biggest Covid-era gathering During the ceremony, part of the crowd surged into a narrow tunnel and the 45 men and boys were asphyxiated or trampled. Police are already carrying out a probe and Israel's government watchdog, which years ago deemed the Mount Meron site hazardous, has announced its own investigation, though it cannot bring criminal charges. Netanyahu had promised a thorough investigation, but his cabinet, which included ultra-Orthodox Jewish ministers, never took formal action and major hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas broke out less than two weeks later. Also read | Iran elects new president, mixed reactions across world Bennett is himself religiously observant but his broad coalition does not include any ultra-Orthodox parties. In his cabinet remarks, he said Meron draws Jews "from all sectors", an allusion to denominations other than the ultra-Orthodox. Defence Minister Benny Gantz, who pushed for the inquiry, said its findings would carry "heavy weight" and could not be ignored.

Israeli cabinet orders inquiry on deadly festival stampede

Israel on Sunday condemned election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as Iran president. Israel's new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mentioned Iran as "A regime of brutal hangmen". Ebrahim Raisi, who is under US sanctions for human rights abuses, secured victory in Iran presidential election on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, convening his first televised cabinet session since taking office last week, described Raisi's ascent as enabled by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rather than by a free and popular vote.

"Raisi's election is, I would say, the last chance for world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement, and understand who they are doing business with," said Bennett in a statement he read out first in Hebrew and then in English.

"A regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass-destruction," he said. "Israel's position will not change on this."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-says-irans-raisi-extreme-committed-to-nuclear-programme-392707">Israel says Iran's Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programme</a>

Raisi has been alleged by the US and rights groups of having a hand in extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.

Bennett, a nationalist atop of a cross-partisan coalition, has hewed to the opposition of his conservative predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, whose caps on projects with bomb-making potential Israel deemed too lax.

The former U.S. administration of Donald Trump agreed with Israel and quit the deal. Current President Joe Biden wants a U.S. return to the deal. Iran denies seeking nuclear weaponry.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel on Sunday condemned election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as Iran president. Israel's new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mentioned Iran as "A regime of brutal hangmen".

Israel on Sunday condemned election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as Iran president. Israel's new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mentioned Iran as "A regime of brutal hangmen". Ebrahim Raisi, who is under US sanctions for human rights abuses, secured victory in Iran presidential election on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, convening his first televised cabinet session since taking office last week, described Raisi's ascent as enabled by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rather than by a free and popular vote. "Raisi's election is, I would say, the last chance for world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement, and understand who they are doing business with," said Bennett in a statement he read out first in Hebrew and then in English. "A regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass-destruction," he said. "Israel's position will not change on this." Also Read | Israel says Iran's Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programme Raisi has been alleged by the US and rights groups of having a hand in extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. Bennett, a nationalist atop of a cross-partisan coalition, has hewed to the opposition of his conservative predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, whose caps on projects with bomb-making potential Israel deemed too lax. The former U.S. administration of Donald Trump agreed with Israel and quit the deal. Current President Joe Biden wants a U.S. return to the deal. Iran denies seeking nuclear weaponry. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel PM Bennett weighs against nuclear talks with Iran's 'hangmen regime'

Israel's health ministry on Saturday insisted that Covid-19 vaccine doses the Palestinians rejected as about to expire were "completely valid".

On Friday, Palestinian authority called off a deal according to which Israel would provide it 1 million vaccine jabs in exchange for doses from Pfizer that Palestinians are scheduled to receive later this year

PA spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said an initial delivery of some 90,000 Pfizer doses failed to conform "to the specifications contained in the agreement, and accordingly prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh instructed the minister of health to cancel the agreement".

"The government refuses to receive vaccines that are about to expire," Melhem said, in a statement carried by the official WAFA news agency.

Israeli health ministry said that the vaccines were "completely valid" although the prime minister's office acknowledged Friday that they were "about to expire", without specifying the use-by date

"The Palestinian health ministry received Pfizer vaccines that were valid, with expiration dates that were known, agreed on and that matched the agreement between the two sides," the ministry said.&nbsp;

Israel has launched a sweeping vaccination campaign after obtaining millions of doses of the Pfizer vaccine. 
More than 55 percent of Israel's population -- some 5.1 million people -- have received both doses of the vaccine.

Far fewer Palestinians -- just over 270,000 people -- have received their two doses in the West Bank and Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's health ministry on Saturday insisted that Covid-19 vaccine doses the Palestinians rejected as about to expire were "completely valid". On Friday, Palestinian authority called off a deal according to which Israel would provide it 1 million vaccine jabs in exchange for doses from Pfizer that Palestinians are scheduled to receive later this year PA spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said an initial delivery of some 90,000 Pfizer doses failed to conform "to the specifications contained in the agreement, and accordingly prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh instructed the minister of health to cancel the agreement".

Israel's health ministry on Saturday insisted that Covid-19 vaccine doses the Palestinians rejected as about to expire were "completely valid". On Friday, Palestinian authority called off a deal according to which Israel would provide it 1 million vaccine jabs in exchange for doses from Pfizer that Palestinians are scheduled to receive later this year PA spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said an initial delivery of some 90,000 Pfizer doses failed to conform "to the specifications contained in the agreement, and accordingly prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh instructed the minister of health to cancel the agreement". "The government refuses to receive vaccines that are about to expire," Melhem said, in a statement carried by the official WAFA news agency. Israeli health ministry said that the vaccines were "completely valid" although the prime minister's office acknowledged Friday that they were "about to expire", without specifying the use-by date "The Palestinian health ministry received Pfizer vaccines that were valid, with expiration dates that were known, agreed on and that matched the agreement between the two sides," the ministry said. Israel has launched a sweeping vaccination campaign after obtaining millions of doses of the Pfizer vaccine. More than 55 percent of Israel's population -- some 5.1 million people -- have received both doses of the vaccine. Far fewer Palestinians -- just over 270,000 people -- have received their two doses in the West Bank and Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. (With inputs from agencies)

Vaccine doses Palestinians rejected were 'completely valid': Israel

The Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a deal on Friday to receive soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines from Israel after an initial Israeli shipment showed an expiration date sooner than had been agreed, the PA health minister said. 
 
Israel and the PA announced a vaccine swap deal earlier on Friday that would have seen Israel send up to 1.4 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses to the PA, in exchange for receiving a reciprocal number of doses from the PA later this year. 
 
The doses were due to 'expire soon', Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said in a statement announcing the deal. The PA said they had been 'approved in order to speed up the vaccination process' in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. 
 
"They told us the expiration date was in July or August, which would allow lots of time for use," PA Health Minister Mai Alkaila told reporters later on Friday. 
 
"But (the expiration) turned out to be in June. That's not enough time to use them, so we rejected them," she said. 
 
The PA cancelled the deal over the date issue, a PA spokesman said, and sent the initial shipment of around 90,000 doses back to Israel. 
 
Bennett's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
 
Rights groups have criticised Israel, which led one of the world's swiftest vaccination campaigns, for not doing more to ensure Palestinian access to doses in the West Bank and Gaza, territory it captured in a 1967 war. 
 
Israeli officials argue that under the Oslo peace accords, the PA health ministry is responsible for vaccinating people in Gaza and parts of the West Bank where it has limited self-rule. 
 
The vaccine deal was among initial policy moves towards the Palestinians by Bennett, who was sworn in on Sunday and replaced veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu. 
 
Around 55% of Israel's 9.3 million population are fully vaccinated - a coverage rate largely unchanged by this month's expansion of eligibility to include 12- to 15-year-olds. 
 
Some 30% of eligible Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, home to a combined 5.2 million people, have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials. 
 
According to a poll released on Tuesday by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 40% of Palestinians are willing to take the vaccine once it is available, while 35% say they and their families are not willing to get vaccinated. 
 
The Palestinians have received vaccine doses from Israel, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates and the global COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a deal on Friday to receive soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines from Israel after an initial Israeli shipment showed an expiration date sooner than had been agreed, the PA health minister said.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) cancelled a deal on Friday to receive soon-to-expire COVID-19 vaccines from Israel after an initial Israeli shipment showed an expiration date sooner than had been agreed, the PA health minister said. Israel and the PA announced a vaccine swap deal earlier on Friday that would have seen Israel send up to 1.4 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses to the PA, in exchange for receiving a reciprocal number of doses from the PA later this year. The doses were due to 'expire soon', Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said in a statement announcing the deal. The PA said they had been 'approved in order to speed up the vaccination process' in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. "They told us the expiration date was in July or August, which would allow lots of time for use," PA Health Minister Mai Alkaila told reporters later on Friday. "But (the expiration) turned out to be in June. That's not enough time to use them, so we rejected them," she said. The PA cancelled the deal over the date issue, a PA spokesman said, and sent the initial shipment of around 90,000 doses back to Israel. Bennett's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rights groups have criticised Israel, which led one of the world's swiftest vaccination campaigns, for not doing more to ensure Palestinian access to doses in the West Bank and Gaza, territory it captured in a 1967 war. Israeli officials argue that under the Oslo peace accords, the PA health ministry is responsible for vaccinating people in Gaza and parts of the West Bank where it has limited self-rule. The vaccine deal was among initial policy moves towards the Palestinians by Bennett, who was sworn in on Sunday and replaced veteran leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Around 55% of Israel's 9.3 million population are fully vaccinated - a coverage rate largely unchanged by this month's expansion of eligibility to include 12- to 15-year-olds. Some 30% of eligible Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, home to a combined 5.2 million people, have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials. According to a poll released on Tuesday by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 40% of Palestinians are willing to take the vaccine once it is available, while 35% say they and their families are not willing to get vaccinated. The Palestinians have received vaccine doses from Israel, Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates and the global COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative. (With inputs from agencies)

Palestinians cancel deal for near-expired COVID-19 vaccines from Israel

Curtain is finally drawn over the political uncertainty which had engulfed Israel for past several months. Four elections in the last two years remained inconclusive. Finally, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) &nbsp;approved on 13th June the formation of government by a coalition of eight opposition parties which managed to cobble together the required numbers i.e. 61 in the 120 Members Knesset. Naftali Bennett has been sworn in as Prime Minister. Under the coalition agreement on the principle of rotation of the post of Prime Minister, Benett will hold this position for the first two years. &nbsp;

It is noteworthy that the coalition government is a conglomeration of minuscule, small as well as big political parties with extremely diverse political ideologies ranging from ultra-right to extreme left and in between centrists.

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For the first time, even an Arab group representing a segment of the Arab minority of Israel is now a part of the government in Israel, imparting religious and cultural diversity, besides political and ideological to the coalition.&nbsp;

In short, the coalition represents almost entire political spectrum of Israel. The situation fits into the proverbial saying: politics makes strange bedfellows. It also reminds of the political scenario in India in 1977 when the entire opposition came under the banner of Janata Party and achieved its sole objective of ousting then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, but fell under its own weight within a couple of years.&nbsp;

The coalition culture in Israel is a norm rather than exception. Yet the pertinent question is, will the new government be able to survive long enough? Will it be possible for the coalition to steer clear of its political and ideological differences and adhere to a common agreed plan of action?

On the presumption the new coalition government in Israel manages to stay in power for a while, it would be interesting to watch as to what positions will it be adopting on some of the key foreign policy issues, particularly the issues which have regional dimensions.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is strongly opposed to the idea of an independent State for Palestinians. Such an approach runs counter to the broad international consensus on the Two-State formula under which Palestine and Israel will both co-exist side by side as sovereign and independent States. Bennett is also said to be a hardliner on the issue of occupied territories. No tangible progress towards the resolution of decades-old Israel-Palestine conflict should thus be expected.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-naftali-bennett-israels-new-prime-minister-391258">Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's new prime minister?</a>

Naftali Bennet is also opposed to the prospects of a renewed deal between P5+ and Iran over the latter's nuclear programme. Some continuity in Israel's staunch anti-Iran policy can thus be expected. On the other hand, the probability of a hardliner being elected as Iran’s next President at the June 18 elections is high and this could further complicate the matters. We can therefore expect the stalemate in Israel-Iran relations to continue unabated; it may even worsen.&nbsp;

Check out pics&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/israel-celebrates-naftali-bennetts-victory-beginning-of-a-new-era-391326#israel-rocks-391316">Israel celebrates Naftali Bennett's victory, beginning of a new era</a>

In recent years, at the initiative of Benjamin Netanyahu, supported by the former US President Donald Trump, there was notable progress in the normalisation of relations between Israel and Arab countries. Within a span of one year in 2020, Israel established diplomatic relations with as many as four Arab League countries namely UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The possibility of Israel normalising its relations with Saudi Arabia was also being speculated. Will the new government in Israel continue the process to ease tension in the region is something that remains to be seen.&nbsp;

Benjamin Netanyahu is out of power after an uninterrupted tenure of over a decade. Is this the end of his political career? Netanyahu’s Likud Party with 30 Seats is still the single largest party in Parliament but short of as many as 31 Seats to qualify to form a government on its own or in coalition with others. As a matter of fact, he was the first to be invited to form government after March 2021 elections but failed to put together enough numbers. More than the numbers, Netanyahu is undergoing a trial for charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career thus will depend much on the outcome of the judicial proceedings against him.

<img alt="Benjamin Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eeaa6588-01f7-4412-b6db-1d6149c8be66" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9C342N.jpg" />

India’s relations with Israel have grown steadily, particularly in areas of defence and security, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992. PM Modi’s visit to Israel in July 2017 was a landmark event in more than one sense: it was the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel since the proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948. Being a standalone visit to Israel, it also signalled India’s decision to make a departure from the hyphenation in India’s policy towards Palestine and Israel. Much of the acceleration in bilateral relations in last five years is often attributed to interpersonal equations between PM Modi and PM Netanyahu.

Personalities do matter in international relations but at the end of the day national interests prevail. And the national interests of both Israel and &nbsp;India at the moment demand a continuity in relations guided by the desire for mutual benefits.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Curtain is finally drawn over the political uncertainty which had engulfed Israel for past several months. Four elections in the last two years remained inconclusive.

Curtain is finally drawn over the political uncertainty which had engulfed Israel for past several months. Four elections in the last two years remained inconclusive. Finally, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) approved on 13th June the formation of government by a coalition of eight opposition parties which managed to cobble together the required numbers i.e. 61 in the 120 Members Knesset. Naftali Bennett has been sworn in as Prime Minister. Under the coalition agreement on the principle of rotation of the post of Prime Minister, Benett will hold this position for the first two years. It is noteworthy that the coalition government is a conglomeration of minuscule, small as well as big political parties with extremely diverse political ideologies ranging from ultra-right to extreme left and in between centrists. × For the first time, even an Arab group representing a segment of the Arab minority of Israel is now a part of the government in Israel, imparting religious and cultural diversity, besides political and ideological to the coalition. In short, the coalition represents almost entire political spectrum of Israel. The situation fits into the proverbial saying: politics makes strange bedfellows. It also reminds of the political scenario in India in 1977 when the entire opposition came under the banner of Janata Party and achieved its sole objective of ousting then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, but fell under its own weight within a couple of years. The coalition culture in Israel is a norm rather than exception. Yet the pertinent question is, will the new government be able to survive long enough? Will it be possible for the coalition to steer clear of its political and ideological differences and adhere to a common agreed plan of action? On the presumption the new coalition government in Israel manages to stay in power for a while, it would be interesting to watch as to what positions will it be adopting on some of the key foreign policy issues, particularly the issues which have regional dimensions. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is strongly opposed to the idea of an independent State for Palestinians. Such an approach runs counter to the broad international consensus on the Two-State formula under which Palestine and Israel will both co-exist side by side as sovereign and independent States. Bennett is also said to be a hardliner on the issue of occupied territories. No tangible progress towards the resolution of decades-old Israel-Palestine conflict should thus be expected. Also Read | Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's new prime minister? Naftali Bennet is also opposed to the prospects of a renewed deal between P5+ and Iran over the latter's nuclear programme. Some continuity in Israel's staunch anti-Iran policy can thus be expected. On the other hand, the probability of a hardliner being elected as Iran’s next President at the June 18 elections is high and this could further complicate the matters. We can therefore expect the stalemate in Israel-Iran relations to continue unabated; it may even worsen. Check out pics | Israel celebrates Naftali Bennett's victory, beginning of a new era In recent years, at the initiative of Benjamin Netanyahu, supported by the former US President Donald Trump, there was notable progress in the normalisation of relations between Israel and Arab countries. Within a span of one year in 2020, Israel established diplomatic relations with as many as four Arab League countries namely UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The possibility of Israel normalising its relations with Saudi Arabia was also being speculated. Will the new government in Israel continue the process to ease tension in the region is something that remains to be seen. Benjamin Netanyahu is out of power after an uninterrupted tenure of over a decade. Is this the end of his political career? Netanyahu’s Likud Party with 30 Seats is still the single largest party in Parliament but short of as many as 31 Seats to qualify to form a government on its own or in coalition with others. As a matter of fact, he was the first to be invited to form government after March 2021 elections but failed to put together enough numbers. More than the numbers, Netanyahu is undergoing a trial for charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career thus will depend much on the outcome of the judicial proceedings against him. India’s relations with Israel have grown steadily, particularly in areas of defence and security, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992. PM Modi’s visit to Israel in July 2017 was a landmark event in more than one sense: it was the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel since the proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948. Being a standalone visit to Israel, it also signalled India’s decision to make a departure from the hyphenation in India’s policy towards Palestine and Israel. Much of the acceleration in bilateral relations in last five years is often attributed to interpersonal equations between PM Modi and PM Netanyahu. Personalities do matter in international relations but at the end of the day national interests prevail. And the national interests of both Israel and India at the moment demand a continuity in relations guided by the desire for mutual benefits. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Netanyahu era ends in Israel, what to expect now?

US President Joe Biden on Sunday called incoming Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and congratulated him. An alliance of parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday ousted Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and ended his 12-year rule. Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving premier of Israel.

"I congratulate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and all the members of the new Israeli cabinet," Biden said in a statement issued shortly before the call.

"Israel has no better friend than the United States."

Bennett expressed his thanks on Twitter as well

"Thank you Mr. President! I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ties between our two nations," he tweeted.

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Thank you Mr. President! I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ties between our two nations 🇮🇱🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/RNYPX4amGE">pic.twitter.com/RNYPX4amGE</a>
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) <a href="https://twitter.com/naftalibennett/status/1404150231923572736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In the telephone talks, Biden "highlighted his decades of steadfast support for the US-Israel relationship and his unwavering commitment to Israel's security," the White House said.

"The president also conveyed that his administration intends to work closely with the Israeli government on efforts to advance peace, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians," it added.

"The leaders agreed that they and their teams would consult closely on all matters related to regional security, including Iran," the White House noted.

Bennett said he considers Biden "a great friend of the State of Israel," according to a readout from his team.&nbsp;

A right-wing Jewish nationalist and former tech millionaire, Bennett is taking over at the helm of an Israeli government pieced together by an eight-party coalition, united only by their shared disdain for the hawkish right-wing Netanyahu.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden on Sunday called incoming Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and congratulated him. An alliance of parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday ousted Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and ended his 12-year rule.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday called incoming Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and congratulated him. An alliance of parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday ousted Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and ended his 12-year rule. Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving premier of Israel. "I congratulate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and all the members of the new Israeli cabinet," Biden said in a statement issued shortly before the call. "Israel has no better friend than the United States." Bennett expressed his thanks on Twitter as well "Thank you Mr. President! I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ties between our two nations," he tweeted. Thank you Mr. President! I look forward to working with you to strengthen the ties between our two nations 🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RNYPX4amGE — Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) June 13, 2021 × In the telephone talks, Biden "highlighted his decades of steadfast support for the US-Israel relationship and his unwavering commitment to Israel's security," the White House said. "The president also conveyed that his administration intends to work closely with the Israeli government on efforts to advance peace, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians," it added. "The leaders agreed that they and their teams would consult closely on all matters related to regional security, including Iran," the White House noted. Bennett said he considers Biden "a great friend of the State of Israel," according to a readout from his team. A right-wing Jewish nationalist and former tech millionaire, Bennett is taking over at the helm of an Israeli government pieced together by an eight-party coalition, united only by their shared disdain for the hawkish right-wing Netanyahu. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden calls incoming Israeli PM Naftali Bennett to congratulate

Israel's 36th government was sworn in at the Knesset on Sunday, following a historic vote that placed Yamina leader Naftali Bennett as prime minister and ousted Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years as prime minister.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-naftali-bennett-israels-new-prime-minister-391258">Also read: Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's new Prime Minister?</a>

But the new government's inevitable weakness was highlighted by the razor-thin 60-59 vote of confidence in a combination of left-wing, centrist, right-wing, and Arab parties with little in common except a desire to oust Netanyahu.

Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to celebrate the outcome, which came after four inconclusive elections in two years.&nbsp; 
 
Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://cms.wionews.com/videos/israel-naftali-bennett-sworn-in-as-new-pm-ends-netanyahus-12-yr-rule-391251/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Members of Netanyahu's government vacated their seats at the government table in the Knesset plenum immediately after the confidence vote, with Netanyahu departing the prime minister's chair.&nbsp;

Netanyahu, 71, in typically combative style, vowed shortly before his defeat that "if it's our destiny to be in the opposition, we'll do so with our heads high until we take down this bad government and return to lead the country our way".

Beloved as "King Bibi" by his right-wing supporters and condemned as the "crime minister" by his critics, Netanyahu has long been the dominant, and increasingly divisive, figure in Israeli politics.

The new government, formed after an inconclusive March 23 election, plans largely to avoid sweeping moves on hot-button international issues such as policy toward the Palestinians and to focus on domestic reforms.

Palestinians were unmoved by the change of administration, predicting that Bennett would pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's 36th government was sworn in at the Knesset on Sunday, following a historic vote that placed Yamina leader Naftali Bennett as prime minister and ousted Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years as prime minister.

Israel's 36th government was sworn in at the Knesset on Sunday, following a historic vote that placed Yamina leader Naftali Bennett as prime minister and ousted Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years as prime minister. Also read: Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's new Prime Minister? But the new government's inevitable weakness was highlighted by the razor-thin 60-59 vote of confidence in a combination of left-wing, centrist, right-wing, and Arab parties with little in common except a desire to oust Netanyahu. Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to celebrate the outcome, which came after four inconclusive elections in two years. Watch: Members of Netanyahu's government vacated their seats at the government table in the Knesset plenum immediately after the confidence vote, with Netanyahu departing the prime minister's chair. Netanyahu, 71, in typically combative style, vowed shortly before his defeat that "if it's our destiny to be in the opposition, we'll do so with our heads high until we take down this bad government and return to lead the country our way". Beloved as "King Bibi" by his right-wing supporters and condemned as the "crime minister" by his critics, Netanyahu has long been the dominant, and increasingly divisive, figure in Israeli politics. The new government, formed after an inconclusive March 23 election, plans largely to avoid sweeping moves on hot-button international issues such as policy toward the Palestinians and to focus on domestic reforms. Palestinians were unmoved by the change of administration, predicting that Bennett would pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel: 'We'll be back soon', says Netanyahu; vows to stay in politics

Israel's parliament 'Knesset' has chosen Naftali Bennett as the new Prime Minister of Israel. Bennett has unseated Benjamin Netanyahu whose 12-year rule came to an end. The Knesset voted 60-59 in favour of the new government.

Naftali Bennett has a political reputation of being an ultra-nationalist. He will now head a cabinet comprising parties from left to right of the political spectrum.

Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister of Israel since 2009. He has been the longest-serving leader of Israel. Netanyahu''s position was weakened by his repeated failure to register victory in Israel polls since 2019. He is embroiled in a corruption trial as well. He denies any wrongdoing.

<img alt="Naftali Bennett Benjamin Netanyahu" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aeded235-5049-456e-9eba-f5fe31e1c014" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2021-06-13T182003Z_1_LYNXNPEH5C0CH_RTROPTP_3_ISRAEL-POLITICS.JPG" />

The Prime Minister-designate Naftali Bennett has struck a coalition deal with centrist politician Yair Lapid (57). As per the deal, Bennett will serve as PM til 2023 and hand over the post to Lapid.

The new government, formed after an inconclusive March 23 election, plans largely to avoid sweeping moves on hot-button international issues such as policy toward the Palestinians, and to focus on domestic reforms.

Palestinians were unmoved by the change of administration, predicting that Bennett would pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's parliament 'Knesset' has chosen Naftali Bennett as the new Prime Minister of Israel. Bennett has unseated Benjamin Netanyahu whose 12-year rule came to an end.

Israel's parliament 'Knesset' has chosen Naftali Bennett as the new Prime Minister of Israel. Bennett has unseated Benjamin Netanyahu whose 12-year rule came to an end. The Knesset voted 60-59 in favour of the new government. Naftali Bennett has a political reputation of being an ultra-nationalist. He will now head a cabinet comprising parties from left to right of the political spectrum. Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister of Israel since 2009. He has been the longest-serving leader of Israel. Netanyahu''s position was weakened by his repeated failure to register victory in Israel polls since 2019. He is embroiled in a corruption trial as well. He denies any wrongdoing. The Prime Minister-designate Naftali Bennett has struck a coalition deal with centrist politician Yair Lapid (57). As per the deal, Bennett will serve as PM til 2023 and hand over the post to Lapid. The new government, formed after an inconclusive March 23 election, plans largely to avoid sweeping moves on hot-button international issues such as policy toward the Palestinians, and to focus on domestic reforms. Palestinians were unmoved by the change of administration, predicting that Bennett would pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu. (With inputs from agencies)

Netanyahu era ends in Israel, Naftali Bennett becomes new PM

The Iranian government has stated that its policy toward Israel will not change as a result of the new Government's formation yesterday night.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-well-be-back-soon-says-netanyahu-vows-to-stay-in-politics-391256">Also read | Israel: 'We'll be back soon', says Netanyahu; vows to stay in politics</a> 
 
“Iran’s enemies are gone and powerful Iran is still here. I don’t think Israel’s policies will change with the new government,” Saeed Khatibzadeh, a foreign ministry spokesman, was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/benjamin-netanyahu-the-former-military-commando-who-led-israel-for-15-years-391287">Also read | Benjamin Netanyahu: The former military commando who led Israel for 15 years</a>

The statement comes a day after&nbsp;Israel's 36th government was sworn in at the Knesset on Sunday, following a historic vote that placed Yamina leader Naftali Bennett as prime minister and ousted Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years as prime minister. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-naftali-bennett-israels-new-prime-minister-391258">Also read: Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's new Prime Minister?</a>

But the new government's inevitable weakness was highlighted by the razor-thin 60-59 vote of confidence in a combination of left-wing, centrist, right-wing, and Arab parties with little in common except a desire to oust Netanyahu. 
 
After two decades of hostility between Iran and Israel, it's difficult to see the two countries ever having amicable relations and cooperating on a variety of levels. They were once allies and friends.

Despite not sharing a border or having any territorial disputes, Israel and Iran have been at odds since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Before that for 30 years, the two countries have had cordial relations.

The Iranian government has stated that its policy toward Israel will not change as a result of the new Government's formation yesterday night. Also read | Israel: 'We'll be back soon', says Netanyahu; vows to stay in politics “Iran’s enemies are gone and powerful Iran is still here.

The Iranian government has stated that its policy toward Israel will not change as a result of the new Government's formation yesterday night. Also read | Israel: 'We'll be back soon', says Netanyahu; vows to stay in politics “Iran’s enemies are gone and powerful Iran is still here. I don’t think Israel’s policies will change with the new government,” Saeed Khatibzadeh, a foreign ministry spokesman, was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying. Also read | Benjamin Netanyahu: The former military commando who led Israel for 15 years The statement comes a day after Israel's 36th government was sworn in at the Knesset on Sunday, following a historic vote that placed Yamina leader Naftali Bennett as prime minister and ousted Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years as prime minister. Also read: Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's new Prime Minister? But the new government's inevitable weakness was highlighted by the razor-thin 60-59 vote of confidence in a combination of left-wing, centrist, right-wing, and Arab parties with little in common except a desire to oust Netanyahu. After two decades of hostility between Iran and Israel, it's difficult to see the two countries ever having amicable relations and cooperating on a variety of levels. They were once allies and friends. Despite not sharing a border or having any territorial disputes, Israel and Iran have been at odds since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Before that for 30 years, the two countries have had cordial relations.

Iran says Israel's policy won't change with Bennett's new government

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