Workers gather in city's Rabin Square, march into surrounding roads on first day of open-ended strike to force government into talks on wages, labor shortage

Finance minister allots $32 million for shelters for battered women, programs for violent men; asserts plan to slash funds for full-time Torah students will help ultra-Orthodox

Party says Edelstein's decision to block vote was made without authority and in conflict of interest

As centrist party gets first stab at forming government, Edelstein says he won't allow plenum to convene on his replacement, claiming it would doom unity talks

Nearly 1 in 4 Israelis live in development towns and southern cities. The left simply doesn't speak their language, say experts and locals -- one reason it keeps losing elections