Israel news summary

Israel News for 6-7-2021

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News Update

The new government could be sworn in on Wednesday, but PM Netanyahu is attempting to postpone the swearing in until next week as he continues to try and break up the coalition.

Officials in the new, incoming government have informed the Biden administration that the new government will resume final status talk with the Palestinian Authority as soon as it is sworn in. Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White), who is slated to retain his position in the new government, reportedly made similar comments to senior US officials during his trip to Washington last week. However, Naftali Bennett’s office said that he was unaware of any such messages to the Biden administration.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has admitted that an UNRWA school damaged by an airstrike during the recent Gaza fighting contained a tunnel beneath it.

The annual flag parade in Jerusalem, which was postponed from Jerusalem day (last month) to this coming Thursday, has been cancelled by police fearing that it will incite Arab violence.

The IDF ordered residents of some towns near the Lebanese border to remain indoors as a result of a suspected infiltration of the border. The IDF subsequently removed the restrictions, but it continues to conduct searches in the area.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 6-4-2021

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News Update

Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett have succeeded in forming a unity government comprised of parties spanning the political spectrum, from Left to Right, and including an Arab party, Ra’am. It will be the first time that an Arab party has ever been part of a government. Bennett will serve as Prime Minister for the first 18 months and then Yair Lapid will take over. Lapid will start off as Foreign Minister. Benny Gantz will remain as Defense Minister. Avigdor Lieberman will be Finance Minister and Gideon Saar Minister of justice.

In its first show of power the new coalition succeeded in winning a Knesset vote to replace Knesset speaker Yariv Levin of Likud with Yesh Atid MK Mickey Levy, in order to prevent Levin from delaying the installation of the new government to allow PM Netanyahu to try and break up the coalition. The 6 Arab List MK’s joined in the vote to replace Levin. The new government can now be sworn in as early as Monday.

Netanyahu is still doing everything he can to try and break up the new coalition. Demonstrations were held in front of the homes of Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. More demonstrations are planned for the weekend.

As the first Arab party to sit in a government, the Ra’am party agenda focuses primarily on improving the economic situation and standard of living of the Israeli Arab population. It’s hard to imagine that the party will support legislation that relates to settlement expansion or other issues that are opposed by the Palestinians, in which case it will have the power to either block the legislation or bring down the government. However, it is likely that the opposition, which will be comprised of Likud and the religious parties will most likely support legislation that lines up with their ideology, so the threat of Ra’am be able to scuttle right wing legislation is highly unlikely. It’s also important to remember that PM Netanyahu offered Ra’am to join his government along with lots of incentives before Ra’am agreed to join the Lapid-Bennett coalition.

Honduras will open its embassy in Jerusalem this month. Israel will open a diplomatic office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras’s capital city.

Egypt has sent a convoy of engineers and building equipment to Gaza.

Around 8,000 people took part in the annual LGBT march in Jerusalem yesterday. The march was heavily guarded by thousands of security personnel.

Israel news summary

Israel News for 6-2-2021

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News Update

Isaac Herzog, 60, was elected as the 11th president of the State of Israel today by a vote of 87 to 33 Knesset members. The vote taken via secret ballot. Herzog is the current Jewish Agency chairman and a former head of the Labor party.  His father, Chaim Herzog, was the 6th president of Israel and his grandfather was the country’s first chief rabbi. His father immigrated to Israel from Ireland in 1935. The job of president is primarily ceremonial, similar to the monarchy in England.

Today is the last day for Yair Lapid to form a government. Demands by Yamina’s Ayelet Shaked for a seat on the Judicial Selection Committee, a position already promised to Labor leader Merav Michaeli, and by Ra’am leader Abbas to reverse, or at least temporarily suspend, a law that facilitates the demolition of homes build in violation of code (which is prevalent in Arab communities) threaten the formation of a unity coalition.

David Barnea, 56, is the new director of the Mossad. Barnea said that Israel would take any steps necessary to assure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons, despite any international agreements that could be in effect.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz is due to meet with US defense secretary Lloyd Austin and national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington today.

Defense Ministry officials said that Israel’s military exports reached $8.3 billion in 2020, a 15% increase from the previous year. That makes Israel one of the world’s top 10 exporters of arms. Sales to Asia and the Pacific region, including Israel’s allies in the Persian Gulf, comprised 44%, with 30% going to Europe, 20% to North America, 4% to Africa and 2% to Latin America. Israel does not do business with dictatorships or controversial regimes. Israel is the top supplier of arms to Azerbaijan.