Netanyahu and Gantz agree to ‘national emergency government’

Netanyahu to remain as prime minister for now

By Marcy Oster

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White chair Benny Gantz signed a deal Monday to form a “national emergency government” that keeps Netanyahu as prime minister for now.

Israel has spent more …

Knesset members given mandate to form government after Gantz attempt fails

By Marcy Oster

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday morning informed Benny Gantz that his mandate to form a government has ended, and that he has transferred the task of forming a government to the Knesset.

Gantz, head of the Blue and White party and speaker of t…

In some European Jewish communities, the coronavirus carries a stigma

By Cnaan Liphshiz

(JTA) – COVID-19 has spread rapidly among members of the Jewish community of Antwerp, which has a large Orthodox population. At least five have died and another 10 are hospitalized in serious condition.

But the virus is hardly ever mentioned there by name.

“People ca…

Orthodox groups say no shared Passover seders should take place

By Josefin Dolsten

NEW YORK (JTA) – Leading Orthodox Jewish groups have come out firmly against shared Passover meals, two days before the holiday begins and two weeks after the groups left open the possibility of communal seders under narrow circumstances.

“Everyone must plan to celeb…

Keir Starmer elected leader of British Labour Party

Has vowed to fight antisemitism in party

By Cnaan Liphshiz

(JTA) – A British lawmaker who has said that he supports Zionism will replace Jeremy Corbyn as the head of Britain’s Labour Party.

Keir Starmer, who managed the party’s Brexit approach under Corbyn, won 52 per cent of the vo…