Israel sets February election date

Israel's elections have been set for Feb. 10. Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik announced Oct. 30 that most of Israel's political parties agreed on the date.

Israel's next general election was supposed to be in 2010, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resignation announcement in July set in a motion a chain of events leading to early elections, which will be held for the entire Knesset.

Livni announced this week that her main rival in the primary campaign, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, would be her party's campaign chairman.

Along with Livni, the foreign minister, the main contenders for prime minister in the upcoming election are Defense Minister Ehud Barak of Labor and Likud opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. — jta




Jerusalem museum gets go-ahead

The Simon Wiesenthal Center can build its long-planned Center for Human Dignity-Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem.

The Israeli Supreme Court gave its approval Oct. 29 for the museum site, adjoining Independence Park, which served as Jerusalem's main Muslim cemetery until 1948. Muslim authorities appealed to the Supreme Court that museum construction would desecrate the cemetery, which allegedly contained the bones of Muslims killed during the Crusades of the 12th and 13th centuries.

Attorneys for the Wiesenthal Center countered that the site housed a four-story underground garage for three decades, and that Muslim religious authorities had ruled earlier that the location had lost its sacred character. The museum is expected to open in three and a half years. — jta




Meretz members leave politics

Israel's left-wing Meretz Party took a one-two punch recently, as Knesset member Ran Cohen announced Nov. 1 that he intends to retire from political life, just after Yossi Beilin, former head of Meretz, announced Oct. 28 he is quitting politics to enter business.

Beilin has been one of the most influential left-wing figures in the state's 60 years. He was chairman of Meretz until six months ago and said on various occasions that he planned to run for the next Knesset.

Cohen, a colonel in the reserves, has served as a member of parliament since 1984. — jpost.com/ynetnews.com




Knesset swears in first haredi woman

The Knesset made history Nov. 4 when it swore in its first female ultra-Orthodox Knesset member, just before it enters a pre-election recess.

Tzvia Greenfield joined on behalf of the left-wing Meretz Party. Her achievements include the signing of the Geneva Initiative.

"I am creating an important precedent as a woman born and raised in the ultra-Orthodox society who is entering the Knesset on behalf of Meretz, to promote the pluralist values of humanity and human rights — this is an incredible privilege for me." — ynetnews.com




Hamas invited to E.U. headquarters

European Union officials invited Palestinian lawmakers, including members of Hamas, to visit its Brussels headquarters in the spring.

The parliamentary group issued the invitation Nov. 3 during a visit to the Gaza Strip. The E.U., like the United States, considers Hamas a terrorist organization and boycotts the group because of its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

The gesture is being seen as mostly symbolic, since most Hamas members are not permitted to leave the region. — jta




Rabin killer interview pulled

Two Israeli TV channels canceled planned broadcasts of an interview with Yitzhak Rabin's killer, Yigal Amir.

After brief excerpts from the interview with Amir were aired Oct. 30 by two Israeli TV stations as promos, Rabin family members and broadcast officials reacted furiously, prompting the TV networks, Israel's Channel 2 and 10, to cancel plans to broadcast the full interview.

During the interview, Amir disclosed that he got the idea to murder Rabin after the two were guests at a wedding, and Amir realized that the prime minister was protected by a single bodyguard. — jta