Tel Aviv: tens of thousands rally against Netanyahu
Over 25 thousand Israelis held a rally in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square Saturday evening, demanding that Prime Minister Netanyahu be replaced in the upcoming parliamentary elections set for March 17. The event was organized by Israel Wants Change, an organization that calls not only for peace with Israel’s neighbors, but a shift in the government’s focus from national security to domestic issues such as education and health. Speakers at the rally, including former Mossad head Meir Dagan, criticized the “leadership crisis” under Netanyahu.
Source: Informed Comment
Saudi defense spending surges
According to a recent BBC report, Saudi Arabia increased defense spending by 54% in 2014, to $6.5 billion annually. That number is expected to rise even more in 2015, reaching $10 billion. The defense spending increase has been attributed to Saudi Arabia’s enmity with Iran, as well as tumultuous security situations in nearby Arab states. A majority of foreign military aid channeled into Saudi Arabia came from the United States.
Source: The Gulf Blog
Sisi’s parliamentary fears
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi sees Egypt’s upcoming parliamentary elections, the final phase of the transitional roadmap set out following Mohammad Morsi’s removal in 2013, as a way to lend legitimacy to the regime. However, the military, including Sisi, has a history of suspicion toward political parties in general – a policy that will likely translate into a parliamentary election favoring individuals rather than party blocs.
Source: Sada
