A Muslim milestone
The week's news at a glance.
Jerusalem
Israel appointed its first Muslim minister in history this week when Raleb Majadele of the Labor Party was named a minister without portfolio. Majadele said he wants to promote dialogue between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs, as well as between Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli Arab lawmakers dismissed the appointment as cosmetic. “Progress for Israel’s Arabs depends on changing the entire discriminatory approach of the government over the past 58 years,” said Wasil Taha of the Balad party, “and not on the appointment of a minister.” Israeli Arabs—who live in Israel proper, not the territories—are full citizens and comprise about 20 percent of Israel’s population and 10 percent of the Knesset. Disproportionately poor, they say the government has long neglected their towns.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Anti-trans scandal roils major LGBTQ+ literary prize as authors withdraw en masse
in the spotlight Multiple nominees for the UK's premier queer writing award have removed themselves from contention to protest the inclusion of a self-proclaimed 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist' in their ranks
-
4 ways to cover unexpected home repairs
The Explainer Home is where the heart is — but it might cost you
-
Why is Trump attacking Intel's CEO?
Today's Big Question Concerns about Lip-Bu Tan's Chinese connections