Tag Archive for Israel Politics

‘Wing of Zion’ is operational, but Israeli leaders have no plans of using it

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid opposed buying the plane in 2013-2014 when he was finance minister, so now some commentators suggest that PM Bennett is not flying on it for political reasons.

Israel and Stuff Editorial

 

This extremely hi-tech Boeing 767 is the latest ‘tool’ in the protection of Israeli interests. Unfortunately, it’s grounded citing its extravagance for such a young, modest state.

For Israeli leaders to not exploit their own ‘Air Force One’ when traveling abroad may be seen as foolhardy and shortsighted since it’s paid-for, licensed & fully operational.

According to reports, the Wing of Zion wasn’t cheap, costing some NIS 750 million ($242m.) Continue Reading »

After 3 elections, Gantz capitulates, joins Netanyahu to form gov’t

Throwing principles aside, Blue & White chief Benny Gantz divorces from his own party to become Knesset speaker in a shocking alliance that allows Netanyahu to remain Prime Minister, while ex-partners Yair Lapid and Moshe Ya’alon abstained from the vote, saying Gantz dismantled union “to crawl into Bibi’s government.”

By Moran Azulay

 

Benny Gantz became the new speaker of the Knesset on Thursday with the support of political rival Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc after the announcement of his shock 11th hour candidacy left his own Blue & White alliance in tatters.

Of the 120 Knesset members, 74 voted in favor, 18 voted against and the rest abstained. Continue Reading »

Israeli Min. Shaked’s political add on ‘Fascism’ gets lost in ‘translation’

 

The message Ayelet Shaked of Israel’s ‘New Right’ political party’s campaign ad seems to be confusing, and lost to many as a bizarre political clip showing the Minister of Justice seductively holding a bottle of ‘Fascism’ perfume.
– WATCH clip, as it’s going viral, and explained on Newsweek.

By Reuters

 

An election campaign video starring Israel’s right-wing justice minister spoofs perfume ads to sell her political priorities, but has a strong whiff of muddled message given the fragrance is labeled “Fascism.”

The intended meaning of the ad—three weeks before the elections—is lost on many, especially those who don’t speak Hebrew and just see the word fascism in English, without being able to understand the voice-over. Continue Reading »

Gantz & 2 other ex-Generals teem up with Lapid to dethrone Netanyahu

FIRST ‘serious threat’ to PM Netanyahu:  Former IDF Chief of Staff and Israel Resilience Party leader Benny Gantz, leads former IDF Chiefs of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Moshe Ya’alon, who was a Defense Minister for Netanyahu, to join Yesh Atid Party leader Yair Lapid, in a rotation agreement to head a new center-left government following the April 9 election.

By Yuval Karni

 

Israel Resilience Party leader Yair Lapid and Yesh Atid Party leader Yair Lapid signed a rotation agreement and will run together in the upcoming April 9 elections, they announced early Thursday.

Gabi Ashkenazi will also join them, making him the third former IDF chief in the party, in addition to Gantz and to former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon. Continue Reading »

Watch: Netanyahu responds to Police recommendation to indict prime minister

WATCH: PM Netanyahu challenges ‘objectivity’ of recommendations, calls police allegations against him “ridiculous,” points out that over half of the police recommendations on indictments are not accepted, and finally, after the next elections, he’ll win once again.

By HERB KEINON

 

In an impassioned 10-minute rebuttal to police recommendations to indict him on bribery and breach of trust charges, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the nation Tuesday night that not only will this government complete its term, but he will again be re-elected in 2019.

Netanyahu said that the only thing that has motivated him since his days as an officer in the elite Sayeret Matkal, through his days as ambassador to the UN, finance minister and for the last nine years as prime minister, is the good of the country. Continue Reading »

Israeli-Arab party officials arrested on assorted fraud, money laundering violations

 

The criminal case, originally discovered during an annual, routine State Comptroller’s Report of all the parties, uncovered within the Israeli-Arab political party Balad, discrepancies for various political projects, including fund raising, falsifying corporate documents, forgery, use of forged documents, money laundering, and Violations of the Party Financing Law.

By Eli Senior, Hassan Shaalan

 

High ranking officials in the Israeli-Arab political party Balad is under suspicion for corruption, the Israel Police reported on Sunday.

“The National Unit of the Israel Police, in conjunction with various other police forces, have carried out searches and have detained more than 20 people throughout the country. Continue Reading »

Arab leader seeks to rid ‘Joint List Party’ of rabid anti-Israel parliamentarian

 

Arab Joint List head Ayman Odeh, inquired how he can remove detrimental MK Haneen Zoabi from his non-Jewish party.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Even Joint List head Ayman Odeh has come out against MK Haneen Zoabi (Joint List).

During a conversation with a senior Knesset member, MK Odeh said: “Suggest something. How can I get rid of her? She’s hurting us and I want to get rid of her.”

Channel 2 reports that Odeh blamed the changes made in the last elections for allowing Zoabi to remain in the Knesset.

“If it wasn’t for the changes that you Jews did to increase the threshold, she probably wouldn’t be in the Knesset. Continue Reading »

Avigdor Liberman enters Netanyahu’s gov’t, replaces Moshe Ya’alon as Defense Minister

 

Israel’s TV2 Reports: Former foreign minister Avigdor Liberman, agreed to PM Netanyahu’s offer to enter current coalition, and will replace Moshe Ya’alon as Israel’s Defense Minister.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

 

Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman has agreed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to supplant Moshe Ya’alon as Israel’s next defense minister.

Liberman and Ya’alon. – Photo MARC ISRAEL SELLEM, J’lem Post

Netanyahu and Liberman agreed on Wednesday to form negotiating teams whose mandate will be to finalize the terms of a deal that would expand the Likud-led governing coalition.

News of the agreement between Liberman and Netanyahu was first reported by Ben Caspit, the senior political commentator for The Jerusalem Post’s Hebrew-language corporate sister publication Ma’ariv. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Justice Minister Seeks to Apply Israeli Law to West Bank Within a Year

 

Knesset Member Tzipi Livni, says justice minister, Ayelet Shaked’s proposal would create a binational state.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB,  LAHAV HARKOV

 

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on Sunday said she is pushing to have Israeli law apply to the West Bank within one year.

Israel’s Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked

Shaked made the comments while being interviewed on stage at a conference in Jerusalem organized by the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, in spite of prior vehement opposition to the idea by the Justice Ministry bureaucracy, including former attorney-general Yehuda Weinstein.

Asked about the Hok Hanormot or “Normalizing Law,” for making Israeli law apply to the West Bank, she replied, “I established a joint committee along with the Defense Ministry to work on legislation for Judea and Samaria, with essentially the purpose being that ultimately any law which was passed in the Knesset will either apply to Judea and Samaria by virtue of the legislation itself or by an order of the general [who legislates in the West Bank] or by any other manner which is considered appropriate.” Continue Reading »

Benjamin Netanyahu: Multiple offshore natural gas rigs vital to Israel’s national security

 

Israeli PM, “We must have several offshore gas rigs as one of the fundamentals of our national security.” 
• Energy & Water Resources Minister Yuval Steinitz, “The only way to create energy security, especially when considering potential hostilities, is to have 2 or 3 separate fields.”

By Hezi Sternlicht

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared Tuesday before the Knesset’s Economics Committee, which discussed the natural gas industry framework, and explained the importance and contribution multiple production sites would have to Israel’s energy and national security.

Israel’s Tamar natural gas field – Photo: Albatross Aerial PerspectiveAP

The proposed outline seeks to regulate the development, harvesting, and royalties pertaining to the Leviathan, Tamar, Tanin and Karish offshore fields, as well as any future natural gas finds. Continue Reading »

Israel’s Newest Minister Gilad Erdan Takes Aim at BDS Movement

Erdan’s notice on Facebook explained his reasons for joining Netanyahu’s coalition and objectives he plans on tackling.

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed the process of forming his fourth government Monday when his no. 2 in Likud, MK Gilad Erdan, was appointed as minister of public security, strategic affairs and public diplomacy, 11 days after the rest of the cabinet.

Gilad Erdan – Photo: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST

The appointment unanimously passed a telephone vote in the cabinet and a 58-55 vote in the Knesset.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin willingly gave up the Public Security portfolio and Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze’ev Elkin reluctantly relinquished the Strategic Affairs Ministry. Continue Reading »

Minister Regev’s 1st directive: Move Culture & Sport Ministry to Jerusalem

Miri Regev says that because the ministry deals in matters of state, it’s appropriate that it should operate from Israel’s capital.

By Roi Yanovsky

 

Miri Regev’s first decision as minister of culture and sport is to move the ministry’s offices from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Ynet has learned.

The New Culture & Sport Minister, Miri Regev – Photo: George Ginsburg

Regev has already approached Finance Ministry officials with the request to find the Culture and Sport Ministry a new home in the capital.

As part of the move, the ceremony to replace ministers on Sunday will not take place at the Tel Aviv office, but rather in the ministry’s existing branch in Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, where the ministry’s operations have been far and few so far. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu’s New Coalition Agreements Cost Taxpayers More Than Last 3 Gov’ts Together

The NIS 6.7 billion per year includes millions for religious Zionist projects & Haredi schools, to cement the narrowest of coalitions.

By Shaul Amsterdamski

 

With all the coalition deals now signed and the new government about to set out on its way, we have done the math: The total cost of all the coalition agreements is higher than it was for the previous three governments combined.

Netanyahu. Poured money into coalition partners’ pet projects. – Photo: EPA

With the exception of the deal with Shas, which has yet to be published, this amounts to more than NIS 6.7 billion a year. Continue Reading »

Netanyahu’s New Coalition Receives Knesset Approval

Knesset plenum approves Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s newest coalition by a vote of 61 to 59 in Israel’s 34th government.

By Elad Benari

 

The Knesset on Thursday night approved Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s new coalition by a narrow vote of 61 to 59.

“I determine the government has won the confidence of the Knesset. Congratulations,” Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein said following the vote.

As expected, the vote was preceded by a heated debate in the Knesset between coalition and opposition.

As Netanyahu addressed the Knesset to present his new government, he faced a raucous, disrespectful plenum. Three Arab MKs were ejected from the plenum, one after the other, as Netanyahu began speaking, due to loud and incessant interruptions.

Continue Reading »

Israel President Rivlin gives PM Netanyahu 2 week extension to form new government

Likud insider: Coalition deals with ultra-Orthodox parties & Kulanu expected to be signed within days, possibly giving new government 22 ministers.
• Likud insider warns: ‘It’s not over until it’s over.’

By Mati Tuchfeld, Yehuda Shlezinger & Israel Hayom Staff

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Reuven Rivlin on Monday morning and asked him for a two-week extension to finalize the coalition negotiations.
Continue Reading »