Netanyahu's office confirmed the visit, the first by an Israeli prime minister since Ehud Olmert in 2008. Turkey's diplomatic drive comes at a time when the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is at a standstill, against a backdrop of the worst violence in years in the occupied West Bank.

Until now, Palestinians with United States citizenship could not enter Israel through Ben Gurion airport without obtaining visas, but had to enter through Jordan. Citizens of 40 countries are exempt from visas for short stays in the United States for leisure or business.

Thousands of Israelis protested for an 18th straight week against the hard-right government's controversial judicial reforms, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelving the overhaul more than a month ago. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the central city of Rehovot, waving Israeli flags and blocking a major road junction.

Like Jewish religious holidays, Israelis commemorate Memorial Day from sunset and into the following day, with several events planned at the country's 52 military cemeteries. The families of a number of the soldiers killed in combat have requested that cabinet members refrain from speaking at the events to avoid unrest.

The latest demonstration to hit Israel's commercial hub came days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with the changes despite mounting international alarm. But his defence minister said Saturday that "we must stop the legislative process" for a month in view of the divisiveness of the reforms.

Netanyahu, in a televised address, said he was determined to advance the reforms but wanted to reach a solution acceptable to both supporters and critics of the proposal. Lawmakers earlier on Thursday approved legislation restricting grounds for declaring a premier unfit for office, a move opposition chief Yair Lapid called...

Demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem and the northern city of Haifa to denounce the overhaul that would, among other things, allow lawmakers to scrap supreme court rulings with a simple majority vote. Some opposition leaders joined a later rally in central Tel Aviv.

Lawmakers voted by 63 to 47 to give more weight to the government in the committee that selects judges, and to deny courts the right to rule on legislation they deem in conflict with so-called Basic Laws, Israel's quasi constitution. Tens of thousands had protested on the streets of Jerusalem...

The measures, which were inching towards approval through a series of preliminary votes inside the chamber, have provoked widespread criticism and charges that they would give the legislative branch nearly unchecked authority.

Turkey, too, has appointed an ambassador to Israel. A presidential decree in November named Sakir Ozkan Torunlar to the post, Turkish media reported at the time.

The November 1 election put former premier Netanyahu in a position to form a stable, right-wing government, ending an unprecedented period of political deadlock that forced five elections in less than four years. Netanyahu's 28-day mandate expires at midnight (2200 GMT) Sunday, but late Thursday he asked Herzog for more...

Sheikh Mohamed and President Herzog confirmed the importance of boosting UAE-Israel cooperation in the space sector.

Of the 120 lawmakers elected on November 1, 64 have endorsed Netanyahu to lead the next government, clearing the way for his promised comeback after just 14 months in opposition. The majority secured by Netanyahu's Likud and its allies was expected to usher in a stable government.

Israel's veteran ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu secured a mandate to form a new government, paving the way for his comeback at the helm of what is expected to be the most right-wing administration in the country's history. The November 1 polls gave Netanyahu and his far-right allies a clear majority in...

Relations between majority-Muslim Turkey and the Jewish state froze over after the death of 10 civilians in an Israeli raid on a Turkish flotilla carrying aid for the Gaza strip in 2010.

Senior Turkish officials held meetings in Jerusalem on Thursday ahead of a rare visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey.

The latest rebel missile was fired as Isaac Herzog makes the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli president.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, on Sunday deliberated aspects of cooperation under the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement, signed by the two nations in 2020, in addition to a number...

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will pay an official visit to Turkey in February, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday, hailing it as a chance to mend frayed relations with the Jewish state. "This visit could open a new chapter in relations between Turkey and Israel," Erogan said in...

Abdullah "stressed the importance of working towards a just and comprehensive peace" between Israel and the Palestinians Herzog was quoted as saying he wanted to strengthen economic and tourism ties between the two countries Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday received a telephone call from Israel's new President Isaac Herzog...