After Knesset advances bill to let coalition choose judges, Federations, philanthropists, UN issue warnings * PM has backchannel to PA *Analysis: Indispensable presidency

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Tuesday, February 21, 2023 Presented by [ChaiFlicks]( [Herzog: Feeling of ‘sorrow’ after judicial vote; onus on government to negotiate]( By Michael Horovitz President says he regrets coalition did not heed his call for compromise; says it’s not too late to hold talks before final legislation passes; justice minister: We will press on [‘History will judge you’: Opposition lashes government for advancing judicial bill]( By ToI Staff [UN urges ‘pause’ to Israeli judicial overhaul process, citing risk to human rights]( By AFP and ToI Staff Live updates [LIVE: US Jewish leaders warn against ‘dramatic change to Israel’s system of governance’]( By ToI Staff Jewish Federations of North America says 61-seat majority shouldn’t be enough to override High Court, adds sweeping changes to judiciary will have ‘far-reaching consequences’ in US Op-ed David Horovitz [Netanyahu’s judicial ‘reform’ threatens to bulldoze the Declaration of Independence]( Having easily secured initial approval for a central element of its move to neuter the High Court, the coalition is now on a collision course with Israel’s foundational principles [Major Diaspora philanthropists warn judicial overhaul threatens Israeli democracy]( By Asaf Elia-Shalev [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Feb. 21: Emotions high at Knesset as 1st part of overhaul bill passes]( By ToI Staff from our sponsor [Fauda Fans: 5 TV Shows and Movies to Watch After Season 4]( With season 4 behind most of us, tune in to more thrilling Israeli TV shows and movies from the Fauda cast favorites. [Knesset passes first reading of bill to give coalition control over choosing judges]( By Carrie Keller-Lynn and ToI Staff After day of fiery protests and warring speeches, vote marks major step en route to gov’t authority over judicial selection; also limits the High Court’s capacity to review laws [Shekel heads to 3-year low, government bonds slip after vote on judiciary changes]( By Sharon Wrobel [Majority of Israelis opposes key planks of judicial overhaul plan, survey finds]( By Luke Tress Analysis Haviv Rettig Gur [The sudden, surprising indispensability of the Israeli presidency]( As the judiciary fight escalates, only one institution has proven determined to bring the sides to the table, demand compromise and push back against narrow sectarian politics [Yesh Atid mulling plan for all opposition MKs to resign to protest judicial overhaul]( By ToI Staff [Emotions high at Knesset as 1st part of overhaul bill passes]( [listen to the podcast]( [Shin Bet head said to warn leaders over ‘growing potential for violence’]( By Ash Obel In series of conversations that included PM, justice minister, president and opposition leader, Ronen Bar requests: ‘Do everything to calm the climate’ [Over 400 ex-Shin Bet agents urge Likud minister Dichter to abandon judicial overhaul]( By ToI Staff [Yair Netanyahu tweets a claim Shin Bet part of ‘coup’ against his father, deletes it]( By ToI Staff Top Ops Stuart Weinblatt [A rabbi’s contrary view: Can we all just get along?]( It’s ironic that US Jews are being urged to enter the fray to save Israel’s democracy. Our job is to help lower the flames. Hayim Leiter [The forbidden bris]( I circumcised the baby of a mother who hasn’t yet converted. Now, strangely, I’m responsible for this baby’s Judaism [Netanyahu and Abbas keeping backchannel open even as Israel-PA ties unravel]( By Jacob Magid Tzachi Hanegbi and Hussein al-Sheikh have met once and held several calls via line established to tamp down tensions, pass along warnings, Palestinian official says [UN Security Council pans Israeli settlements; Israel: US should not have signed on]( By Jacob Magid After members bow to American pressure, withdraw resolution urging halt to settlement activity, they issue softer joint statement saying actions imperil prospects for 2 states [PM: Israel won’t legalize outposts — except 9 already announced — for a few months]( By Jacob Magid [Smotrich refuses to attend meeting with IDF chief on transfer of West Bank powers]( By Ash Obel and ToI Staff [Palestinians say 16-year-old shot in head by IDF two weeks ago dies of injuries]( By AFP and ToI Staff Montaser Mohammad Theeb Shawa hit by gunfire in Balata camp in West Bank city of Nablus as soldiers came under fire while securing passage of Jewish pilgrims to Joseph’s Tomb [IDF raids West Bank Palestinian gun workshops; 11 suspects detained]( By Emanuel Fabian [Putin freezes nuclear arms treaty with US, says West wants to ‘be done’ with Russia]( By AFP President repeats unfounded claim that his forces are fighting a ‘neo-Nazi regime’ in Ukraine, insists sanctions over invasion ‘won’t succeed,’ vows to continue war [Inside Story / How to sneak a US president into a warzone without anyone noticing]( By EVAN VUCCI, John Leicester and Zeke Miller [From the web / They were married. They shared a trench. Then died in it together]( By Jeffrey Gettleman [Former far-right extremist claims Ben Gvir sent him to vandalize UN compound in 2001]( By ToI Staff Photojournalist Gilad Sade says national security minister would pay teenagers to spray graffiti, damage property in East Jerusalem, West Bank; aides to Ben Gvir deny accusations [Smotrich slams ‘populist’ criticism after coalition colleagues pan bank’s rate hikes]( By ToI Staff Finance minister acknowledges increases tough for households but defends independent Bank of Israel, after Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Likud MK David Bitan criticize move [Battling inflation, Bank of Israel hikes interest rates to 4.25%, highest since 2008]( By Sharon Wrobel [Too pioneering for its own good, 1955 klezmer album finally gets debut performance]( By Jon Kalish Celebrated in later decades by top musicians but largely ignored in its own time, virtuoso album ‘Tanz’ was played by an all-star ensemble last week on NYC’s Upper West Side [Israel to launch first space telescope in 2026, will observe stellar collisions]( By ToI Staff NASA rocket will carry Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite into space, from where $90 million vehicle will scan for transient events to research black holes and supernovas [CRM]( [Scientists chide environment minister for meeting with climate skeptics]( By Sue Surkes Group calls on Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to consult with climate change experts rather than people who ‘spread false information’ [Environmental groups to press for rehabilitation of Jordan River, Dead Sea]( By Sue Surkes [Ministries of environment, interior squabble over multi-billion-shekel waste fund]( By Sue Surkes More Headlines [Tremor felt across Israel as another quake shakes Turkey-Syria border]( By Ash Obel and AFP [Startup’s clip-on device for smart carts deployed at Shufersal]( By Sharon Wrobel [Tour operators urge Finance Ministry to keep VAT waiver for tourists]( By Stuart Winer [Israel said to have warned UK of threat to anti-regime journalists from Tehran]( By ToI Staff and AFP [Four killed, including 2 toddlers, in deadly car crash in south]( By Harry Roper [Man arrested on suspicion of murdering his sister in Ness Ziona]( By ToI Staff [NBA’s Meyers Leonard set for comeback, two years after antisemitism scandal]( By Tim Reynolds [Rallying the troupes / New York’s Gibney Company comes to dance in Israel]( By Jessica Steinberg [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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