Israeli Prime Minister Benjain Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would take all necessary actions to maintain security on the Temple Mount, without changing the status quo, in a phone call Friday with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Avi Gabbay, a former environment protection minister, won the race for the leadership of the Labor party which he joined only six months ago. In a runoff election, he beat the former Labor chairman Amir Peretz, a former Defence Minister.
As Israel is to mark Yom Haatzmaut or Independence Day, the country 69th anniversary, its population has risen to nearly 8.7 million, according to the data released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
Israel marked Yom Hazikaron, the country’s day of remembrance for its 23,544 fallen soldiers, members of security forces and victims of terror. Included in the total are over 3,000 civilians.