Netanyahu calls elections for April 9 * Opposition: It’s tied to his legal battles; gov’t blames Lapid for dropping support for haredi draft bil l * Eating Chinese on Xmas

[Visit timesofisrael.com for 24/7 updates]( The Daily Edition Monday, December 24, 2018 [Early elections called for April 9 as coalition agrees to dissolve Knesset]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Government says all parties have agreed on national polls after ‘full four-year term,’ amid disagreements over ultra-Orthodox draft law and as AG weighs corruption cases against PM]( [Netanyahu predicts another election victory, but warns of tough fight]( By [Raoul Wootliff and TOI staff]( [‘Good riddance’: Opposition lawmakers cheer as early elections called]( By [Michael Bachner and Raoul Wootliff]( [Attorney general won’t decide on Netanyahu charges before election — reports]( By [TOI staff]( [Legal officials say Avichai Mandelblit doesn’t want to be seen as meddling in national vote; Justice Ministry denies ‘speculative’ reports, says review of cases continues apace]( [Yesh Atid says it’ll vote against draft law, alleges Haredim were offered money]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [New Bank of Israel governor installed amid economic turmoil]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [Meretz members vote to block party MK from seeking reelection]( By [TOI staff]( Live updates [Justice Ministry says work on criminal cases against PM ‘continuing normally’]( By [Michael Bachner]( [Dismissing reports that AG won’t publish his decision whether to indict Netanyahu before elections, ministry says its work ‘doesn’t depend on political events’]( [US Syria withdrawal may speed up Arab-Israeli detente, well-connected rabbi says]( By [Raphael Ahren]( [Marc Schneier, who this month was named a ‘special adviser’ to the king of Bahrain, predicts a Netanyahu visit to Manama as early as January]( [Israel media review / Trump’s festivus for everyone but us: 9 things to know for December 24]( By [Joshua Davidovich]( [Order signed for US military’s controversial Syria exit]( By [AFP and TOI staff]( [Analysis / Israel sees limits of Trump support with Syria pullout]( By [Mike Smith]( [Conservative Movement leader blasts PM’s immigration minister appointee]( By [TOI staff]( [Yizhar Hess says nomination of Yariv Levin — a public critic of Reform Judaism — is a demonstration of ‘utter contempt’ for Diaspora Jewry]( [Netanyahu gives immigration portfolio to Tourism Minister Yariv Levin]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Michael Oren: I am the most qualified person to be immigration minister]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Former Israeli reality TV star charged in US for alleged binary options fraud]( By [Simona Weinglass]( [Lissa Mel faces up to 20 years in prison for her alleged role as a ‘senior broker’ for binary options firms BigOption and BinaryBook]( [Family of Palestinian shot dead deny his car ran a West Bank checkpoint]( By [Adam Rasgon]( [Relatives of Qassem al-Abbasi say they posed no threat at the time of shooting last Thursday; military says the driver didn’t stop after soldiers fired warning shots]( [Ahead of Friday protest, Palestinian terror groups threaten fresh violence]( By [TOI staff and Adam Rasgon]( [Palestinian Authority boasts it ‘thwarted’ major land sales to Jews in Jerusalem]( By [Jacob Magid]( Top Ops [Zev Stub]( [The Jews I know never ate Chinese on Xmas]( [The tradition actually runs deep — especially for those immigrants whose pathway to America took them through New York]( [Nevet Basker]( [Major lessons from minor events]( [When Israelis demanded greater force against Gaza attacks, Israel’s hawkish prime minister did the unexpected: nothing]( [Avi Bell]( [Is ‘East Jerusalem’ Palestinian territory?]( [Who cares if the PLO is making two contradictory claims in two international courts? Outrageously, nobody]( [Emmanuel Navon]( [Like Obama, Trump is eroding American credibility]( [The US pullout from Syria is both a strategic and a moral mistake]( FESTIVAL [Federico Maccioni]( [Galilee village awaits Christmas influx, unfazed by Hezbollah tunnels nearby]( [Fassuta, just south of the Lebanon border, this weekend hosts its annual holiday market, whose winter charm draws tens of thousands of visitors]( [Pilgrims gather at Jesus’s traditional birthplace for Christmas]( By [AFP]( [Turkish FM: Netanyahu is a ‘baby killer’]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [In latest round of ongoing spat, Mevlut Cavusoglu says Israeli leader and Kurdish fighters wanted to split Syria]( [Trump said to have told Erdogan that Syria is ‘all yours. We are done’]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [MKs demand Netanyahu answer questions about spurned Russia-Syria deal]( By [TOI staff]( [Netanyahu: Erdogan is an ‘anti-Semite’ obsessed with Israel and its moral army]( By [Agencies and TOI staff]( [Women’s March leader says white Jews ‘uphold white supremacy’]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [Jewish co-founder of movement says she was marginalized over her heritage, was told by Tamika Mallory and Carmen Perez that Jews played a significant role in the slave trade]( [Lebron James knocked for ‘Jewish money’ social media post]( By [TOI staff]( [2,000-year-old ring discovered in Jerusalem’s City of David]( By [Amanda Borschel-Dan]( [Unearthed in excavation of the monumental Pilgrims’ Path, the Second Temple-era adornment likely fell after use of a ritual bath, say archaeologists]( Interview [Head of contested Hungary Shoah museum takes aim at ‘irresponsible’ opponents]( By [Yaakov Schwartz]( More Headlines [Minister says Trump peace plan includes Palestinian state – and he’ll oppose it]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [Israel sends warm wishes, but no aid, to tsunami-stricken Indonesia]( By [Raphael Ahren]( [In rare move, El Al drug smuggling suspects held beyond 30 days without charges]( By [TOI staff]( [Honduras mulling moving embassy to Jerusalem — report]( By [TOI staff]( [Minister attends inauguration ceremony for Havat Amona illegal outpost]( By [Jacob Magid]( [IDF opens fire at gunmen approaching border fence from Syria]( By [Jacob Magid]( [IDF sends troops to tour museum honoring Evangelicals’ support of Israel]( By [TOI staff]( [Riled over Mattis’s apparent snub, Trump axes defense secretary two months early]( By [AP and TOI staff]( [Kiddushing around / Sick synagogue worshipers suspect teens poisoned the kugel]( By [Jacob Magid]( [Judges throw out attempt to stop Rona Ramon cremation]( By [TOI staff]( [Jerusalem top cop drops out of contention to lead Israel Police]( By [TOI staff]( [God's name in vein / Biohacker injects DNA versions of Bible, Quran verses into his body]( By [TOI staff]( [Unsubscribe from this List]( © 2018 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, All Rights Reserved