August 20 - Week #33

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ 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.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ US-Israeli ties are at risk because of Israelโ€™s 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.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ After the weekendโ€™s terrorist attack, Religious Zionistโ€™s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the IDF should โ€œgo on the offensive in Judea and Samaria.โ€Smotrich is planning to legalize 155 illegal West Bank outposts, allocating $180 million, in a move sure to draw international reprobation.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ Several highly-ranked reservists were suspended by the Air Force after saying they would not report for their volunteer service.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿฝ 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 facilityโ€™s air conditioning.

Updates by email at IsraelMachar.com