Ex-PM Netanyahu and his family vacated the PM residence in Jerusalem, also known as “Balfour” and moved to their private estate in Caesarea. Since there is no protocol that determines a strict timetable for moving out of the residence, each PM decides for himself. This was a symbolic move, as “Balfour” had become a target for weekly protests against what was defined as Netanyahu’s corruption due to his indictments. New PM, Bennet already announced that his family will not move to Jerusalem, since he has small children and he and his wife Gilat don’t want to move them to new schools. The Bennet family live in Ra’anana. The PM residence needs renovation and Bennet declared that he will use it only for formal meetings and gatherings.
Meanwhile the new coalition is trying to establish its very small majority and is making efforts to pass bills, not very successfully. Since the majority is very fragile and the numbers of coalition members versus opposition members are almost equal, every absence can change the picture. As a result all MKs (members of Knesset) are under strict rules and are not allowed to leave the venue until all voting is over. Because of this the coalition lost several votes. That reflects the almost impossible assembly of all 8 parties in the coalition with sometimes conflicting agendas.
Faina Kirschenbaum, Ex-deputy minister, who was one of the closest persons to the leader of the Israel Beitenu party, Avigdor Liberman, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery. This punishment has precedents for politicians who were found guilty. Kirschenbaum was convicted in a series of indictments all related to her stealing tax payer money using different sophisticated mechanisms. Many other people were convicted with her, but she led the conspiracy. Liberman is now Minister of the Treasury and many claim that it is not appropriate for him to hold so much power. It is important to say that Liberman was not under any investigation in these cases.
Turkish President, Erdogan, called the new Israeli President, Herzog, to congratulate him on his new position, and used the opportunity to generate a fresh start to the relationship between the two countries. For more than 2 years there were no ambassadors, no Turkish ambassador in Israel and no Israeli ambassador in Turkey, due to a deep conflict that is directly related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The call between the two leaders was marked as important by all political analysts and it may lead to opening improved relations between Israel and Turkey.
High Court of Justice Ruling Puts an End to Discrimination in Access to Surrogacy for Gay Couples and Single Men: in a dramatic decision, the court ruled that existing legislation that denies surrogacy rights in Israel is discriminatory and illegal and should be null and void within six months. The ruling, which represents a landmark achievement for LGBT rights advocates, came after an 11-year battle, and after the Knesset had failed to amend the law. In February 2020, the court struck down the amendment to the surrogacy law, which allowed access to surrogacy within Israel only to heterosexual couples and single women, deeming it as “disproportionately violating the right to equality and the right to parenthood” of gay couples and single men, and gave the state a year to amend it, despite the state’s claim that it was unfeasible to amend the law under existing political restrictions. The current government coalition did not have a majority to pass an amendment to the law, given the fierce opposition of Ra’am, the Islamic Party, to any legislation in favor of LGBT rights, and the state asked the court to intervene. LGBT rights advocates and progressive leaders and activists expressed their satisfaction with the court ruling, after a long legal battle, while some progressive and feminist analysts pointed out that surrogacy may open the door for the exploitation of women in poverty.
High Court of Justice Allows Gender Segregation in Undergraduate Studies and Warns Against Discrimination Against Female Lecturers: the court ruled in the case of several petitions filed against the program of the Higher Education Council, which perpetuates gender segregation in academia, to allow Ultra-Orthodox men and women to gain academic degrees. The court limited gender segregation to undergraduate and college programs and denied it for advanced degrees studies. It also ruled that programs that cater to Haredi men cannot discriminate against women lecturers and banned gender segregation in public spaces on campus. The bench comprised of five justices was unanimous on the issue of the exclusion of women lecturers from teaching in programs for Haredi men, deeming it a violation of human dignity. The justices were divided on the question whether all gender segregated programs in academia are indeed a violation of the principle of equality. The majority rule claimed that such segregation is necessary to ensure that Haredi men and women gain access to higher education, while the minority vote claimed that it opens the door for broader gender segregation in institutions of higher education. Senior academics who support gender segregated programs expressed their satisfaction with the ruling, as it will allow Haredi men and women to obtain academic degrees and be better integrated into the broader society. Those opposing gender segregation were encouraged by the ruling that bans discrimination against women lecturers and segregation in public spaces on campus. It is important to say in this context that children from Haredi families usually go to the Haredi school system in which they don’t study humanities and sciences, therefore without higher education they cannot join the workforce and provide for their families.
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