Zehava Gal-On

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (photo: Activestills.org)

‘Anyone but Bibi’ isn’t the point: Pre-election postulations

It is naive for the Israeli peace camp to think that deposing Netanyahu will bring about peace or even get us closer. Now that early elections are almost certainly going to be held on March 17, rumors have begun spreading like wildfire about the myriad possibilities of parties teaming up and the various frontrunners who…

By Mairav Zonszein December 7, 2014

Meretz leader Zehava Galon (photo: Yossi Gurvitz)

Ex-Israeli ministers, MKs, academics to British MPs: Support Palestinian statehood

Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On criticizes Israeli Labor party for opposing the motion: ‘Labor is conducting itself like another foreign office for Netanyahu’s government.’ Hundreds of Israeli public figures, academics, former ministers and Israel Prize laureates (the state’s official civil decoration) signed a public letter calling British MPs to support Palestinians statehood in a symbolic motion…

By Noam Sheizaf October 13, 2014

Palestinians detainees in Hebren (photo: Breaking the Silence)

Public reading of soldier testimonies to be held in Tel Aviv on anniversary of occupation

Avner Gvaryahu, spokesperson for the anti-occupation group Breaking the Silence: ‘We want as many public figures as possible to assume responsibility, in broad daylight, for the kind of stories every soldier knows to tell.’ Breaking the Silence, an organization made up of ex-IDF soldiers that seeks to expose the reality of the occupation, is organizing a…

By Noam Sheizaf June 3, 2014

Latest

Knesset Members protest in silence the rise of election threshold to 4 percent, a move that could see all Palestinian perties eliminated. From top-left corner: MK Barakeh (Hadash); MK Tibi, with back to the Knesset (Ra'am Ta'al); MK Zoabi (Balad); MK Gal-On (Meretz); MK Zahalka, with tape on his mouth (Balad); MK Gafni (United Torah Judaism); MK Zandberg (Meretz); MK Michaeli (Labor); MK Horowitz (Meretz)

Knesset approves bill that could push Arab parties out

After a stormy night session, the coalition was able to pass the necessary amendments and election laws that would make it more difficult to topple a government and eliminate small factions. Left-wing and Palestinian members of Knesset protested the legislation in ‘silent speeches.’ Ultra-Orthodox MK Eichler spoke to the Arab public in Arabic, saying ‘we…

By Noam Sheizaf August 1, 2013

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak in a briefing to to press on Iran (photo: IDF Spokesperson / CC BY-NC 2.0)

A rift between Netanyahu and Barak? Not so fast

Political maneuvering scores headlines in Israel and abroad. The New York Times reported this morning on a “growing rift” between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The disagreements between the two regarding the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the government’s attitude towards the American administration have found their way into the public…

By Noam Sheizaf October 4, 2012

‘Anonymous decision maker’ advocating war with Iran is Ehud Barak

The top stories in all Israeli dailies this weekend discuss a coming strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Thirty-seven percent of Israelis think President Obama would stop Iran from developing a bomb, while only 29 percent doubt it. The front page headlines in all major daily papers in Israel deal with the increased likelihood of a…

By Noam Sheizaf August 10, 2012

Three parties, from center leftwards, now led by women

The left-wing liberal party Meretz elected MK Zehava Gal-On this week as its new leader, following the retirement of former MK Haim Oron. Gal-On, representing the left flank of the party, won against MK Ilan Gilon. She is expected to place greater emphasis on opposition to the occupation. In her victory speech, Gal-On said: “Under my…

By Noam Sheizaf February 10, 2012

Will all of Israel’s center-left parties be led by women?

Front-runners for leading Kadima, Labor and Meretz in the next elections are all women. Could Israel’s next government be led by a Livni-Yachimovich-Gal-On trio? Israel is far from being the model for the advancement of women, and discrimination is evident in any field of society. All major media organizations are controlled and run by men; there…

By Noam Sheizaf March 5, 2011