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Polticians from outgoing coalition say Likud chief's agreement to put Avi Maoz in charge of Israel's Jewish identity is a 'slap in the face,' could 'plunge Israel into the abyss' The prospect of a hardline, ultra-conservative, anti-pluralistic, homophobic nationalist being appointed as the next government's head of "Jewish identity" was met with staunch rebuke from politicians from the outgoing coalition on Sunday, with lawmakers slamming the move by prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu as "insanity," "racist" and "unreal". Avi Moaz, the single lawmaker of the fringe Noam party, is one of the Knesset's most far-right politicians, holding non-pluralist Jewish views and...

In late February, the Israeli Knesset passed the NGO Funding Transparency Bill by 40 to 34. It had been a long journey for the bill, which despite, its neutered, state was still a declaration of war by the conservative Likud Party against the shadow NGO empire that was the Soros way. While the bill was no longer able to empower the lifting of tax exempt status for foreign funded NGOs and it only addressed foreign funding of NGOs by government entities, it was a major step for foreign funding transparency. The Soros empire had been built on non-transparency, on hidden...

Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu said Wednesday that a normalization agreement between Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is within reach and would effectively “end the Arab-Israeli conflict.” The latest statement from the Prime Minister comes as the new conservative coalition vows to confront terrorism in the Middle East and strengthen alliances with Arab allies. Speaking from Israel at an online event hosted by Temple Emanu-El’s Streicker Center, Netanyahu reminded an online audience of nearly 300 people that the Abraham Accords were negotiated by the former Trump administration when he was Israel’s prime minister. The Accords normalized...

Public rebuke by State Department spokesman is first by Biden official aimed at far-right lawmaker Ben Gvir, who is aiming to become next police minister US State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned the far-right MK Itamar Ben Gvir's attendance at a memorial event for Meir Kahane on Thursday, in what was the first public rebuke from the Biden Administration of the Religious Zionism-Otzma Yehudit lawmaker aiming to become Israel's next public security minister...

Biden Admin. reportedly concerned Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir will be given important ministries in the Netanyahu govt. The Biden Administration is concerned that Benjamin Netanyahu will appoint Religious Zionism party chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich as Israel's next Defense Minister, journalist Barak Ravid reported for Axios. Smotrich had been seeking the Finance Ministry, but stated his willingness to allow the Shas party to be given that ministry if he receives the Defense Ministry in its place. The US Administration is reported concerned about Smotrich's hardline positions on Judea and Samaria and how Israel should respond to terrorism, as well as...

For the first time: Netanyahu is expected to publish a joint photo with Ben Gvir @DaphnaLiel

The Anti-Defamation League expresses concern 'over likely inclusion of extremists" in the next Israeli government. The ADL offers congratulations to Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu but notes that the coalition "will likely include represenatatives from the Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionist parties, including their leaders Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich," bot of which "have a long history of engaging in racist, anti-Arab, homophobic and other hateful behavior." "We believe that including these far-right individuals and parties in an Israeli government would run counter to Israel's founding principles, and impact its standing, even among its strongest supporters."...

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared well placed to return to power after exit polls following Tuesday’s election showed his right-wing bloc heading for a narrow majority lifted by a strong showing from his far-right allies. Israel’s longest-serving premier, on trial over corruption charges which he denies, was poised to take 61-62 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, according to Israeli television exit polls. The campaign, which opened weeks after a brief conflict with the militant Islamic Jihad group in Gaza in August, has also unrolled against a backdrop of increasing violence in the occupied West Bank, with near-daily raids...

This is the preferred candidate for Prime Minister among the Arab sector Ma'ariv A new study by the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University claims that only Hadash-Ta'al is expected to pass the blocking percentage, Likud may receive 1.3 mandates from the Arab voters, there is a future with only 0.3 Anna Barsky 10/25/2022 1:00 p.m About a third of the Arab public (34.2%) believe that there is currently no suitable candidate for the position of Prime Minister. However, Benjamin Netanyahu is the leading candidate in the eyes of the Arab public for this position...

During a Wednesday interview on FNC’s “Fox & Friends,” former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took President Joe Biden to task over the White House’s plan to reenter the Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu argued that the “dangerous deal” was “even worse than the first one.” He lamented that the deal gives Iran “everything to threaten all of us and gives nothing to us in return.” “I think this is a horrible deal; a dangerous deal that will pave Iran’s path with gold — a golden-paved highway to a nuclear arsenal,” Netanyahu emphasized. “If Iran has nuclear weapons, they don’t merely...

Iraq is in chaos these days due to Turkey's military intervention there and the economic situation and the citizens there are turning to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in his name:Take us to Israel and agree to give us political asylum. Watch:https://t.co/dTU3aF8Y8H

Final results could be dramatic with official counts showing the highest voter turnout since 1999As polls closed on yet another election day in Israel, millions of Israelis waited anxiously to see if, after five rounds of voting in less than four years, they would be able to finally choose a clear winner and produce a stable government to successfully run the country. Early exit polls predicted that former prime minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu might very well be that winner this time around. His bloc of right-wing, religious parties was slated to draw up to 62 seats, the...

Politics in the state of Israel has never been more complex. One coalition is held together by the slimmest of reeds: opposition to one man — Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s a collection of liberal, conservative, and Arab parties that was formed primarily to defeat Netanyahu last year with Yair Lapid as its leader. Some oppose the two-time former prime minister for his alleged corruption. Others blanch at his policies in the Palestinian territories. But because the only real unifying factor for the opposition is hatred of Netanyahu, the governing coalition lasted only a few months. Netanyahu’s Likud coalition is a mish-mash...

Benjamin Netanyahu has greeted his supporters early Wednesday morning... Mr. Netanyahu promising what he calls 'a national government' and saying his government will 'restore national pride that has been taken from us.' Netanyahu also spoke of a 'stable government, an experienced government...a prime minister who looks after our soldiers, our police". He also said he would "act to lower the flames of public discourse, to heal the rifts"... Just over 20 percent of the vote counted parties supporting Mr. Netanyahu now with 72 seats but that number expected to drop the exit polls say his coalition won 62 seats...

Former prime minister and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu is set to become Israel's next prime minister, according to Tuesday night's exit polls. According to the polls, Netanyahu's bloc, which includes Likud, Religious Zionist Party (RZP), United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas, crossed the 61-seat threshold and will be able to form the next coalition. In some of the polls his bloc reached 62 seats. What do the exit polls say? Netanyahu's Likud party is expected to receive 30 seats according to Channel 12 and 31 seats according to Channel 13, while Lapid's Yesh Atid party is expected to get 24...

The State of Israel will be going to vote on Tuesday, November 1, 2022. This will be the fifth election in less than four years. The near parity is between the competing political blocs: the Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-of-center on one hand, and the anti-Netanyahu left-of-center bloc led by Yair Lapid. Netanyahu’s Likud bloc has nevertheless a noticeable advantage; it has a reliable bloc of 60 mandates in the polls, and it may have an even higher number in the real poll – on Election Day. Netanyahu has only to find a single defector to form a narrow coalition government of...

Israel’s opposition leader and contender for next prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and urged him to reconsider, in his most direct criticism yet of the war. Netanyahu said in an interview with USA Today that he thought Putin’s decision to go to war in Ukraine was “guided by his vision of reconstituting a great Russian realm,” adding, “I hope he’s having second thoughts about it.” “We all have sympathy to Ukraine, it’s not even a question, and I’m no different,” he said. Israel has sought not to antagonize Russia in the conflict,...

Poltical rivals express similar sentiment in separate interviews; Kyiv's envoy to Israel says defense minister canceled an upcoming call with his Ukrainian counterpart In a rare expression of units between coalition and opposition figures, Defense Minister Gantz and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday both expressed an unwillingness to alter Israel's policy of not sending defense equipment to Ukraine. 'We are not selling weapons to Ukraine," Gantz told the ultra-Orthodox Kol Chai radio station, noting instead the humanitarian aid Israel has been providing, and vowing to continue such shipments months into Russia's invasion of Ukraine... Meanwhile, in an interview on...

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been hospitalized after feeling unwell during the Jewish fasting day of Yom Kippur JERUSALEM -- Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hospitalized Wednesday after feeling unwell during the Jewish fasting day of Yom Kippur. Israel's public broadcaster Kan said Netanyahu, 72, was taken to Jerusalem's Shaarei Tzedek hospital after feeling chest pains while attending synagogue services. Local media quoted the hospital as saying he underwent a series of tests that came out normal, but was being kept under observation overnight. In a statement on social media, Netanyahu said, “I feel better and...

Otzma Yehudit chairman MK Itamar Ben-Gvir pushed back Tuesday on criticism by New Jersey Senator and veteran Democratic lawmaker Robert Menendez, dismissing accusations of racism. According to a report last week by Axios, Senator Menendez warned Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu last month not to include “right-wing extremists” in any future coalition government. Menendez specifically demanded that Netanyahu not include MK Ben-Gvir in a new government, adding that doing so would harm relations between Israel and the US. Two sources familiar with the meeting said that during the September 5th meeting, Menendez "raised his concerns" about Netanyahu's political partners, specifically mentioning...