Massive Protests in Jerusalem as Thousands Rally Against Israel's Judicial Reform
Massive Protests in Jerusalem as Thousands Rally Against Israel's Judicial Reform
Plus: Death Toll in Turkey Earthquake Rises Above 40,000, China Expresses Support for Iran, Israeli Soldier Jailed for Assaulting Palestinian Activist, and much more.
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Massive Protests in Jerusalem as Thousands Rally Against Israel's Judicial Reform
Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied outside the Knesset on Monday, February 13, to protest against proposed judicial reforms by the country's hard-right government.
The proposed measures aim to grant the government greater control over judicial appointments, limit the authority of government legal advisors, and enable a simple majority in the Knesset to override almost all supreme court rulings.
The reforms would also diminish the court's ability to conduct judicial review of legislation and administrative action and change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee.
Workers in several sectors, including doctors and the tech industry, went on strike, while demonstrators blocked motorways, and about 1,000 children and their parents marched in Tel Aviv.
Proponents of the judicial reforms say they are necessary to restore the balance between branches of government.
However, it is unclear when the proposals will be voted on.
Death Toll in Turkey Earthquake Rises Above 40,000, Contractors Investigated
Turkish authorities are investigating contractors believed to be linked to buildings that collapsed in the earthquake that killed over 40,000 people.
As rescuers found more survivors on Sunday, February 12, including a pregnant woman and two children, the focus turned to assign blame.
The Justice Minister confirmed that 131 people were being investigated for their alleged responsibility in the construction of buildings that failed to withstand the quakes. Two people were arrested on suspicion of cutting down columns to make extra room in a building that collapsed, while three were arrested, seven were detained, and seven were barred from leaving Turkey.
Meanwhile, in Syria...
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has agreed to allow humanitarian aid to pass through two more border crossings from Turkey for an initial period of three months without any preconditions, according to the United Nations. This is in addition to the already open Bab Al Hawa border crossing. The U.S. has temporarily eased sanctions on Syria to expedite aid deliveries in the northwest region, where no aid has arrived despite the recent earthquake. The U.S. has imposed a series of sanctions on the Syrian regime, beginning in 1979, and has since added additional targeted sanctions, including blocking property of regime officials and prohibiting the importation of Syrian oil. The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which was passed in 2019, added more sanctions to Syrian government industries and foreign entities that provided financial or material support to the regime.
China's Xi Expresses Support for Iran amid Western Pressure
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed support for Iran during a meeting with President Ebrahim Raisi this week. This comes as Iran seeks to strengthen its ties with Moscow and Beijing to counter Western sanctions over its nuclear program. The two leaders signed 20 cooperation agreements in trade and tourism, adding to a 25-year strategy agreement to develop oil and industry. China is a major buyer of Iranian oil and a source of investment. The official Chinese account of the meeting did not mention whether they discussed Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Israeli Soldier Jailed for Assaulting Palestinian Activist in Hebron
An Israeli soldier was jailed for ten days for assaulting Palestinian activist Issa Amro, who was accompanying a U.S. journalist around Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The assault was captured in a video posted by the journalist, which has garnered over 16 million views.
The incident occurred in Hebron, a city in the West Bank divided into two areas: H1, which is under full control of the Palestinian Authority, and H2, where Israel has security control, and several hundred Jewish settlers live alongside over 30,000 Palestinians. Hebron is home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a holy site for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
Iran-based Egyptian Saif al-Adel is New Al-Qaeda Chief, U.S. says
The U.S. State Department has announced that Saif al-Adel, an Egypt-based in Iran, has been appointed as the new head of Al-Qaeda following the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri in July 2022. A UN report released on Tuesday confirmed that al-Adel was the group's new de facto leader. However, Al-Qaeda has not officially declared him "emir" due to concerns regarding Taliban authorities in Afghanistan and the issue of al-Adel residing in predominantly Shiite Iran. The 62-year-old al-Adel, a former Egyptian special forces lieutenant-colonel, is part of the old guard of Al-Qaeda and helped build the group's operational capacity, including training some of the hijackers who took part in the September 11, 2001 attack on the United States.
Dozens of Migrants Presumed Dead after Shipwreck off Libya Coast
The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that at least 73 migrants are missing and presumed dead after their boat sank off the Libyan coast. The boat was heading to Europe on a route known as "the world's deadliest migratory sea crossing," and only seven people survived the shipwreck. The IOM has called for more efforts to be made to increase search and rescue capacity and establish clear and safe migration pathways to reduce the number of dangerous journeys. Over 130 people have died this year, making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
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My name is Dario Sabaghi, and I am a freelance journalist interested in international news focusing on the MENA region.
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Cover photo: Eyal Warshavsky / SOPA Images/Si via Reuters Connect