Recent events in Israel have led to many questions. Rockets began pouring across the border after Israel made targeted air strikes on three senior ranking members of the Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad. The confrontation evolved into five days of fighting, which killed 33 Palestinians and two Israelis. Hamas, which has a tacit non-competition clause with Islamic Jihad, remained relatively quiet. So what has changed? Experts suggest that Islamic Jihad is improving and their ties with Hamas are strengthening, with unexpected regional politics providing both groups with a better reason than ever to join forces. Hamas has become cosy with Iran, breaking decades of friction with Islamic Jihad, with both groups seeing the benefits of close cooperation. Unlike previous operations, Islamic Jihad was given free rein to respond to Israeli attacks, and was even given shelter and logistical assistance by Hamas. All of which has led to one conclusion - Gaza is no longer the same Gaza.
A proposal for a Marine Protected Area in East Antarctica is being blocked by Russia and China, according to an Australian environmental official. Tanya Plibersek, minister for the environment and water in Australia, has called for action after a research trip to Antarctica led to findings that mother and baby humpback whales are being forced to compete with a dozen industrial factory ships for krill. The whales make an annual 17,000 km round trip to the area. Plibersek is seeking a Global Oceans Treaty to protect two-thirds of the high seas to help safeguard Antarctic marine life.
Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets for the 20th week in a row, over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to increase controls on the Supreme Court. The government's aims to perform a large overhaul which would see parliament have the ability to override many Supreme Court rulings, and would give the government control over Supreme Court judge nominations. Netanyahu has claimed that activist judges are taking control away from politicians, arguing that the changes would address this. Moderate Israelis believe this plan could run democracy into dictatorship.
The Independent has gathered some of the most eye-catching and thought-provoking images from culture, news, politics, sport, and lifestyle. The images include striking shots of the Popocatepetl Volcano in Mexico, and cattle grazing in front of the German Parliament building in Berlin, as well as photographs from events such as the closing ceremony of Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and the Brussels Pride parade. Some of the images in the collection are oddly bewildering, like a raven perching on the roof of a barn in the midst of smoke from a nearby wildfire in Canada.
Thousands of Israelis marched through Tel Aviv in protest of proposed changes to Israeli law that would weaken the Supreme Court's powers and limit judicial oversight of government decisions. The supporters of the legislation say it will restore power to elected lawmakers, while opponents argue such a shift would undermine the country's democratic values and erode the system of checks and balances.
Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest against plans by the government to overhaul the judiciary. The government’s opponents want the proposals, which would weaken the Supreme Court and limit judicial oversight, to be cancelled rather than delayed, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in March. Supporters of the plan argue that it would prevent the court from intervening and restore the balance of power to lawmakers. However, opponents claim the move would form a threat to Israeli democratic fundamentals.
Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest the government's plans to overhaul the judiciary. Protesters contend that the proposal, which would weaken the Supreme Court and limit judicial oversight, would imperil Israel's democratic values, and are demanding that it be scrapped rather than merely delayed as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in March. Proponents argue that the changes would enable the country to restore power to elected lawmakers and curb an overly interventionist court.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, an Israeli extremist Cabinet minister, visited a Jerusalem holy site on Sunday, the second known time he has made such a visit. The move is likely to be condemned by both the Palestinians and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Ben-Gur praised the police presence at the site, saying it “proves who is in charge in Jerusalem.” Palestinian nationalists view such visits as provocative, pre-emptive moves by Israel to control the compound. Israel considers Jerusalem its undivided capital but annexed the predominantly Palestinian area in a move not recognised by most of the international community.
Hezbollah staged a military exercise at a training site in southern Lebanon as it celebrated Liberation Day on 25 May, the anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from south Beirut in 2000. Dressed in masks and ramming through flaming hoops, fighters also used motorcycles to open fire as well as blowing up Israeli flags and a wall. The exercise came in the wake of heightened tension in Gaza and a maritime border agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah senior official Hashem Safieddine proclaimed the exercise was to show the fighters’ complete readiness to cope with any Israeli aggression.
The US is hoping to counter China's foreign policy initiatives in the Middle East by proposing an infrastructure project that would construct a network of ports and railways to connect Indian territories and Gulf states. Earlier this month, Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, travelled to Saudi Arabia to present the proposal to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and representatives from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India. Analysts suggest that despite being a welcome gesture from India, it is likely to be met with suspicion in the region, given it has been set up as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are both participants in the Belt and Road, and received the second-largest amount of investment benefits from the initiative last year.
The Tunisian government's attempts to label the recent attack on the Ghriba synagogue as a criminal attack on tourism rather than an act ofanti-semitism on Tunisia's vulnerable Jewish community has been apparent. The reason for their reluctance is the complicated ramifications that follow acknowledgingthe killing of Jewish people as a terrorist attack. It would raise questions about Islamophobia and anti-Semitism within the police, the government and society. With no specific motives identified, investigations have been launched in France, as two of the victims held French nationality. Recognizing the attack as anti-semitic would taint Tunisia’s tourism industry, as safety is a significant feature for sun and sand tourists. The attack on Tunisia has the potential to effect tourism, which was set to account for 7% of Tunisia’s GDP this year, doubling to 14% after factoring in its associated industries. Tunisia is hoping that tourism will remain unscathed to help its struggling economy.
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem and declared Israel was “in charge” while visiting it during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday; this was drawn to Palestinian condemnation. The comments during his visit came after groups of Jewish youths scuffled with Palestinians and chanted racist slogans during the annual far-right “flag march” through the Old City. Ben-Gvir has repeatedly visited the compound, which has added to Palestinian anger.
Hezbollah's military wing put on a display of force at one of its bases near the Israeli border in south Lebanon earlier this week, an event that it allowed the Western media to witness in the aftermath of its recent election win. While the brutal 2006 Lebanon War casts a long shadow over the region, peace has held since then. Nevertheless, Israeli rockets that were fired from both southern Lebanon and Syria during May triggered the largest escalation since that conflict, coming very close to a new outbreak of hostilities. "We are coming for you in places that you know and places that you don’t,” boomed the Hezbollah member narrating the military drills, a claim that should not be discounted. A senior official emphasised that Israel would “later” see Hezbollah's procession-guided missiles, should anything escalate.
The Biden administration has criticized Israel over an order that permits Jewish settlers to form a permanent presence in a West Bank outpost that the US has warned it should avoid legitimizing. The State Department has said that Israel should refrain from any moves that could raise tensions with Palestinians, like formalizing settler outposts, and specifically warned it over the Homesh outpost. The order signed by an Israeli military chief on Thursday that permits Israelis to enter the area clears the way for a formal settlement to be constructed there.
Three Palestinians were killed in a raid by the Israeli military in the Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday; a bulldozer blockade prevented ambulances and journalists from accessing the area. residents have claimed. The Israeli military has conducted a series of incursions into the West Bank earlier this year, and its earlier raid on Balata resulted in the killing of two Palestinians. Monday’s raid comes in response to a car ramming incident close to Nablus on Sunday, which injured an Israeli soldier.
Palestinian health officials report that three Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli army raid in a West Bank refugee camp. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration strongly criticised Israel for its latest act of settlement expansion. Israel’s latest crackdown, which led to the deaths of the three Palestinians, was carried out in response to an increase in Palestinian attacks. The US State Department spokesman was also critical of ultranationalist National Security Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Ben-Gvir was convicted of incitement and supporting a Jewish terror group years ago, but now serves as Israel’s national security minister.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brokered a deal with ultra-Orthodox coalition factions that threatened to vote down his budget unless additional funding was provided. Members of the United Torah Judaism party had urged a boycott of the budget vote unless an additional ILS600m ($164m) was provided to fund the country’s religious school system. The party ultimately supported the budget in exchange for up to ILS250m in additional educational funding. Failure to pass the two-year, ILS2tn budget by 29 May will trigger early elections. Netanyahu must still win the backing of the extreme-right Jewish Power Party.
Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, has announced that Israel has stepped up attacks on Iranian targets in Syria since the new government took office a year ago, doubling the number of strikes. While stopping short of commenting on specific operations, Gallant accused Iran of endangering trade and flight routes through the use of converted civilian ships equipped with military hardware and intelligence-gathering abilities. These operations are planned, according to Gallant, from both the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Arab states have welcomed Syria back into the Arab League, ending years of isolation due to a violent crackdown on a popular uprising. The decision has provoked controversy, with critics claiming it will legitimise the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and perpetuate a brutal crackdown on his opponents. Supporters argue, however, that it will provide space for the Assad regime to make possible concessions and enhance economic links. Syria’s readmission to the Arab League has also the potential to injure the interests of the United States and deal a setback to Lebanese and Israeli interests. Critics warn the move could spark cycles of violence in Syria and put more pressure on neighbouring countries that are receiving millions of Syrian refugees.
Supporters of the move point to diplomatic considerations: with the US power waning in the Middle East and Western countries consolidated around the Iran nuclear deal, Arab countries are finding it easier to embrace Syria’s leader as a buffer against their own internal unrest. Syria’s readmission to the Arab League has also been facilitated by growing sectarian pressure from Iran as it tries to increase its regional influence.
The fact that Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE all attended the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia was seen as a message of unity and an indication of shifting alliances in the region. However, the issue has also caused division, with countries like Turkey and Qatar being critical of the decision. Turkey, a US ally and close partner in the Syrian conflict, has been one of the most vocal opponents of the move, voicing concerns over Syria’s human rights record as well as its deteriorating economy. Similarly, Qatar has been one of the most outspoken critics of the move, arguing that it legitimises the Assad regime and gives him a measure of legitimacy.
