Middle East

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — When Israel’s Labor Party announced that its members would vote this month to elect a leader of the party, some ten people indicated that they’d stand against the incumbent Isaac Herzog. Hostile cynics commented that this might have been the total party membership. In fact, there’re more than fifty thousand

Justice Ministry committee wraps up year-long evaluation on punishing the clients of prostitutes, to present findings to Ayelet Shaked next week; other lawmakers not waiting By Marissa Newman Justice Ministry Director-General Emi Palmorl (2R) addresses a Knesset committee on July 10, 2017. (courtesy) Female lawmakers on Monday announced they would present legislation punishing the clients

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Labor Party on Monday elected political newcomer Avi Gabbay as its leader in hopes the former telecommunications executive will help unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gabbay won 52 percent of the vote in a runoff election against Amir Peretz, a Labor Party veteran and a former party chairman, who received

Assailant shot dead as he tried to stab soldiers after vehicular attack near Tekoa settlement, outside Bethlehem By Judah Ari Gross The scene of an apparent car-ramming attack on a highway in the central West Bank on July 10, 2017 (Gershon Elinson/Flash90) A soldier was moderately wounded in a suspected car ramming attack outside the

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced “victory” Sunday over the Islamic State group in the city of Mosul, his office said. “The commander-in-chief of the armed forces (Prime Minister) Haider al-Abadi arrived in the liberated city of Mosul and congratulated the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people for the great victory,” said a statement from

Following Lebanese report on progress towards deal, Shaul family says it has not heard of any negotiations at all By Times of Israel staff Zehava Shaul, shown with her late husband Herzl, has been seeking answers about the fate of her son since he was captured by Hamas on July 20, 2014 in Gaza City.

The head of Turkey’s main opposition party defied the odds and beat expectations when he launched a 450-kilometer protest march. But as the march reaches its destination Sunday, all eyes are on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s response. Barely a week before the first anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, Turkey is bracing for

The family of five who apparently got lost were stopped by Palestinian security forces who handed them over to the IDF By Times of Israel staff Palestinian security forces patrolling Bethlehem in 2013. (Issam Rimawi/Flash90) An Israel family that accidentally entered a Palestinian town on Saturday was handed over to Israeli forces by their Palestinian