'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Kadima (, lit. Forward) was founded as a centrist political party in Israel by moderates from Likud soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians. It became the largest party in the Knesset after the 2006 elections, winning 29 of the 120 seats. Kadima was originally founded largely to support the issue of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and classified itself broadly as centrist and liberal. The party is currently headed by Tzipi Livni, who places strong emphasis on both Israel's security and continuing the peace process, and its members include moderates of the political center who support diplomatic steps to peace with the Palestinians. - Source: Wikipedia
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday abruptly announced he was quitting politics, injecting new turmoil into the Israeli political system weeks ahead of general elections.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering a political comeback to challenge incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, aides said Wednesday.
Israel plunged toward a political crisis Tuesday after the largest member of the government quit, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in charge of a hard-line coalition opposed to most Mideast peace moves.
Deep in the heart of Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem bastion of hardline ultra-Orthodox Jews, hundreds of bearded young men in black suits have their noses burrowed into books, immersed in biblical study and oblivious to their surroundings.
Israel's defense minister abruptly proposed Wednesday that Israel consider "unilateral action" if long-stalled peace talks with the Palestinians don't produce a deal — suggesting Israel may be thinking of withdrawing on its own from parts of the West Bank, as it did from the Gaza Strip seven years ago.
With the establishment last week of a broad national unity government in Israel - brought about by the Kadima Party's bold decision to join Prime Minister Netanyahus government - I believe that Israel is on the crossroads of major positive change.
The Kadima party could lose a large faction of lawmakers because of its leader's decision to join the Israeli government, The Washington Times has learned.
Israel's Kadima party could lose a large breakaway faction of lawmakers following its leader's controversial decision to join the current Israeli government, The Washington Times has learned.
The first rifts in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's expanded coalition emerged just a day after he brought the main opposition party into his government, with religious and secular parties exchanging threats Wednesday over draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Fighting in parts of Syria has morphed into local guerrilla wars, the Red Cross said Tuesday, where the number of prisoners remains unknown and 1.5 million people need help getting food, water, shelter, power and sanitation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a revamped coalition government on Tuesday, forming a broad alliance with the chief opposition party that could free his hand to take bold action on peace with the Palestinians and decide whether to attack Iran.
Israel was gripped by election fever Monday, with new balloting expected as early as the summer and polls suggesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands a good chance of re-election — largely because of a divided opposition.
In a political development with global implications, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday signaled he soon might call early elections — a decision that could put Mideast peace efforts on hold for months and cast more uncertainty on Israel's deliberations over whether to attack Iran's nuclear program.
Israel's cutting-edge missile defense called Iron Dome scored an 85 percent success rate in knocking out rockets launched against Israel's southern cities in recent clashes with Gaza.
When Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom left his post as foreign minister in 2006, his staff checked to see which country's counterpart he had met with most often. The answer, as it turned out, was not the United States, or a European Union state, and not one of Israel's Arab neighbors.
