ToI’s weekly deep dive: Judicial overhaul battle heats up * Mighty mensch Paul Rudd * Woman who saved 100s from Nazis * Podcast: What Matters Now to Prof. Suzie Navot

[Times of Israel]( [Weekly Deep Dive]( Sunday, February 19, 2023 Reporter's notebook [Israeli flags as far as the eye can see, as protesters plead for an overhaul rethink]( By David Horovitz Some placards at mass Jerusalem rally are optimistic: ‘We’re stopping the anti-democratic legislation.’ Others apocalyptic: ‘This government is destroying the Third House’ Analysis Haviv Rettig Gur [The judiciary fight is fueled by deep distrust; that makes compromise elusive]( Why Justice Minister Yariv Levin is in such a rush, foreign investors are increasingly worried, and President Herzog’s call for dialogue may fail Reporter's Notebook [Back on track: FM Cohen overcomes diplomatic hurdles en route to thaw with Ukraine]( By Lazar Berman Top diplomat had to take two overnight trains to meet President Zelensky in freezing Kyiv, managed to give Netanyahu a little breathing room with the West [Hosting Israel’s FM Cohen in Kyiv, Zelensky says Iran is ‘common enemy’]( By Lazar Berman Op-ed David Horovitz [Once the legal barriers are cleared away, the abuse will inevitably follow]( Kudos to President Herzog for his judicial overhaul compromise proposals, but if Netanyahu wanted constructive reform, he wouldn’t have pitched Israel into this crisis [Op-Ed / Worried Herzog sets out sensible ideas for reform, but is Netanyahu ready to listen?]( By David Horovitz Earthquake [After treating hundreds, IDF medical delegation to quake-hit Turkey back in Israel]( By Emanuel Fabian IDF chief says there were some security concerns with field hospital — but not enough to prompt second thoughts about coming to save victims of earthquake [14 Jews rescued from devastated Turkish city of Antakya, given shelter in Istanbul]( By Lazar Berman [Knesset committee fails to update earthquake construction framework]( By Danielle Nagler Top Ops Michael Oren [Judicial reform: Right problem, wrong solution]( As the threat of violence grows, all sides should accept President Herzog’s offer to mediate between the government and the court Eliyahu Berkovits [There’s a new player in Haredi politics: Voters]( Aryeh Deri is now the ’Creator’s Emissary on Earth.’ An MK invites constituents to WhatsApp him. It’s a political earthquake. Shira Pasternak Be'eri [Date night at the protests]( Chanting ’De-mo-crat-ya!’ with Israel’s hordes isn’t our usual fare, but it’s exactly where we belong Michael Marmur [When a rabbi knows why earthquakes devastated Turkey and Syria]( In hokey theodicy, disasters may vary, but glib explanations remain. For God’s sake, we must replace them with empathy Religion [As Jewish Israelis lose trust, fewer are marrying through the Rabbinate]( By Judah Ari Gross The number of Jews registering weddings with the state body has decreased since 2011, even as the population has grown by more than 20%, religious advocacy group finds [Government tells High Court it still plans to improve Western Wall egalitarian plaza]( By Judah Ari Gross [UAE interfaith compound featuring new synagogue set to open Thursday]( By Lazar Berman [CRM]( ToI podcast [What Matters Now to… Prof. Suzie Navot: Guarding against a ‘Frankenstate’]( By Amanda Borschel-Dan This week in What Matters Now, we speak with a leading legal expert of comparative constitutional law and hear why Israel is uniquely susceptible to becoming a non-democratic state Interview [In ‘The Talented Mr. Rosenberg,’ a con artist tale so strange it’s hard to believe]( By Rich Tenorio On Air [Dana International shows & tells nearly all in docu-reality TV]( By Jessica Steinberg The groundbreaking transgender singer reveals her personal life in ‘Viva La Diva,’ a new series from Yes Studios [Showtime / Netflix Israel to air Kan 11 shows, including ‘Checkout,’ ‘Dismissed,’ ‘Cramel’]( By Jessica Steinberg Film review [Mighty mensch Paul Rudd makes largely disappointing ‘Ant-Man’ a little more fun]( By Jordan Hoffman Great performances by all-star actors including Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer can’t save Marvel’s latest release – out Feb. 16 – from soulless visuals and a languid plot Tech Israel [Israel judicial plan sparks brain drain fears, threatens US tech gateway: VC firm]( By Sharon Wrobel Founder of venture capital firm Amiti Ventures warns judicial changes will further weaken shekel, lead to credit rating cut and higher interest rates pushing mortgage costs up [Israeli company touts nature-based alternative to toxic fertilizers for crops]( By Sue Surkes [Google reportedly starting layoffs in Israel]( By Sharon Wrobel Author interview [How a ‘watchmaker’s daughter’ hid hundreds of Jews beneath the Nazi occupiers’ noses]( By Matt Lebovic Health [From cockpit to cataract ops: Israeli flight headsets adapted, approved for surgery]( By Nathan Jeffay Augmented reality system now being rolled out in Europe after receiving CE mark; doctor says it ‘feels like being inside the eye during surgery’ [Lab claims it teaches rats to detect lung cancer with 93% accuracy by sniffing urine]( By Nathan Jeffay [Health Ministry announces cancellation of few remaining COVID restrictions]( By Luke Tress [Private hot tubs and pools abound at Jerusalem hills hotel named for Labor Zionist]( By Jessica Steinberg From The Blogs [‘A beacon of light’: The Abrahamic Family House opens in Abu Dhabi]( By Jason Isaacson The three houses of worship are a prime example of the UAE’s commitment to a more inclusive, more peaceful region [Unsubscribe from this List]( Email not displaying correctly? 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