Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett have reportedly reached a “breakthrough” in their discussions on forming a joint government to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, the Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday evening.
The Israel Defense Forces received the first of a series of new spy aircraft, dubbed the Oron, on Sunday that it said would improve its ability to gather intelligence and identify targets for attack in Iran, Iraq, Yemen and other far-flung areas in the Middle East.
Israeli archaeologists in Jerusalem have unearthed a rare Tyre shekel coin that is believed to have been used by Jewish pilgrims to pay the Passover Temple tax during the Second Temple era, All Israel News reports. The discovery was made in the course of extensive conservation work on an ancient citadel known as the Tower of David in the Old City of Jerusalem.
In what has been described as the latest step in the Middle East arms race, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced last month that it has conducted a series of successful trials on an upgraded version of the Iron Dome air defense system, the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reports.
Chairman of right-wing Yamina party Naftali Bennett will have meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid this weekend, Ynet News reports. The scheduled meetings follow a week in which Bennet declined to indicate who he would recommend to President Reuven Rivlin to form Israel’s next government.
Jordan sent a formal complaint to Israel’s Foreign Ministry over its concern that the status quo on the Temple Mount had been violated in light of the number of Jewish visitors over the Passover holiday.
Likud lawmakers lashed out at President Reuven Rivlin Wednesday, accusing him of being in cahoots with the prime minister’s rivals, after the president urged the various party leaders to engage in “out-of-the-ordinary coalitions, collaborations that cross sectors,” in order to break the extended political deadlock, and lamented the Netanyahu-led government’s failure to pass a budget.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed on Wednesday to two right-wing rivals to “come back home” and align themselves with him again to break a deadlock following Israel’s inconclusive election last week.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi approved Bahrain’s very first ambassador to Israel on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reports. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani had appointed Khaled Yousif al-Jalahama, the Director of Operations at Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry, to the position of Ambassador to Israel on Sunday.
The annual United States report on global human rights practices affirmed that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel, but reintroduced language that spoke of Israeli occupation of territory, two-states and gave a nod in the direction of Palestinian Authority rights to sections of Jerusalem.
New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday urged Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid to “put ego aside,” in an apparent call to let Yamina chief Naftali Bennett serve as prime minister first in a potential rotation deal in a new government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chances of receiving the first mandate to form a coalition from President Reuven Rivlin received a boost on Monday, when New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar and Yamina head Naftali Bennett ruled out a government backed by Arab parties.
The past year was very good security-wise. The low number of attacks and victims gave Israelis a relatively high feeling of security, and the intensive focus on coronavirus (and elections) pushed aside other issues that in normal times would have made headlines.
Ra’am (United Arab List) head Mansour Abbas, who holds the key to the formation of the next government, met on Saturday with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Likud MK Ayoub Kara, as both sides attempted to woo him in order to build a coalition.
As the shadow war between Iran and Israel appears to be heating up at sea, another Israeli-owned vessel reportedly came under missile fire in the Gulf of Oman early Thursday morning, possibly by Iranian forces.
With the final vote count being constantly updated – and continued uncertainty as to whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to form a coalition – rumors are buzzing throughout the Israeli media that the “anti-Netanyahu” camp is considering three new moves to seize the initiative.
With 99% of the votes in Israel’s March 23 elections counted Thursday, the country seemed on course to remain in the grip of political deadlock with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rightwing, religious camp nor the bloc determined to end his 12-year premiership gaining the upper hand.
Israelis authorities on Tuesday permitted a reenactment of the ‘Korban Pesach’ Passover Temple service in Jerusalem, in what supporters say is proof that this previously underground event is increasingly accepted in mainstream society, Israel365 News reports. Tuesday’s reenactment of the Korban Pesach was carried out close to the Shaar HaAshpot Dung Gate near the Temple Mount.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be able to form a government, according to preliminary results from 97% of the regular polling stations reported by the Central Elections Committee unless he gains support from the Arab-Islamist Ra’am Party.
With non-final results of the election signaling ongoing political deadlock and the prospect of yet another election, opposition figures are increasingly considering the possibility of passing a law to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from running again.