Eurotopics.net

The Sunni terrorist Islamic State militia has claimed responsibility for an attack that left more than 80 dead at a memorial service for Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, Iran. Iran has threatened to retaliate. After the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon also issued threats in response to the killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri a few days ago, commentators fear a conflagration in the region.

After the government replaced the management team of the Polish public broadcaster in December, the debate in the country over political methods and the reorganisation of the media continues. Numerous employees and viewers of the hitherto PiS-loyal broadcaster TVP have switched to former niche broadcaster Telewizja Republika. This aspect of the transformation following the change of government has triggered a lively discussion in the media.

Israel is continuing its offensive against the radical Islamic Hamas organisation in the Gaza Strip in the new year. There have also been Israeli drone attacks on Lebanon - according to the Israel army in response to shelling - and allegations of the targeted assassination of a Hamas leader in Beirut. Commentators warn that the situation has reached an impasse.

Israel's Supreme Court has struck down a key element of the controversial judicial reform passed by Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Eight out of fifteen judges voted against an amendment to the law on the so-called reasonableness clause of July 2023, which would have removed the Supreme Court's power to categorise government decisions as "unreasonable" and overrule them. Is Israel's democracy now back on track?