Ethnic/Religious Minorities

Israel approves five-year development plan for Bedouin villages

Not everyone in the Bedouin community approves of the five-year development plan recently adopted by the government, as it does not resolve the issue of unrecognized Bedouin villages.

Israel

Death of influential rabbi marks turning point for Israeli ultra-Orthodox

Both ultra-Orthodox and secular Israelis were drawn to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, whose Torah scholarship brought him influence he never sought.

Israel

Israel’s minister of religious affairs appoints women as latest reform

Minister of Religious Affairs Matan Kahana's appointment of women, as well as changes to kosher supervision and to conversion law, have drawn the enmity of the ultra-Orthodox community.

Israel

Mixed feelings in Israel over Bennett’s mediation efforts on Ukraine

The Israeli opposition is criticizing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as overeager to drag Israel into the Russia-Ukraine quagmire.

Israel

Israel's ultra-Orthodox reject housing in new Negev town

Ultra-Orthodox leaders search for a solution to the housing crisis in the sector, but they are not in favor of the solution proposed by the government to establish a new ultra-Orthodox town in the Negev region.

Israel

Citizenship law deepens rift between Israel's Arab parties

The Joint List was hoping to use the vote on the controversial citizenship Law to embarrass its rival Muslim coalition party Ra’am.

Israel

Jerusalem churches fight new settlement plan

Church heads and officials in Jerusalem are fighting an Israeli plan to expand a national park on the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem, where dozens of churches and Christian sites are located.

Palestine

Ultra-Orthodox, Reformist Jews clash over prayer space at Western Wall

Progressive Judaism activists from Israel and the US are demanding Prime Minister Naftali Bennett implement the compromise on an egalitarian mixed-prayer space by the Western Wall, as was agreed under the former government.

Israel

Analysis

Ultra-Orthodox kosher certification body becomes commercial giant

The extreme ultra-Orthodox Badatz kosher certification has become a giant commercial body much courted by big food-production companies.

By Israel Hershkovitz

Analysis

First female Arab Knesset member to head Israeli diplomatic mission

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has appointed Meretz Knesset member Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi as consul general in Shanghai, sparking an outcry from critics.

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Israeli ultra-Orthodox fret over Russia-Ukraine conflict

For the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, which considers Ukraine as a sort of a homeland, the possibility of a Russian invasion is taken personally.

Israel

Record number of ultra-Orthodox women join Israeli workforce

More and more Israeli ultra-Orthodox women turn to computer programming, accounting, entrepreneurship and other jobs instead of traditional positions in the education system.

Israel