Yair Lapid is an Israeli politician of the centrist Yesh Atid party, and a former journalist. He has been the Leader of the Opposition since January 2023, having previously served in that role from 2020 to 2021. He served as the 14th Prime Minister of Israel from 1 July to 29 December 2022. He previously served as the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2022. He served as Minister of Finance from 2013 to 2014. Lapid is the chairman of Yesh Atid.
Yaakov Noach Litzman is an Israeli politician and former government minister. A follower of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, he heads Agudat Yisrael, part of the United Torah Judaism alliance, in the Knesset. He previously served as Minister of Health and Minister of Housing and Construction. Litzman resigned from the Knesset in June 2022, as part of a plea agreement in which he admitted criminally obstructing the extradition of convicted pedophile Malka Leifer.
Otzma Yehudit or Jewish Power is a far-right, ultra-nationalist, Kahanist and anti-Arab political party in Israel. It is the ideological descendant of the anti-Arab, and outlawed, Kach party.
Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician who served as the 13th prime minister of Israel from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, and as the 3rd Alternate Prime Minister of Israel from 1 July to 8 November 2022. Bennett was the leader of the New Right party from 2018 to 2022, having previously led The Jewish Home party between 2012 and 2018.
The Jerusalem gay pride parade is an annual pride parade taking place in Jerusalem. Since the first March for Pride and Tolerance in 2002, Jerusalem Pride—"Love Without Border"—has become an established event in Jerusalem.
The trial of Benjamin Netanyahu began following investigations into allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust by him and close political allies within his inner circle during his fourth and fifth terms as Israel's Prime Minister. The Israel Police began investigating Netanyahu in December 2016 and subsequently recommended indictments against him.
On July 22, 2018, Israeli members of the LGBT community went on strike to protest the Israeli Surrogacy Law’s discrimination against the LGBT community, and the continuing violence towards the Israeli trans community. During the strike, which was held on the Jewish fast day of Tisha B'Av, many organizations and companies allowed their employees to be absent to participate in the protest. Protest events that were held across the country, including in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be'er Sheba, Ra'anana and other cities.
Events in the year 2020 in Israel.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Israel is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first case in Israel was confirmed on 21 February 2020, when a female citizen tested positive for COVID-19 at the Sheba Medical Center after return from quarantine on the Diamond Princess ship in Japan. As a result, a 14-day home isolation rule was instituted for anyone who had visited South Korea or Japan, and a ban was placed on non-residents and non-citizens who were in South Korea for 14 days before their arrival.
Protests, demonstrations and strikes occurred around the world against national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by governmental bodies. Some were driven by the financial hardship resulting from government measures to contain the virus, including restrictions on travel and entertainment, hitting related industries and workers hard. Protests also occurred in opposition to restrictions on people's movements, compulsory wearing of face masks, lockdowns, vaccinations and other measures. Some protests were driven by COVID-19 misinformation, conspiracy theories, far-right and other extremist groups and individuals.
There have been several COVID-19 protests in New Zealand held since 2020, where people protested the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, in particular the lockdown measures in place in March–May 2020, August 2020, and August–November 2021 and the later vaccine mandates. The protests have been largely condemned by members of parliament, as well as local city and regional councils. Fears were also raised about the protests increasing the spread of the virus.
A series of protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, colloquially referred to as the Balfour Protests or Black Flag Protests, gained prominence in Israel throughout 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing trial of Netanyahu for various corruption scandals. Protesters accused Netanyahu of subjecting the law as part of his fight in criminal proceedings against him. The demonstrators protested against Netanyahu's continued tenure in the shadow of his criminal charges, claims of his preference for personal good over the good of the state, and demands to investigate the "submarine affair". One of the hotspots most identified with the protests was the compound near the Prime Minister's Residence, on Balfour Street in Jerusalem. The protests concluded after the thirty-sixth government of Israel, headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in a power-sharing agreement, was sworn in on 13 June 2021, ending Netanyahu's 12-year second tenure as prime minister.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, numerous protests took place over the government's response.
Events in the year 2021 in Israel.
Between 2020 and 2022 hundreds of people from all over Italy protested against COVID-19 regulations. The protests ended with the abolition of the majority of restrictions in June 2022. After the 2022 Italian general election in September, the remaining restrictions were removed completely by the Meloni Cabinet after Giorgia Meloni began serving as Prime Minister in October 2022.
The COVID-19 protests in Canada are protests that began in April 2020, with protests in Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, and Ottawa against the Government of Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent measures.
Yaakov "Kobi" Shabtai is an Israeli police officer and who has been serving as the 19th Commissioner of Israel Police since January 17, 2021. He has previously served as the Commander of the Border Police as a deputy commissioner.
Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have occurred around the world. There have been several protests against lockdowns and other restrictions introduced by the Commonwealth and state governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia since 2020. Some joining protests have also been against vaccinations, while others have also subscribed to various conspiracy theories or misinformation about COVID-19. Protests have been held in several state capitals, with most occurring in including Sydney and Melbourne. While some protests were peaceful, others ended in clashes between protesters and police. Australian police have issued fines against protesters for breaching lockdown restrictions.
From January to October 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel in response to the government's push for a wide-ranging judicial reform. The proposed reformed aimed to among other, change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee so that control over the appointment of judges was effectively given to the government. Secondly, the reform would prevent the Supreme Court of Israel from ruling on the validity of a Basic Law. Thirdly, the reform would prohibit the Supreme Court to use "unreasonableness" as grounds for review of administrative decisions. Also, minister would be permitted to appoint their own legal advisers rather than legal adviser operating under the direction of the Attorney-General. Lastly, the reform proposed would change the system for selecting judges, so that the governing coalition would gain the power to appoint judges among other plans. In July 2023, the Knesset passed the law to abolish the Supreme Court's ability to review government actions on grounds of reasonableness has been passed in, which so far is the only piece legislation of the judicial reform plan to have been passed in parliament..
Uri Misgav is an Israeli journalist, publicist, lecturer, teacher and director. Currently a journalist in Israel, one of the leaders of the Black Flag protest and among the prominent opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
