August 20 - Week #33
๐๐ฝ The top candidate for the chief of police position, Yoram Sofer, refused to say how he would act in the event of a constitutional crisis between the high court and the Coalition.
๐๐ฝ US-Israeli ties are at risk because of Israelโs failure to bolster the Palestinian Authority as promised, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer told the cabinet last week after his meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in DC. PM Netanyahu had promised the US a Palestinian boost in early July after advancing plans for thousands of new West Bank settlement homes, but no concrete steps were ever taken. Times of Israel reported that Israeli sources blamed Religious Zionism Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for the inaction.
๐๐ฝ After the weekendโs terrorist attack, Religious Zionistโs Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the IDF should โgo on the offensive in Judea and Samaria.โSmotrich is planning to legalize 155 illegal West Bank outposts, allocating $180 million, in a move sure to draw international reprobation.
๐๐ฝ Several highly-ranked reservists were suspended by the Air Force after saying they would not report for their volunteer service.
๐๐ฝ Hundreds of demonstrators protested the new Tel Aviv light rail on Friday, over the plans to not run trains on Shabbat, with several protesters handcuffing themselves to handrails. Train management responded by turning off the facilityโs air conditioning.
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