Gov’t about to unfurl bid to neuter top court * ToI investigates: Ukrainian women raped, abused, exploited * Rettig Gur: Haredi parties vs their voters * Temple Mt at UN?

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Wednesday, January 4, 2023 Presented by [OurCrowd]( Live updates [LIVE: Government to unfurl sweeping court reform plan, setting up showdown with judiciary]( By Joshua Davidovich Yariv Levin about to announce planned legislative blitz to water down judges’ power over Knesset, sending message just as AG rejects making Deri minister ahead of High Court hearing ToI investigates [Raped, abused, exploited: Ukrainian women seeking refuge in Israel find no haven]( By Inna Lazareva A harrowing examination reveals much abuse sliding under the authorities’ radar — or being willfully ignored — while the perpetrators remain free to commit further crimes Analysis Haviv Rettig Gur [Are Haredi parties standing in the way of their community’s prosperity?]( As Haredi factions return to power, can the inward-looking politics of yesteryear rise to the challenge of a community grown too big to live at someone else’s expense? from our sponsor [UN Security Council slated to meet on widely decried Temple Mount visit by Ben Gvir]( By Jacob Magid and AP Session unlikely to lead to formal censure but will reflect anger and concerns surrounding sensitive site, with one US official accusing far-right minister of trying to sow chaos [After visit, Ben Gvir won’t say if he aims to enable Jewish prayer on Temple Mount]( By TOI staff [Degel Hatorah coalition faction mouthpiece pans Ben Gvir for Temple Mount visit]( By TOI staff [70% of secular Jewish Israelis feel threatened by new government, survey shows]( By Michael Bachner Israel Democracy Institute poll finds 60% of left-wing Israelis expect increased emigration; majority says Netanyahu made too many concessions to hardline allies in coalition talks [Rocket launched from Gaza at Israel after threats over Ben Gvir’s Temple Mount visit]( By Emanuel Fabian Military says projectile failed to cross border, landed short in Hamas-run territory; no sirens sounded [Netanyahu’s UAE visit said postponed after Abu Dhabi slams Temple Mount visit]( By TOI staff [AG refuses to defend government in court against petitions over Deri’s appointment]( By Jeremy Sharon Netanyahu argues to High Court that it lacks authority to review Basic Law enabling Shas head’s appointment or to interfere in PM’s discretion to make him interior, health minister [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Jan. 4: Next on the docket, Attorney General v. the Government?]( By TOI staff [Deri asks attorney general to revoke citizenship of 2 terror convicts set to go free]( By TOI staff [Ben Gvir faces dilemma as activists ask to hold Passover sacrifice on Temple Mount]( By Judah Ari Gross Each year, fringe group tries to slaughter a lamb in line with its interpretation of a biblical edict, and is always denied. But now it’s asking a different kind of police minister [Next on the docket, Attorney General v. the Government?]( [listen to the podcast]( [Christian cemetery vandalized on Mount Zion in Jerusalem]( By TOI staff Police say many tombstones damaged at Protestant graveyard owned by Anglican church; video shows apparently Jewish men smashing the gravestones Top Ops Yael Davidowitz [You are not a banana peel]( Created in the divine image, humans are intrinsically holy and their bodies must be treated with respect. Why, then, are they being disposed of as fertilizer? Jeremy Ben-Ami [J Street and what it really means to be pro-Israel]( I would be glad to meet publicly with those who disagree and discuss civilly our views of US-Israel relations, Israel’s future, and the organization I lead Analysis Nathan Jeffay [‘A hell of a variant’: Ultra fast-spreading strain could shake Israel’s COVID calm]( XBB.1.5 strain is dominant in the US after cases doubled in just a week, and could quickly start circulating in Israel; on plus side, variant-bolstered vaccines expected to help [No-knife procedure to avoid some open heart surgeries is now in Israel]( By Nathan Jeffay [After demonstrating 57% remission rate, Israeli immunotherapy licensed by US firm]( By Nathan Jeffay Some 85% of patients improved after taking new therapy developed by Bar Ilan and Hadassah; method involves adding artificial molecule to T-cells Interview [Does an Israeli tourism expert’s Saudi Arabia trip hint at possibly warming ties?]( By Tal Schneider When Israeli dual-national Joseph Fischer learned a global hospitality summit was being held in Riyadh, he inquired about attending. He wasn’t refused [Foreign Minister Cohen speaks with Bahraini counterpart, as concerns rise over ties]( By Lazar Berman [Eurovision organizer warns Netanyahu against threatening Israel’s public broadcaster]( By Amy Spiro EBU director general asks PM to ‘safeguard the independence of Kan’ in order to remain a member; communications minister: I am ‘beholden to Israeli public and not any other body’ [Yesh Atid petitions High Court against law expanding Ben Gvir’s powers over police]( By TOI staff MKs Mickey Levy and Yoav Segalovitz, both former police commanders, call last week’s legislation unconstitutional, claiming it aims to ‘turn police into a political entity’ [Border Police suspends troops after officer ‘forgotten’ in Palestinian town]( By Emanuel Fabian [Border Police launches probe after officer ‘forgotten’ in Palestinian town]( By Emanuel Fabian [Ukraine alleges Israeli FM’s call with Lavrov proves Israel changed stance on war]( By Lazar Berman Kyiv fumes at Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, with Ukrainian Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk saying Jerusalem is remaining silent as Moscow shells civilians [Drone advances in Ukraine could herald battlefield dawn of autonomous killer robots]( By Frank Bajak and HANNA ARHIROVA [Russia, shaken by deadly Ukrainian strike, may step up use of Iranian killer drones]( By FELIPE DANA [US Orthodox group launches campaign against New York Times yeshiva coverage]( By Luke Tress Agudath Israel of America’s ‘Know Us’ initiative aims to push back against critical series of articles on Jewish schools, using billboards, white paper report, online outreach [CRM]( Inside story [Year of the reset: As era of cheap money ends, how will Israeli tech fare in 2023?]( By Sharon Wrobel Israeli tech firms brace for more cost savings, downsizing to get through global slowdown as the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker [Zooz Power deploys first ultra-fast power booster for electric vehicles in Israel]( By Sharon Wrobel More Headlines [Hezbollah chief denies rumors of poor health, slams ‘crazy’ new Israeli government]( By TOI staff [Iran frees prominent actress who was jailed for backing protests]( By AP [Germany rejects Poland’s request for $1.4 trillion in WWII reparations, says Warsaw]( By AP [Court remands modeling agent accused of sex crimes after year on the run abroad]( By TOI staff [Man gets life for murdering wife in front of their children, who tried to save her]( By TOI staff [Rise in suicides and in deaths overall among IDF soldiers in 2022, says military]( By Emanuel Fabian [Iranian chess player who shunned hijab moves to Spain after reported threats]( By TOI staff [Palestinian attempts to snatch soldier’s gun during West Bank raid, IDF says]( By Emanuel Fabian [Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard officer shot to death on doorstep of Tehran home]( By TOI staff [FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty to fraud in US crypto-currency case]( By Larry Neumeister [Steeled for duty / New US lawmaker to swear in on rare Superman comic book]( By TOI staff [Bucharest city council rejects plan to remove bust of pro-Nazi minister]( By MARCEL GASCÓN BARBERÁ [The daily edition]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? 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