Barak: Dictatorship imminent * PM: Economic hysteria misplaced * Smotrich wins W. Bank powers; 7,000 settler homes okayed * Ancient brain surgery * Munch painting justice

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Friday, February 24, 2023 [Predicting dictatorship, ex-PM Barak says citizens may need to disobey leaders]( By ToI Staff Likud files police complaint against former premier, defense minister and chief of staff, who says danger to Israeli democracy from judicial overhaul push is ‘immediate and real’ [Jewish Agency chief urges US Jewry to speak out on proposed judicial overhaul]( By Judah Ari Gross [Young Judaea expresses ‘great concern’ over judicial overhaul]( By Ben Sales [Netanyahu: ‘Those sowing hysteria of economic downfall will be proven wrong’]( By ToI Staff Ben Gvir skips cabinet budget meeting as his demand for further increasing already boosted police budget remains unaddressed; PM renews vow to provide free 0-3 education [Central bank chief said to warn economic crisis could break out at any moment]( By ToI Staff [Finance Ministry chief economist warns judicial shakeup poses risk to growth]( By Sharon Wrobel [Smotrich handed sweeping powers over West Bank, control over settlement planning]( By Jeremy Sharon Agreement will allow Religious Zionism head to entrench Israel’s West Bank presence and thwart Palestinian development, though caveats appear to preserve some authority for Gallant [IDF chief says military is committed to keeping out politics, amid overhaul tensions]( By Emanuel Fabian [Israel advances plans for 7,000 new settler homes, places E1 project back on docket]( By Jacob Magid Figure green-lit by panel this week is largest ever; hearing rescheduled to adjudicate objections to repeatedly delayed plan that would bisect Palestinian contiguity in West Bank [Outpost recognition boosts Israel’s hold over West Bank, deepens Palestinian despair]( By Isabel Debre Archaeology [Square hole in ancient skull: Earliest brain surgery in Middle East found in Israel]( By Melanie Lidman Over 3,500 years ago, two brothers from an upper-class family survived with serious illness, and one underwent the radical procedure of trephination, discovery at Megiddo reveals [Teacher fired after initiating class discussion on judicial overhaul plan – report]( By Harry Roper School administration accuses him of ‘incitement’; Education Ministry has warned teachers to refrain from voicing political opinions in class [National Library chair: Government moves threaten very existence of institution]( By ToI Staff [US Jews on alert as white supremacists plan antisemitic ‘day of hate’ Saturday]( By Luke Tress Extremists including neo-Nazis plan to hold rallies, distribute anti-Jewish messaging, but few expected to participate; no known violent threats or specific targets [Heirs of Nazi-persecuted collector hail justice in auction of Edvard Munch painting]( By Robert Philpot Prof. Curt Glaser sold ‘Dance on the Beach’ under duress in the 1930s. Now, the 1906 masterpiece is expected to fetch $15-25 million after a deal was struck with the current owner Top Ops Leah Herzog [Building God’s sanctuary with multiple intelligences]( Imagine if all the fundraisers gave to their own causes first, and only then asked everyone else to contribute (Terumah) Eddy Portnoy [Richard Belzer was a Jewish comedian. Why didn’t his obituaries say so?]( Belzer did a routine about Bob Dylan’s bar mitzvah and he knew his fleishig from his milchig ToI podcast [A year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ‘What Matters Now’ to Ksenia Svetlova]( By Amanda Borschel-Dan This week in ‘What Matters Now,’ we speak with the former MK, a Middle East and Russo-Ukraine expert, and learn whether Israel’s policy of ‘neutrality’ is actually the best course [Top US lawmakers converge in Israel for talks on Iran, judicial shakeup]( By Lazar Berman Netanyahu, Herzog and others meet with Senate delegations from both parties as well as House representatives on trips sponsored by J Street and US Israel Education Association [Blasts, anti-air fire in Iran city with centrifuge factory said hit by Israel in 2021]( By ToI Staff and Agencies [Iran acknowledges accusation it has enriched uranium to 84%]( By Jon Gambrell [Ex-Foreign Ministry head: Overhaul will leave Israel, IDF vulnerable at world court]( By ToI Staff Alon Ushpiz, who quit last month, says Israel won’t be able to claim shield of independent judiciary to protect it and its soldiers from scrutiny by International Court of Justice [Elite IDF reservists threaten to stop showing up for duty over judicial overhaul]( By Emanuel Fabian [Deadly Nablus raid places US-organized regional security summit at risk]( By Jacob Magid Ramallah threatening to withdraw, which could lead to Aqaba’s meeting’s cancellation as representatives from Jordan and Egypt won’t want to attend without PA [Palestinians march throughout West Bank, Gaza in mass show of support for Lion’s Den]( By ToI Staff [Palestinian man shot dead in clash with IDF in southern West Bank]( By Emanuel Fabian [British foreign secretary: UK has no intention of working with Ben Gvir]( By ToI Staff Responding to petition from lawmakers affiliated with Council for Arab-British Understanding, James Cleverly says ‘no current plans’ to engage with far-right minister [On anniversary of invasion, Ukraine’s leader Zelensky vows to defeat Russia]( By John Leicester and HANNA ARHIROVA Sounding defiant tone as morning breaks on day of commemorations, president congratulates compatriots on resilience in Europe’s deadliest war since WWII [Israel joins UN resolution calling for Russia to leave Ukraine]( By AP and ToI Staff [Poland delivers first German Leopard tanks to Ukraine]( By AFP [CRM]( [Bezalel’s new campus hopes to draw Jerusalem’s many communities into creative space]( By Danielle Nagler Israel’s oldest art and design school moves to downtown location, in bid to connect to capital’s diverse population [Housing snapshot: Home sales and rentals across Israel]( By Danielle Nagler More Headlines [Harvey Weinstein handed 16 more years in prison for rape of actor]( By ANDREW DALTON [Bank of Israel grants permit for Clal Insurance to take control of Max credit card]( By Sharon Wrobel [French news channel fires anchor linked to Israeli disinformation network scandal]( By AFP and ToI Staff [Suspect indicted for aggravated rape of woman in front of her kids in Gedera]( By ToI Staff [US mass killings linked to right-wing extremism spiked over last decade – ADL report]( By AP and ToI Staff [German court convicts Palestinian man for 2014 war crime, murder in Syria]( By AP [Do it again / Memphis rapper NLE Choppa returns to Israel for May concert]( By Jessica Steinberg [All I have to give / Backstreet Boys announce Israel performance in May]( 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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