In the almost four years since freshman MKs entered the 18th Knesset, there have been plenty of highs and lows, triumphs and embarrassing moments. Like any good high school, the Knesset had its cliques – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s close partnership comes to mind – and gossip in the cafeteria, where political deals are often made. Continue reading
Hi-tech marketing manager by day, Zionist crusader by night. It may sound like the life of a comic-book character, but that is how Ayelet Shaked, 36, has been living for the past two years, as the leader of hasbara (public diplomacy) NGO “My Israel.” Now, Shaked wants to turn Zionism into her day job, vying for a seat on Habayit Hayehudi’s list for the next Knesset. Continue reading
With the issue of haredi enlistment in the army and national service at the top of the national and political agenda, the State of Israel could be on the brink of momentous societal change. But the Byzantine politics of the marriage of convenience that is the current governing coalition could also lead to a messy divorce, without making any real progress distributing the burden of military service more fairly across society. Continue reading
Ahead of Shavuot, the holiday most identified with conversion due to the story of Ruth, opposition and Labor Party leader Shelly Yacimovich has a message of hope for those whose conversions – and other important Jewish ceremonies – are not recognized by the Chief Rabbinate. Continue reading
When the Tal Law was canceled last month, hesder yeshivas – the religious- Zionist institutions that combine Torah study and IDF service – were an accidental victim, set to become illegal on August 1, unless they are anchored in new legislation. Continue reading
At age 38, the Likud is having an early midlife crisis. With a spate of bills on the judicial system, libel penalties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the Knesset’s agenda, the coalition’s leading party is facing accusations both from within and without of limiting individual freedoms and betraying the liberal legacies of party founder Menachem Begin and ideological forbearer Ze’ev Jabotinsky, while overemphasizing their nationalism. Continue reading
When the 18th Knesset’s winter session began on Monday, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said that parliamentarians were caught with their pants down. Continue reading
Remember the boycott bill? It was not that long ago that housing was a problem hardly anyone seemed to care about, and coalition MKs were incessantly drafting “nationalist legislation.” Reading continue
Coalition chairman Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) seems to have undergone a political transformation from Kadima MK to someone whose views “match those of the Likud much more than [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu’s,” as he said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post this week. Continue reading
Lahav Harkov 