This will not be good for Israel.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-e...rime-minister-670918

Benjamin Netanyahu’s record-breaking term as prime minister ended on Sunday night when the Knesset voted to approve the new government formed by Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid.
The new government passed at 8:55 with the support of 60 MKs, while 59 opposed it. Ra’am (United Arab List) MK Saeed Alharomi abstained.

The MKs in the new coalition and their family members in the visitors’ gallery erupted in applause when the results were announced.

Bennett and Netanyahu then shook hands, and following his swearing in as prime minister, Bennett sat in Netanyahu’s chair in the Knesset plenum. But when Bennett passed by Netanyahu’s new chair following his swearing in, Netanyahu declined to take his hand again.
The ministers then took turns being sworn in. Bennett was sworn in as Israel’s 13th prime minister and Lapid as the 14th.

Bennett convened the government for its first meeting at the Knesset. The historic photo of Israel’s 36th government will be taken at the President’s Residence on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Bennett defiantly presented his new government’s ministers and guidelines in an address at the Knesset plenum, while MKs who will be in the opposition heckled him constantly.
At the moment when Bennett started his speech introducing his government, Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich and other MKs shouted, “Shame,” while waving posters of victims of terrorism. They were removed from the plenum.
“I am proud that I can sit in a government with people with very different views,” Bennett told his hecklers in the Knesset plenum, adding that they seemed to have a problem with losing power.
Bennett called on all sides of the political spectrum to display restraint. In recent years, Israel had stopped being managed as a country, he said.

“The loud tone of the screams is the same as the failure to govern during your term in office,” Bennett snapped back at the Likud MKs.
Shas and United Torah Judaism MKs heckled Bennett, calling him a liar and a cheat. But Bennett promised to help the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector, even though its MKs would not be part of his government. He pledged to build a new haredi city for the sector’s growing population.
“This is not a day of mourning,” Bennett said. “There is no disengagement here. There is no harm being caused to anyone. There is a change of government in a democracy. That’s it. And I assure it is a government that will work for the sake of all the people.
“We will do all we can so that no one should have to feel afraid. We are here in the name of good and to work. And I say to those who intend to celebrate tonight, don’t dance on the pain of others. We are not enemies; we are one people.”

In the address, Bennett said his government would prevent the nuclearization of Iran and would not permit rocket fire on Israeli citizens from the Gaza Strip. Bennett thanked US President Joe Biden’s administration for its support during the war in Gaza and pledged to maintain bipartisan support in the US.
Bennett made a point of starting his address by praising outgoing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his hard work over the years for the State of Israel and his wife, Sara, for her dedication. Netanyahu deserved credit for his outreach to Ra’am head Mansour Abbas, he said. The new government would take unprecedented steps to reach out to the Arab sector, he vowed.

Lapid canceled his planned speech and merely said the behavior of MKs in the outgoing government reminded him, his mother and all citizens of Israel why it was so important to replace them.
While Netanyahu spoke, MKs in the coalition being formed were completely silent, making a point of showing him respect. The only MKs who heckled him were from the Joint List, until Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz mentioned the criminal charges against Netanyahu near the end of the address.
A crisis was avoided earlier when Ra’am MK Saeed Alharomi said he would not oppose the new government, following a threat.

Nothing could interfere with the swearing in of the new government on Sunday night, Abbas told reporters at the Knesset, adding that “we will all vote in favor of the government.”
In return for his support of the new coalition, Alharomi demanded that a clause in the coalition agreement regarding illegal construction in the Negev be canceled.
Netanyahu and interior minister Arye Deri pressured Alharomi and offered him assurances, including on the topic of the Kaminitz Law that addresses illegal construction, in an attempt to get him to vote against the government.
Netanyahu would remain in power if the prospective new coalition’s razor-thin majority were to lose the support of even one MK in a vote of confidence in the Knesset. If Alharomi abstains in the confidence vote, Joint List MKs could come to its rescue and vote in favor.

The Likud responded that it would be shameful if the government were formed through the backing of MKs who support terrorists and do not recognize Israel as a Jewish-democratic state.
In a separate vote, the MKs voted to replace Knesset speaker Yariv Levin with Yesh Atid MK Mickey Levy.
Levy received the support of 67 MKs.

What an interesting time to be alive. Leaders come and go, this is the natural order of things. Israel is no different than any other nation in this regard. It will have times of strong leadership and then as the political winds shift it will go through times when the leadership is not as strong. Sometimes it is the suffering and realizations we come to under weak leadership that leads us to better times and better leadership.

How does Bennett's platform and his platform and party compare with Netanyahu’s on the key issues/

Wonder if democrats were involved behind the scenes?

I think the Israeli people will regret it. Long live Israel.

12-years is a very long time for any head of state, at some point, it had to end. Bibi has been having a hard time forming a government, the last two years I believe have led to collapse and he's had a number of corruption and bribery indictments against him, which has led to members in the Likud party leaving and statements of no confidence being declared by various leading figures.

Does that mean Bibi is now available to run here?

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
How does Bennett's platform and his platform and party compare with Netanyahu’s on the key issues/

Bennet is actually to the right of Netanyahu; he was formerly Bibi's chief of staff. The thing is that his coalition is made up of basically anyone opposed to Netanyahu, left, right and center. In that it's just as fragile as the last couple governments which typically lasted about half a year each. I expect another election in early 2022 the latest.

The basic problem is the partisan fragmentation of the Knesset into left-wing parties, centrist parties, secular right-wingers, national-religious right wingers, ultra-Orthodox right-wingers, and Arab parties. Not only will the left-wingers typically not go with the right, the seculars will not go with the Orthodox, and the Arabs will not go with the Jews. The new coalition is a very precarious construct of Left and Right, for the first time supported by one of the Arab parties.

Netanyahu has actually been in office for a total of close to 16 years, including an earlier spell in the 90s. That's a pretty good run, testament to his shrewd domestic maneuvering capabilities, accommodating different coalition partners in that fragmented landscape, then jumping to the next when they locked up in disagreement. The problem of this is that very little has been gotten done domestically (there's rather broad consensus on foreign policy among Israeli parties, so the same doesn't apply there), but few truly democratically elected leaders make it this long.

I am far from expert on matters Israel or the middle East, but it occurs to me that a peaceful transition of power appears to be a very rare thing in that corner of the world, going back some millennia, in fact. That we expect no less from Israel, to my mind, gives them great legitimacy as a civilized society.

As we know, career politicians are corrupt and cannot be trusted. He is one.

He was good at opposing the terrorist though. Which we also know, is very important. Not just for them.

Netanyahu’s exit speech was wild. I have no problem with him taking shots at FDR and his decision not to bomb the tracks to Auschwitz. Netanyahu then likening that to the Iran nuclear deal was in my opinion a fair comparison to make.

I follow politics in Israel, and I think that having Naftali Bennett and then to have Lapid as the PM is a recipe for disaster. Kind of like what is happening to us in the USA. A very weak and totally incompetent person as out POTUS has encouraged not only every illegal immigrant and muslim terrorist, and something very similar is now happening in Israel. Sad day for all patriotic Israelis.

You can wallow in the past. Or move forward into the future. There are no other choices. That is the choice there is to be made. Not only in Israel, but here as well.

You can kick and scream, complain, etc. all you want. Or you can accept the challenge and move forward. Simple as that.

quote:

This will not be good for Israel.

I think you're right about that.

I know nothing of his corruption scandals, whether true or a set-up. But, if it's anything like here, the left and the media (but I repeat myself) would never let up against him (like they did with Trump) until they succeed in removing him from office.

Trump and Netanyahu both put their own country first, as it should be.

Neftali Bennet is the Biden of Israel. I have family there and the are so scared of Bennett’s weak policies.

It appears that he's baaaaaack!

https://www.stltoday.com/news/...c6-7cfb8406d78d.html

Exit polls point to Netanyahu win in Israeli election

Exit polls in Israel indicate that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies may have won enough seats to return to power in a nationalist religious government after 3 1/2 years of political gridlock

By TIA GOLDENBERG - Associated Press 51 min ago


ERUSALEM (AP) — Exit polls in Israel indicated Tuesday that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies may have won enough seats to return to power in a nationalist religious government after 3 1/2 years of political gridlock.

The polls are preliminary, and final results could change as votes are tallied. Israeli media reported that a small Arab nationalist party was approaching the electoral threshold, which would give it four seats and erase Netanyahu’s narrow projected margin.

It was the fifth election in less than four years in Israel, and all of them turned largely on Netanyahu’s fitness to govern. Polls by three major Israeli TV stations indicated that Netanyahu and his allies would capture the 61-seat majority in parliament required to form a new government.

The polls also showed far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Religious Zionism as the third-largest party. Ben-Gvir is a disciple of a racist rabbi who was assassinated in the 1990s and has promised a hard line against the Palestinians.

“It can flip, we don’t know," Netanyahu told supporters after the exit polls came out. "We’re not dead. We’re alive and kicking, possibly before a great victory, but we have to wait until the morning.”

Perhaps fearing that Arab voters would deny him victory, Netanyahu tweeted allegations of violence and vote tampering at Arab polling stations, without providing evidence.

The Central Elections Committee said in a statement that it was “not aware of any unusual incidents in the Arab community” and dismissed "baseless rumors about alleged ‘forgeries.'”

Arabs make up some 20% of Israel's population and have been a key factor in blocking Netanyahu in recent elections, but this time around their vote was split among three different factions, each of which was at risk of falling below the threshold, which would mean those votes were wasted.

Ben-Gvir is expected to seek a Cabinet position as head of the ministry that oversees police. Just last month he brandished a handgun in a tense Palestinian neighborhood of Jerusalem and called on the police to shoot Palestinian stone-throwers. He has also called for deportation of Arab lawmakers.

Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, would be able to battle the charges as prime minister, improving his chances of avoiding conviction or jail time. His opponents view him as a grave threat to Israel’s democratic institutions and the rule of law.

“While the exit polls may indicate a trend, it is important to note that there have been discrepancies between these surveys and the actual results in past rounds of elections," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent think tank.

But if the results hold true, the next government "is poised to propose a series of reforms that would seek to politicize the judiciary and weaken the checks and balances that exist between the branches of government and serve as fundamental components of Israeli democracy," he added.

Two hours before the polls closed, election officials said turnout stood at 66.3%, over five points higher than the same hour in the 2021 election and the highest at that point since 1999, when the main issue was the flagging peace process with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu's main rival is the man who helped oust him last year, the centrist caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who has warned against the nationalist religious alliance that would emerge should Netanyahu return to power.

“Vote for the state of Israel, and for the future of our children,” Lapid said after casting his ballot in his upscale Tel Aviv neighborhood.

After he cast his vote in the West Bank settlement where he lives, Ben-Gvir promised that a vote for his party would bring about a “fully right-wing government” with Netanyahu as prime minister.

Ben-Gvir, who has been convicted of incitement for his anti-Arab rhetoric had seen his clout rise in the polls ahead of the vote and has demanded a key portfolio should Netanyahu be tapped to form a government.

Celebrations erupted at his party's headquarters in Jerusalem late Tuesday, with supporters cheering and dancing with Israeli flags and party flags. Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party that includes Ben-Gvir’s faction, hailed the projected results as “historic.”

With former allies and proteges refusing to sit under him while he is on trial, Netanyahu has been unable to form a viable majority government in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament.

Netanyahu's opponents, an ideologically diverse constellation of parties, are equally hamstrung in cobbling together the 61 seats needed to rule.

That impasse has mired Israel in an unprecedented political crisis that has eroded Israelis’ faith in their democracy, its institutions and their political leaders.

Buoyed by his followers’ almost cult-like adoration, Netanyahu, 73, has rejected calls to step down by his opponents, who say someone on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes cannot govern. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing, but embarrassing details from his ongoing trial repeatedly make front-page news.

In Israel’s fragmented politics, no single party has ever won a parliamentary majority, and coalition-building is necessary to govern. Netanyahu’s most likely path to the premiership requires an alliance with extreme nationalists and religious ultra-Orthodox parties.

Some of those parties have promised to enact reforms that could make Netanyahu’s legal woes disappear.

Ben-Gvir's ultranationalist party has promised to support legislation that would alter the legal code, weaken the judiciary and could help Netanyahu evade a conviction.

Netanyahu’s Likud party has tried to tamp down worries about the future of Israeli democracy, saying any changes to the legal code won’t apply to Netanyahu’s case and that the more extreme elements of his potential coalition will be reined in.

Netanyahu, currently opposition leader, paints himself as the consummate statesman and only leader capable of steering the country through its myriad challenges.

He was ousted last year after 12 years in power by the diverse coalition forged by Lapid.

The coalition was made up of nationalists who oppose Palestinian statehood, dovish parties that seek a peace agreement, as well as — for the first time in the country’s history — a small Arab Islamist party. The groups united over their distaste for Netanyahu.

But that coalition collapsed this spring because of infighting.

The centrist Lapid, a former author and broadcaster who became premier as part of a power-sharing agreement, has portrayed himself as an honest and scandal-free change from the polarizing Netanyahu.

In his short term as caretaker leader, Lapid welcomed President Joe Biden on a visit to Israel, led the country in a brief military operation against Gaza militants and signed a diplomatic agreement with Lebanon setting a maritime boundary between the enemy nations.

Still, Lapid’s chances to return to leadership are shaky. He is relying on voters from Israel’s Palestinian minority, who make up one-fifth of the population. Their turnout is predicted to reach historic lows, but if they unexpectedly do come out to vote, that could slash the Netanyahu camp’s numbers.

After the votes are tallied, the parties have nearly three months to form a government. If they can’t, Israel will head to yet another election.

Well, if he's back that would be Outstanding and a MOST EXCELLENT for Israel, as well as the region.

Sooo, what's the over/under on the US .gov (White House & State Dept) denouncing Netanyahu as a 'threat to democracy' and a 'right wing extremist' should he become Prime Minister?

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Well, if he's back that would be Outstanding and a MOST EXCELLENT for Israel, as well as the region.

Sooo, what's the over/under on the US .gov (White House & State Dept) denouncing Netanyahu as a 'threat to democracy' and a 'right wing extremist' should he become Prime Minister?

And what will Biden do to punish Israel monetarily

I would prefer someone else fill the vacuum. While he did good for a long while. Like all politicians become corrupted, as is he.

I do not think he is the best to fill the roll at this point.

Forcing the jab on his entire population should of put him where he belongs.

My opinion fwiw.

On his show this morning, Conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt said "Netanyahu has 65 seats so far, maybe more, we'll see, which is a 4-5 year government...and thank God, I'm tired of covering Israeli politics".