The long-delayed Tel Aviv light rail will not operate on Shabbat and holidays, it was announced on Tuesday. The decision is a blow to activists who had been pushing for the opening, both of the light rail and of buses.
Tel Aviv’s much anticipated partly-above ground and partly-below ground train broke ground in 2011, with the most recent promise to be opened by the end of 2022. The project continued to see multiple delays – partly due to a malfunction in the brake system – which has led to Tel Avivians watching empty trains go by for months now.

The Australian government once again considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be in violation of international law, and will return to using the term “occupied Palestinian territories,” Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told parliament on Tuesday.
“The Australian government is strengthening its opposition to settlements by affirming they are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace,” Wong said. “In adopting the term, we are clarifying that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, were occupied by Israel following the 1967 War, and that the occupation continues.”