#ISRAEL: Netanyahu "Open To Talks" On Controversial Judicial Reforms

[world politics news]

 
Addressing the public amid increasingly rancorous political divisions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said he was open to talks on his government’s efforts to radically restructure the judicial system, while blaming his rivals for the lack of negotiations — but signaling at the same time that the coalition would continue with its legislative push, despite President Isaac Herzog calling for the process to be temporarily halted.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Election Returns Netanyahu To Power

[world politics news]

With 92.6% of the votes counted in Israel's election, the Netanyahu-supporting bloc maintains its lead with 65 seats, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc remains at 50 seats. Meretz's chances of clearing the 3.25 percent electoral threshold are slimming as it falls to just 3.15 percent of the votes.

Likud currently has 32 seats, Yesh Atid has 24, Religious Zionism has 14, the National Unity camp has 12, Shas has 11 and United Torah Judaism has eight seats. Yisrael Beiteinu, United Arab List, and Hadash-Ta'al win five seats apiece. Labor is just over the electoral threshold  to continue having seats in Parliament with four seats, while Meretz and Balad are still below the threshold, as is Habayit Hayehudi.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Opposition Leader Gantz Rules Out Coalition With Netanyahu

[world politics news]

Blue and White Party Leader Benny Gantz has dispelled reports that he was considering partnering with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and forming another unity government as he did after the 2020 election, saying that he was "committed exclusively to the bloc of change."

After the April 2020 election, Gantz entered into a power-sharing deal with Netanyahu in which they would each get a turn at serving as prime minister for the next four years, but that agreement collapsed several months later and Israel once again had a general election, culminating with the March 23 vote.

[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's Trial Resumes

[world politics news]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  told judges in a Jerusalem court Monday that he was innocent of fraud and bribery charges.

Netanyahu, 71, pleaded not guilty on Monday to corruption charges at the resumption of his trial just six weeks before Israeli voters again pass judgment on his leadership in a national election.

He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israeli history.

[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

[world politics news]

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

[world politics news]

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

[world politics news]

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

[world politics news]

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: Netanyahu's Party Launches Video, Billboard Campaign Against Media Figures

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party launched a campaign against media figures it believes have been urging the Attorney General to file charges against him, which he did this week.

The billboard features photos of journalists and the words “They won’t decide” and was placed along a prominent high way in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu had said in news conferences and online videos that the media and left-wing activists "won’t decide" who will win the upcoming elections.

Likud followed up the billboard with a video on Netanyahu’s Facebook page with the message: "For three years the Left and media have been hounding the attorney-general so that he would submit an indictment at any cost."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Attorney General Says PM #Netanyahu Will Be Indicted On Bribery, Fraud, Breach Of Trust Charges

[world politics news]

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced his intention to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery on Thursday in a blockbuster decision that could decisively impact the April 9 national election.

Netanyahu's  conservative Likud Party is running neck-and-neck with an alliance of left-leaning parties in the polls.

Mandelblit said that Netanyahu will be indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in four cases. Charges against Netanyahu's wife will not go forward, on the advice of prosecutors.


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

#ISRAEL: Left-Leaning Parties Join Forces To Run Against Netanyahu In April; Called A "Political Bombshell"

[world politics news]

Gabi Ashkenazi, Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz and Moshe Ya'alon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's two biggest rivals on the center-left have joined forces and merged their parties, causing a political shakeup ahead of the Israeli ballot slated for April 9.

Hosen L'Yisrael chairman Benny Gantz and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid have agreed to run on a joint ticket that will be called "Blue and White." The two would share the duties of Prime Minister, with Gantz serving for two and a half years, followed by Lapid. Some polls have been predicting that a joint Gantz-Lapid ticket could overtake Netanyahu's Likud Party, but Likud could then form a coalition with smaller, right-leaning parties to form a government, say experts.

Netanyahu's party lashed out at the union, saying, "The choice is clear: It's either a left-wing government headed by Lapid and Gantz and supported by a bloc of Arab parties, or a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu Hopes To Avoid Early Elections, Despite Resignation Of Defense Minister Leaving One-Seat Majority In Parliament

[world politics news]

Nearly all of the Likud Party's coalition partners have called to go to an early election as soon as possible, following the resignation of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman this past week. The resignation left Netanyahu's party with a one-seat majority in the Knesset, but he has publicly stated that he still hopes to hold elections in November, 2019, as planned.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: New Poll Likely To Confirm PM Netanyahu's Fears Of Ouster Before Next Election

[world politics news]

A new poll shows that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would win more seats for the ruling Likud Party if elections were held today, but that a popular rival to Netanyahu would do almost as well.

Gideon Sa’ar, a former government minister, whom Netanyahu often acute is of trying to oust him as prime minister, pulled almost as high as Netanyahu and a recent Israeli television station survey.

Elections are not scheduled to occur in Israel until next November, and it is believed Netanyahu is going to hold to that schedule rather than calling an early election due to the internal threat posed by Sa'ar, which Israel's (ceremonial) president recently called "paranoia."

Photo: Gideon Sa'ar, left, sitting next to Prime Min. Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset in 2013.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: In Trump-Style Rally, Netanyahu Condemns Media, Political Left

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the media during a Likud Party rally in Tel Aviv. He accused the Left and the media of being one and the same, together on “an obsessive, unprecedented witch-hunt against me and my family, seeking to overthrow the government.... Their goal is to put inappropriate pressure on law enforcement, with no connection to justice.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ISRAEL: Kulanu Party Ldr #MosheKahlon Wants Rival In #Netanyahu Gov't

[world politics news]

Playing the "kingmaker" in post-election negotiations with election victor Benjamin Netanyahu, Kulanu Party leader Moshe Kahlon is said to want the Finance Minister post, and wants his party to have a Knesset committee position that allows "real reforms" to be implemented.

#ISRAEL: Netanyahu's Party Admits Forging Recording of Kulanu Pty Ldr Vowing Pre-Election Support For Netanyahu, Fined $5,000

[world politics news]

PM Netanyahu's Likud Party admitted to forging a recording of Kulanu leader Moshe Kahlon promising to support Netanyahu and distributing it to voters the day before Tuesday's election. A Central Elections Committee judge ordered Likud to stop using it, and fined it nearly $5,000.

#ISRAEL: #MiriRegev Rises To Fifth Place in #Likud Primary, Says #Netanyahu Must Put Her In Cabinet

[world politics news]

After her strong fifth-place finish in Israel's Likud Party primary, Miri Regev is arguably the most powerful woman in Israeli politics. She's on record as saying PM Netanyahu, if he is re-elected in March, must put her in his cabinet. She is a fierce advocate for expanding West Bank settlements.

#ISRAEL: #Netanyahu Denied Place on Dec. 31 Primary Ballot; PM Will Appeal

[world politics news]

The Comptroller of the Likud Party has disqualified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from running in his party's Dec. 31 primary election, citing a campaign meeting held at the party's Tel Aviv headquarters. Netanyahu's camp plans an appeal, disputing whether the Comptroller has the right to deny him a ballot position.

#ISRAEL

#Netanyahu Pledges to Make the Talmud the Basis of Israeli Law [world politics news]

PM Benjamin Netanyahu at a Likud Party conference Wednesday.