Israel News for 9-27-2019
New Government Quest
President Reuven Rivlin announced has decided to nominate PM Netanyahu to form a new government, after negotiations on forming a unity government between Likud and Blue and White Party fell apart.
Th PM called again for a unity government, and Benny Gantz again said that his party would not sit in a government led by someone facing criminal charges.
Netanyahu now has 28 days to form a government. He can get a 2 week extension if necessary. If he fails to form a government, Gantz will get the chance to do so.
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Terror Attack
A 34-year-old female police officer was stabbed in the Old City of Jerusalem Thursday afternoon, near the Chain Gate — which is located in the Muslim Quarter along the Western wall of the Temple Mount. The officer was lightly wounded in the suspected terror attack.
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No TV Coverage
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit declined PM Netanyahu’s request that his pre-trial hearing next week on corruption allegations be broadcast live.
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Abbas at UN
In his speech before the UN General Assembly yesterday, Palestinian Authority President Abbas pledged to continue to pay salaries to terrorists. He said, “Even if I had only one penny, I would’ve given it to the families of the martyrs, prisoners and heroes”, to which he received a round of applause.
Abbas attacked PM Netanyahu for promising to annex the Jewish settlement in the Jordan Valley and the US for moving its embassy to Jerusalem.
Abbas also said that the Palestinians would no longer agree to only one country mediating at a time in their negotiations with Israel and called for an international conference to promote the peace process.
He said, “Our hands are always extended for peace. More than one country has invited Netanyahu and me to meet. Netanyahu refused three calls from Russia, but we always turned to peace. I am calling for an international peace conference, which will involve Arab and international parties. The international community must put an end to Israeli aggression and arrogance.”
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Population Stats
On the eve of the Jewish new year of 5780, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics has released its annual report. Israel’s population stands at 9,092,000, which is a 2.1% increase since last year. The population is expected to hit 10 million by 2024 and 20 million by 2065. Jews make up around 75% of the total population, Arabs 21% and others 4%.
Israelis are generally satisfied with life, with 88.9% reporting they are pleased with their situation. However, 36.1% claim they are unhappy with their economic circumstances: 29.9% said they were unable to pay their bills last year, while almost 25% said they had given up medicine or medical treatment and even hot meals due to a lack of funds.
Life expectancy for men in Israel is 80.9 years, while Israeli woman on average live to the age of 84.9 – among the highest life expectancies in the world. Cancer is the leading cause of death for around one quarter of Israelis (25.2%), followed by cardiac disease (14.8%). And one in seven Israelis (14.1%) suffer from severe disability.
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Climate Protests
Thousands of people, many of them school students, marched through the streets of Tel Aviv, holding up signs protesting about the dangers of global warming. At a certain point in the “climate strike,” dozens of teenagers lied down on the ground in a symbolic display. The Friday For Future school strikes are strikes by school students participating in demonstrations instead of going to class in order to demand action against global warming and climate change.
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