Israel has gone to the polls for the fourth election in less than two years, with the nation still divided over whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deserves to remain in office. Polling stations were opening across Israel and in the occupied West Bank, with some 6.5 million registered voters set to deliver a result that could prolong the worst period of political gridlock in the country’s history. Al Jazeera’s Natasha […]
Israel's Knesset passed legislation late Wednesday that gives the cabinet sweeping emergency powers, including the ability to declare a national emergency and impose restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The legislation grants the government overarching powers to impose restrictions on the public until June 2021, and replaces a law passed on 7 July that allowed the government to impose restrictions and later seek approval from the Knesset. […]
Israel's parliament on Thursday adopted a law defining the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people, provoking fears it will lead to blatant discrimination against its Palestinian citizens. The legislation, adopted by 62 votes to 55, makes Hebrew the country's national language and defines the establishment of Jewish communities as being in the national interest. The bill also strips Arabic of its designation as an official language, downgrading it […]
Israel's parliament on Tuesday passed the first reading of a bill which will change the country's constitution to declare Jerusalem as its capital and relegate Arabic from an official language to one with "special status". The Knesset voted 64 to 50 to pass the "Israel - the national state for Jewish people" bill through its first reading. It needs two more readings before it becomes the country's "Basic Law". The […]
A number of right-wing members of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, took to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under heavy military protection on Tuesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lifted a ban on MK visits to the holy site imposed in October 2015, which aimed to ease tensions amid a deadly wave of political unrest that erupted across the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. Netanyahu had decided to temporarily lift the […]
Parliament has rejected the invitation for members of the Israeli Knesset to visit South Africa. This follows vehement calls by Nelson Mandela grandson, Mandla Mandela, for government to revoke visas for the delegation, which is expected to visit South Africa in August. Addressing protestors at the mass Al Aqsa march in Cape Town last week, the ANC MP said government should not allow the Parliamentary delegation to step foot in […]
After reports emerged that the US Congress and the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, would celebrate the 50 years of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory during a joint video event on June 6, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi said in a statement on Wednesday that the event represented the deepening of American “complicity in Israel’s criminality.” Israeli media reported that the event would be broadcast live between […]
Israeli ministers on Sunday endorsed a contentious draft bill that Muslims say is meant to silence the traditional call to prayer, information released by the justice ministry showed. A list of draft legislation put to the vote in the powerful ministerial committee on legislation marked the "bill for prevention of noise from public address systems in houses of prayer" as having "passed". It gave no further details. Approval by the […]
The legal committee of Israel’s ministerial council approved on Monday an “anti-incitement” bill which paves the way for censoring internet content, including Facebook and Twitter posts, Quds Press has reported. The bill is now ready to be proposed to the Knesset for its first reading. If it becomes law, the bill will allow Israeli courts to ask operators of internet networks, including news websites, blogs and social media, to delete […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
