Middle East

Powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged a “moderate, open” Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, breaking with ultra-conservative clerics in favour of an image catering to foreign investors and Saudi youth. The Saudi strongman, 32, did not mince words in declaring a new reality for the kingdom, hours after announcing the launch of an independent $500

By Raoul Wootliff Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Monday harshly criticized a controversial bill that would grant serving prime ministers immunity from criminal prosecution as “absurd,” “wrong and inappropriate.” At a Justice Ministry conference held at Tel Aviv University, Mandelblit raised concerns that such a law could significantly obstruct police investigations into a prime minister

By Marissa Newman It was supposed to be an upbeat and apolitical celebration of Jewish immigrants to Israel, lauding their accomplishments and numerous contributions. But the Knesset’s second-ever commemoration Tuesday of a new national holiday — Aliyah Day — devolved at times into a fracas, as coalition and opposition lawmakers criticized the government over its

By TOI staff Israeli lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow the country’s rabbinical courts to impose sanctions on non-Israeli Jewish men who refuse to grant their wives a divorce. The bill enjoys support across the political spectrum, from the centrist, secular-leaning Yesh Atid party’s MK Aliza Lavie, who has championed a version of

By Raoul Wootliff Speaking at the opening of the Knesset winter session, President Reuven Rivlin launched Monday a passionate defense of the judicial system and the media, saying government attempts to undermine them amount to a “coup” against the pillars of Israeli democracy. “The Knesset is the representative of the sovereign, the people of Israel,

Naomi Chazan This week, three seemingly separate and yet so integrally interconnected events converged: the beginning of the annual olive harvest, yet another sweeping Israeli dismissal of the possibility of a durable peace with its Palestinian neighbors, and the recounting of the story of Noah in the weekly Torah portion throughout the Jewish world. This