#ISRAEL: Knesset Dissolved, New Elections Planned, As Coalition Fails

[world politics news]

Israel is heading to its fifth election in three and a half years, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid gave up Monday on their efforts to stabilize the coalition. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Religious Zionist Party's Withdrawal From Coalition May Force New Elections

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Religious Zionist Party leader Betzalel Smotrich sent a request to Knesset speaker Mickey Levy on Monday to hold a special plenum session after the Passover holiday next week in order to vote on dissolving parliament and holding new elections.

Parliament is currently in recess and is not due to reconvene until May 9.

The far-right opposition lawmaker’s request came after the Islamist Ra’am party’s temporary withdrawal from the government and parliament on Sunday, which left the beleaguered coalition in a minority in the Knesset.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: PM Bennett's Cabinet Approves Vaccine Passports As Of Aug 8

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Israel's "coronavirus cabinet" has approved the return of the “Green Pass” at events with more than 100 people. The pass was discontinued in May.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he was taking the action to safeguard Public health, and in a public address, said those who were refusing to get a vaccination were endangering the freedom of other Israeli citizens. About a million Israelis, mostly the young, have not yet been vaccinated.

Ministers voted to bring back the regulations, beginning August 8, requiring those attending events with more than 100 people to present either a certificate of vaccination or recovery, or a negative COVID test from the past 72 hours.

The new “Green Pass” will affect sporting and culture events as well as gyms, restaurants, conferences, tourist attractions and synagogues.

Other nations, including Italy and France, have mandated a similar certification processes in which residents and visitors must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu Loses Confidence Vote, Naftali Bennett Becomes Prime Minister

[world politics news]

Yamina Party chairman Naftali Bennett was sworn in as Israel's 13th prime minister, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's 12 consecutive years in office Sunday. Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid Party was sworn in as the alternate prime minister. They will switch positions after 2 years.

The new Bennett-Lapid government narrowly won a Knesset confidence vote, with 60 voting for, 59 against and one abstaining. 

Netanyahu reportedly vowed to make it a short coalition and come back into power quickly.

President Joe Biden rushed to congratulate Bennett, as did many other world leaders.

Bennett, 49, has made pitches to hard-right voters throughout his career, leads the Yamina Party, which has called for Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Opposition Parties In Talks To Unite To Try To Oust Netanyahu

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Yamina Party Leader Naftali Bennett delivered his long-awaited announcement Sunday that he would attempt to create a unity government with Yesh Atid Party Leader Yair Lapid and seek to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he accused of leading Israel to national suicide for his own personal reasons.  

Yesh Atid and Yamina began negotiations immediately following the announcement Sunday night in an effort to reach an agreement by Wednesday’s deadline.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Michaeli Wins Labor Party Primary In Landslide

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Knesset Member Merav Michaeli has won the Labor Party primaries and will lead Israel’s historic faction ahead of March’s general election.

Michaeli won in a landslide, with 7,483 of the votes out of 9,651 in total, media reported. She beat six other competitors.

The total vote turnout stood at 26%, a fairly low figure as most polls in the recent year have shown the party crash below the threshold.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Knesset Approves Netanyahu-Gantz Unity Gov't, Ending Political Stalemate

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Israeli lawmakers have voted to approve a unity government deal between incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party and the Blue and White alliance, led by Benny Gantz.

Parliament backed the coalition deal by 71 votes to 37, a statement said, with the two men expected to swear-in the power-sharing government next week.

The Knesset (Israel Parliament) also passed a raft of legislative changes to the country's semi-constitutional Basic Laws, paving the way for a government to be established after more than a year of political deadlock.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu, Rival Gantz, Enter Into Unity Coalition

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Israel's leading opposition candidate, Benny Gantz, has agreed to form a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ending a political deadlock that forced three elections in less than a year.

The unexpected announcement sent shockwaves through Gantz's Blue and White Party over the weekend, breaking it into four new parties and two factions.

The move comes after he warned former allies in the party that leading Israel into a fourth national election in a year was not an option. Citing the coronavirus outbreak, he asked leaders to put "personal scores aside."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Opposition Ldr Benny Gantz Considers Options To Rule With Netanyahu

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Blue and White Party Leader Benny Gantz is considering joining what would be termed as an "emergency government" under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for six months, sources in the party said Tuesday, after Gantz held individual meetings with Blue and White MKs at the Knesset.

Joining such a government could enable Gantz to keep Blue and White together despite the fierce opposition to joining a Netanyahu-led government from members of his own multi-party leadership team.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Voters Go To The Polls For A Third Time In A Year

[world politics news]

Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party and Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz predicted victory at political events on Sunday, a day before a national election - the third to be held within a year due to the inability of any party to form a government.

Most of the 10,631 polling stations will be open from 7 am to 10 pm, enabling the  6,453,255 eligible voters to cast ballots. There will also be 14 special polling stations for the 5,630 Israelis quarantined due to exposure to the coronavirus.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Prime Minister Netanyahu Wins Landslide Victory In Primary Challenge

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday scored a landslide victory in a primary race for leadership of the ruling Likud party, giving the embattled leader an important boost ahead of the country’s third election in less than a year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Prime Minister Netanyahu Indicted

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Attorney General Mandelblit announced an indictment Thursday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making him the first prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted while still in office.

The indictment decision could alter the course of negotiations over forming a new government and who will be the new prime minister in the current 21 days Knesset process on the issue.

The editor of the Jerusalem Post, Yaakov Katz, urged Netanyahu to resign from office, even though the nation's constitution, the Basic Law, allows prime ministers to remain in power even if indicted.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: After Days-Long Count, Election Results "Almost" In; Show Opposition Beat Netanyahu

[world politics news]

Israel's Central Election Committee says it has "almost" completed final results from last weekend's election. Results so far confirmed that opposition leader Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party had won 33 seats in the Knesset while Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud had won 31 seats.

The committee explained that the results cannot be considered official, since official results will only be presented to President Reuven Rivlin and published on September 25.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Election Re-Run Ends With Deadlock Again; Opposition Makes Historic Gains

[world politics news]

The election that was supposed to break a national political deadlock has ended in another deadlock, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party coming up short in parliamentary seats to form a majority government, and Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party tying him in seats.

Now, both must seek a coalition with smaller parties to try to form a government. Netanyahu promised  he would build the next government in a speech to his supporters at Expo Tel Aviv, after 3 a.m. early Wednesday morning. Benny Gantz vowed to do the same.

Amid chants of "no to a unity government," (with Gantz's party) the prime minister said all of the Likud’s current coalition partners want to build a coalition.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Ahead Of Election, Netanyahu Vows Annexation Of West Bank

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to extend “Jewish sovereignty” to all settlements in the West Bank - a move tantamount to annexation - apparently  seeking to shore up right-wing support some two weeks ahead of September 17 Knesset elections.

Speaking to elementary school students in the settlement of Elkana on the first day of the school year, Netanyahu was echoing a pledge he made days before the previous national vote in April.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: 21 Knesset Members Reject US House Resolution Calling For 2-State Solution

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Twenty-one right-wing Israeli lawmakers rebuffed a US House bill that had endorsed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while rejecting efforts to boycott the Jewish state.

In a letter addressed to U.S. Reps. Brad Schneider, Lee Zeldin, Jerry Nadler and Ann Wagner, the co-sponsors of the bill and staunch supporters of Israel, the Israeli lawmakers asserted that a Palestinian state is “far more dangerous to Israel” than the boycott movement against Israel.

A neighboring Palestinian State would “undoubtedly be a dysfunctional terrorist state” which would “undermine stability” in the region and “severely damage the national security of both Israel and the United States."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.
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#ISRAEL: Netanyahu Fails To Form Gov't; New Elections Called For September

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Exactly one month after the 21st Knesset was sworn in, a majority of the Knesset voted late Wednesday night to disperse and initiate an unprecedented repeat election on September 17. It was the first time in Israeli history that a candidate for prime minister failed to form a coalition after being given the task by the president after an election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu Wins Fifth Term As PM With Allied Parties' Support

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clinched a clear victory early Wednesday morning in Israel’s general elections. In Tuesday’s contest, his Likud party was tied with Blue and White, both winning 35 seats in the Knesset. But his right-wing/ultra-Orthodox bloc held a decisive lead and Netanyahu was thus safely en route to forming a majority governing coalition with their support.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu Pledges West Bank Settlement Annexation; Opponent Calls It "Election Stunt"

[world politics news]

A day before Tuesday's election, embattled prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to Annex the West Bank settlements occupied by Jewish settlers, but his main opponent, Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz, called the move an "election stunt" rather than a serious proposal.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ISRAEL: PM Netanyahu Says Israel Is A State For "Jews Alone"

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is stirring controversy by asserting that the State of Israel, "belongs to the Jewish people alone." His comments, just weeks before facing voters, were in response to a comment by Israeli actress Rotem Sela, who wrote on social media that, "Israel is a country of all its citizens."

Later on, Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot, an Israeli citizen, rebuked his comments, as did President Reuven Rivlin.

Palestinian Arab citizens are about a fifth of Israel's population and often face discrimination and accusations of disloyalty.

In an Instagram post, Netanyahu responded to the actress, saying, "Dear Rotem, an important correction: Israel is not a state of all its citizens. According to the Nation-State Law that we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish People - and them alone."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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