Bus stop bombings, Iran’s sea strike, Far-right make big gains in coalition talks: This Week in Israeli news - The Jewish Chronicle

The chaos that has rocked Israel's political system may be coming to an end as Bibi's far-right coalition partners are set to take up positions in the new government, but the chaos on Israel's streets shows no sign of letting up as tragedy struck in Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem bus attacks are part of a wave of terror in Israel that has not let up since spring with bomb, stabbing and shooting attacks met with dawn raids and arrests of militants in the West Bank.

Twin bus blasts kill teenager in Jerusalem

On Wednesday a 16-year-old boy died and over twenty other people were injured after two bombs detonated at bus stops in Jerusalem.

The Israeli-Canadian teen Aryeh Schupak was killed by the first of the two terror attacks at bus stops in the Israeli capital- the first bombings carried out on Israeli civilians since the 2016 Jerusalem bus bombing.

It comes amid spiralling tensions in the region, with a spate of recent attacks marking one of the West Bank's worst spates of unrest since 2015.

The two bombs, which appear to have been controlled remotely, were hidden in bags loaded with shrapnel.

While details of the attackers are not yet known, Israeli authorities suspect they are an organised Palestinian militant cell. This marks a change from most terror attacks in recent years, which have consisted of Hamas rocket attacks and uncoordinated stabbings.

Iranian drone did strike an Israeli-linked vessel

US Naval investigators have concluded that a strike on an Israeli-owned vessel was carried out by Iran.

Last Tuesday Shahed Series drone struck an Israeli-owned commercial tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The Pacific Zircon, which had been flying the Liberian flag, is operated by the Eastern Pacific Shipping owned by Tel Aviv-born billionaire Idan Ofer.

The boat only suffered small damages, but makes the regime’s continued attempts to promote disruption. While Israeli officials had already claimed Tehran was responsible, the conclusion of the American probe seems to further strengthen Jerusalem’s claims. The Islamic Republic has not claimed responsibility for the hit.

US investigators, who examined debris and the damage to the boat, said Western and Israeli officials said the drone was launched from an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base in Chabahar, Iran's southernmost city. They said the drone was an Iranian Shahed-136, the same weapons being shipped to Russia for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The strike took place mere hours after the US said it had seized 70 tonnes of missile fuel headed to Yemen’s Houthi rebels from Iran, which had been disguised as other items.

At home, landmark protests continue to beleaguer the regime’s carefully curated public image, with external aggression being one route its elites may be keen to use to help stoke popular support.

Far-right offered promotions in Netanyahu’s new Cabinet

Following his bloc’s 64-seat majority in this month’s general election, Israel’s designated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been heading up complex coalition talks in which far-right allies are set to gain big promotions.

Earlier today the news emerged that far-right MK Itamar Ben-Gvir will be appointed Israel's National Security Minister.

The 46-year-old has advocated for the expulsion of Arab-Israelis who “are not loyal” to the state and his party supports the deportation of "Arab extremists" regardless of citizenship, including Party Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh, and the Neturei Karta Jewish anti-zionist sect.

On Thursday Haaretz reported that Mr Netanyahu would offer Bezalel Smotrich the opportunity to oversee Israel’s Civil Administration (CA) in the West Bank, a body he has previously called for the dismantlement of.

Religious Zionism claims that after Netanyahu told Smotrich to renege on his request for a defence ministry role, it was agreed that the latter would be appointed a finance minister with responsibility for the CA which oversees work permits for Palestinians, and cooperates on security and infrastructure the Palestinian Authority. It also has authority over construction by Palestinians and Israelis in Area C of the West Bank.

Bezalel Smotrich has a similarly rocky record to his would-be coalition partner, having attracted criticism from Naftali Bennett in 2016 after tweeting his support for the separation of Arab and Jewish women in maternity facilities.

Just last year he garnered backlash for claiming “Ben Gurion should have finished the job” by removing all Israeli Arabs from Israel during the founding of the state, and he has supported the reform of Israel’s judicial system to make it more religious.

Both men have called for revoking the Law of Return, which currently allowed anyone who has converted to Judaism or has a Jewish grandparent to make aliyah, to be revoked for non-Orthodox converts.

Israel’s outgoing Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai has warned that this could prompt an "irreparable rift" with Jews outside of Israel.

While Israel’s robust economic and political ties with the rest of the world look sturdy enough to survive its new government, there will surely be some tense conversations ahead with its range of international partners from western democracies to Islamic monarchies.