The BBC releases a short summary of why there has been an uptick in violence in the West Bank, summarising what has happened and what is likely to happen next. Also reporting on the West Bank, The I releases analysis of ongoing violence: “violence between Palestinians and settlers is hardly new, the political situation in Israel is unprecedented. The current Israeli regime is the most extreme and bigoted in the country’s history”. The Times publishes an update on the violence in Hawara, releasing a video of some of the settler violence with cars being smashed and homes set alight. Sky News and the Independent add that Elan Ganeles, 26, was the US citizen shot near the city of Jericho on Monday – with two manhunts still ongoing after three others including Jewish brothers, Hillel and Yigal Yaniv, were killed in Hawara on Sunday.

The Guardian releases a piece claiming that: “The West Bank settlers who sit on the supreme court, in the parliament and in government are seeking to consolidate Jewish supremacy over all Palestinians. And this cabinet agreement [giving Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich broad West Bank authority] merely accelerates the process of colonising Palestine. Slowly but surely it would eradicate the legal smokescreen of temporary military occupation that has hitherto disguised Zionist expansionism.”

The Guardian also reports on US President Biden’s possible next steps in the West Bank, saying: “Now the US has a decision to make. Having redipped its toe in the Palestinian question by orchestrating the Jordan summit, it will have to decide whether to do more than make a minimal ritualistic call for restraint on both sides.”

The Financial Times releases an article on the judicial reforms, saying: “A broad swath of Israelis says the government’s proposed judicial reforms erode the foundations of democracy”.  

Reuters reports that Smotrich said on Tuesday he saw the country’s economy being strengthened by the government’s proposed judicial overhaul, but that he would assume responsibility for any economic harm caused by it. He described the fury over the proposals, which include weekly mass protests and warnings from leaders in the private sector, as a political event that the government is “managing”.

Israel Hayom details the International Atomic Energy Agency’s latest quarterly report, elements of which emerged yesterday, which found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7% in Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear site. Inspectors discovered on January 21st that two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at the facility had been configured in a “substantially different” form from that previously declared. And, despite Iran’s claim that the levels were “a momentary side effect of trying to reach a finished product of 60% purity” for civilian purposes, experts suggest that even this level has no legitimate civilian use. The discovered level of 83.7% moves Iran ever-closer to the weapons-grade threshold of 90%. Visiting Berlin, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called on the international community to pursue a dual approach of snap-back sanctions and “to have a credible military option on the table as well.”

Walla reports that the organisers of the protest against the judicial reforms began “national disruption day” today. The demonstrations will converge at the end of the day in Jerusalem, while the controversial legislation in the Knesset continues. Among the groups taking part are the high-tech companies, farmers, doctors and school students. Kan Radio adds that six demonstrators have been arrested thus far for allegedly disturbing the peace and assaulting police. The police blocked the interchanges ahead of a protest march that will leave soon from Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv towards the government compound in the city. Railway service was disrupted this morning after protestors blocked station entrances. Lt. Col. (res.) Oren, who took part in blocking the highway, said: “We are trying to raise an outcry against a government that simply doesn’t understand what we are talking about. A government whose overwhelming majority has never worked. There are tens of thousands of reservists who are crying: stop! And the government, its overwhelming majority, doesn’t even understand.” National Security Minister Ben Gvir held a situation assessment this morning with the Israel Police. He instructed the police not to allow major traffic arteries to be blocked and to open all the roadblocks.

Walla also reports that Ministers Yoav Gallant and Gila Gamliel and National Security Council Director Tzahi Hanegbi canceled their attendance at the INSS conference today. Sources said that Gamliel and Hanegbi announced their cancelation yesterday, a short time after the protest organisers said that they would demonstrate outside. Gallant announced he was canceling his attendance after the speech by former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit yesterday evening. Yediot Ahronot, in addition to quoting Mandelblit’s remarks covered in our main story, also cites former president of the Supreme Court, Dorit Beinisch, who also spoke at the conference, warning against the judicial reform plans: “The government seeks to seize control of all the democratic institutions.” The former chairman of the National Security Council, Eyal Hulata, meanwhile, said, “This poses a danger to cohesion and national security.”

Also in Yediot Ahronot, Etgar Keret asks how to describe what happened in Huwara: “When I tried to share insight with a taxi driver, he upbraided me for calling the bloody event in Huwara a ‘pogrom’. The taxi driver said that is a word that is reserved exclusively for attacks on Jews, and that a different word should be used when talking about attacks on other nationalities. When I suggested ‘hate crime’ he objected, saying that the protestors who went to Huwara had been impelled by the awful pain and anger that they felt in the aftermath of the terrible murder of the two brothers earlier that same day. ‘And the terrorist,’ the driver reminded me, ‘is himself from Huwara.’ We both ruled out the term ‘pain crime’ because it sounds weak and inaccurate, and ‘justified crime’ also got tossed because if it’s justified then it isn’t really a crime. My suggestion to call it a ‘crime against innocents’ also failed to pass muster with the driver. The ride ended without us having come up with a name we could agree on and, as a person of words, I have to admit that this saddened me. Somehow, I find the ability to call something by name somewhat reassuring. When you call a disaster by its name, it still remains a disaster, but at least a disaster that can be shared and discussed. So maybe you can help me and tell me exactly what to call it when, in response to a terrorist incident, 400 civilians from neighboring towns, accompanied by a military escort, descend upon a village, kill, beat and set houses on fire while people are inside? Give me a name.”

Ynet reports that National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, responded to the criticism leveled by German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, regarding moves to institute the death penalty for convicted terrorists: “The Germans have no standing to lecture us on this issue. They need to think carefully before talking about Israel’s right to defend itself. These days, when we’re bring tested everywhere the Israeli blood is spilled, it is incumbent upon us to institute the death penalty for convicted terrorists. It is the moral, logical thing to do.”

Ynet also reports that Qatari Ambassador Mohammed Al-Amadi decided to postpone his visit to the Gaza Strip, which was planned for today. Al-Amadi’s visit was aimed towards trying to prevent further escalation amid the Palestinian protesters, after the Egyptian mediation efforts failed to do so. There was no reason provided for his postponing.

Ynet also reports that CEO of the pro-LGBTQ non-profit “Hoshen”, Mor Nahari, has expressed her delight at the resignation of MK Avi Maoz from his capacity as deputy minister in the government, due to Maoz’s well-documented Homophobic stance. “We were glad to hear Maoz was unable to bring his homophonic agenda to fruition. We’re here to remind every elected official that we will never cease fighting for every LGBTQ youth in Israel. We call upon the education ministry to maintain security of all LGBTQ children in every school. We will continue to act for tolerance and will arrive to every school in the country until every LGBTQ child feels safe.” Haaretz adds analysis, saying Maoz “is the first brick to fall in Netanyahu’s dream government”, and that “the government is shakier than at first thought, and Avi Maoz’s resignation represents the first crack in the far-right coalition and brings hope that more will follow”. Haaretz further published an editorial saying Maoz’s resignation shows that the mass protests are working.

Haaretz reports on an aspect of our main story, concerning allocations for ultra-Orthodox education in the state budget. Presenting the 2023-24 budget on Tuesday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticised an agreement by the previous government with the teachers’ union that increased state expenditures by 4.5 billion shekels ($1.2 billion). At the same time, the Finance Ministry confirmed that 2.5 billion shekels would be budgeted for demands made by ultra-Orthodox parties.