Israel's parliament

Israel's parliament on Monday approved the first major law in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious plan to overhaul the country's justice system, triggering a new burst of mass protests and drawing accusations that he was pushing the country toward authoritarian rule.

Israel's parliament voted Thursday to dissolve itself, triggering the country's fifth election in just over three years and thrusting veteran politician Yair Lapid into the role of interim prime minister as he tries to persuade a deeply polarized nation to embrace his centrist vision.

Israel is set to swear in a new government on June 13 that will send Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the opposition after a record 12 years in office and a political crisis that sparked four elections in two years.

As Turkey steps up to mobilize the international community against Israeli plans to annex West Bank, Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu on May 21 had phone conversations with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led on March 3 in a tight election in Israel, but was still short of a governing majority in the third national ballot in less than a year, partial results showed.   

The Arab bloc in Israel's parliament abandoned its usual hands-off stance on Sept. 22 and endorsed former military chief Benny Gantz for prime minister, potentially giving him the edge over hard-line incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu.

Turkey on July 19 slammed a new law adopted by Israel's parliament defining the country as the nation state of the Jewish people, saying the legislation "trampled" on universal law and the rights of Israeli Arabs.

The Muslim call to prayer cannot be banned, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, criticizing Israel for the initial approval of a draft law that will silence the Muslim call to prayer at certain hours.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the winner of the country's election held on March 17, after exit polls had first shown he was running neck and neck with the opposition Zionist Union.

According to Ynet News, Netanyahu's right-wing Likud is expected to have 29 seats in Parliament, a clear lead on Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union which is to get 24 seats.

Six days before Israel votes in a snap general election, the centre-left Zionist Union opened a lead of several points over the ruling rightwing Likud party, a poll found on March 11.