DOCSLIB.ORG

Leadership Mission to Israel Itinerary October 21-26, 2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Leadership Mission to Israel Itinerary October 21-26, 2018 Leadership Mission to Israel Itinerary October 21-26, 2018 SUNDAY, OCT 21 2:00 p.m. OPTIONAL: How Jewish Identity - and the question of Jewish pluralism in Israel - has become a political issue? Visit to the BINA campus in south Tel Aviv The bus will leave from the Dan Panorama Hotel lobby at 2:00 PM. 4:30 p.m. Return to the hotel 6:20 p.m. Depart hotel for the Institute for National Security Studies 7:30 p.m. A Regional Overview on the Challenges Facing the State of Israel with Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin, Director of INSS and Former Ambassador Daniel Shapiro, INSS Distinguished Visiting Fellow. Dinner will be served Briefing on the challenges facing Israel internally and in the region with specific focus on the situation in Gaza and the disconnect between Israeli’s and the American Jews. 9:00 pm Return to the hotel OVERNIGHT: DAN PANORAMA HOTEL, TEL AVIV MONDAY, OCT 22 Breakfast in the hotel 7:00 – 7:30 a.m. Shuttle Bus to the GA in the Tel Aviv Fair Grounds GA 2018 in Tel Aviv Participation in JFNA/GA 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. GA Plenary 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Breakout groups 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Lunch 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Break-out groups 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. Koolulam Under the Stars Become part of a powerful, multi-generational, multi-national, chorus of thousands — when you raise your voice alongside the future wave of Jewish leaders during our joint Koolulam event with Masa Israel Journey and Jewish Agency participants. All of this will be against the background of Tel Aviv’s beautiful HaYarkon Park. Dinner on own OVERNIGHT: DAN PANORAMA HOTEL, TEL AVIV TUESDAY, OCT 23 Breakfast in the hotel 7:00 – 7:30 am Shuttle bus to the GA in the Tel Aviv Fair Grounds Morning at GA 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Plenary 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Meeting with Representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs including Akiva Tor, Head, Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions, on the Rooftop Grab you lunch in the Fair Grounds 1:00 p.m. Depart for the Knesset 2:15 p.m. Security check in the Knesset – (bring your government passport) 2:30 p.m. JCPA Knesset Meetings Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Join GA Knesset Event (GA Participants only) 8:30 – 10:00 p.m. Option to return to Tel Aviv or Stay in Jerusalem 10:00 – 11:15 p.m. Buses Return from Mamilla to Tel Aviv OVERNIGHT: DAN PANORAMA HOTEL, TEL AVIV WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24 Breakfast in the hotel 7:00 a.m. Check-out of hotel/meet in lobby with luggage to store in JCPA bus 7:15 – 7:30 a.m. Shuttle bus to the GA in the Tel Aviv Fair Grounds 8:30 AM Attend Beating Back BDS: Why Does it Matter on the Rooftop 9:45 – 10:15 Meet with Tzahi Gavrieli from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11:00 – 12:30 Plenary Grab your lunch and meet the bus 12:45 p.m. Depart Tel Aviv for the Gaza region 1:45 p.m. Visit to Gaza Border with Col. Grisha Yakubovich The Story of Gaza Strip, a 360 Degree View of the Security Issues, Civil Issues, and Life in Gaza and the challenges it poses to the relative “Players.” 5:00 p.m. Animal Assisted Therapy Center, Sderot Talia Levanon, Director of the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) 6:00 p.m. Travel to Jerusalem 7:15 p.m. Check-into hotel 8:30 p.m. Dinner on own (St. Louis will have a group dinner/others welcome.) OVERNIGHT: LEONARDO BOUTIQUE HOTEL, JERUSALEM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 Breakfast in the hotel 8:30 a.m. Depart hotel for the Supreme Court 9:00 a.m. IRAC's religion and state struggles in the Supreme Court Orly Erez-Likhovski, IRAC Director of the Legal Department 10:15 a.m. Travel to JFNA-Israel office 10:45 a.m. Status of Young Israeli Adults: Challenges and Opportunities Boaz Rakocz, Founder and CEO of The Whistle - Independent and Accurate Media for Israel (NGO) 11:45 a.m. Meet with Faith-Based Leaders Dr. Sarah Bernstein, Executive Director, Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue and Fr. David Neuhaus sj, formerly the Patriarchal Vicar for Hebrew-Speaking Catholics and lecturer on Judaism at the Latin Patriarchate Seminary in Bet Jala. 12:45 p.m. Lunch 1:45 p.m. Update on Asylum Seekers Situation in Israel Tamara Newman, Hotline for Refugees and Migrants and Usumain Baraka, an Asylum Seeker from Darfur 3:00 p.m. Proceed to HUC 3:45 p.m. Issues of Pluralism, Discrimination, Inclusion, the growing rift with North American Jews Rabbi Na’ama Kelman, Dean, Hebrew Union College 5:00 p.m. Proceed to the StandWithUs Israel Education Center 5:15 p.m. Meet with Mohammad Zoabi 6:15 p.m. Return to the hotel 7:45 p.m. Depart hotel on foot for Anna Restaurant 8:00 p.m. The Contentious Nation State Bill and Climate in Israel Dinner will be served Avivit Hai, Program Director, Israel, Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues, Rawnak Natour and Ron Gerlitz, co-directors of Sikkuy OVERNIGHT: LEONARDO BOUTIQUE HOTEL, JERUSALEM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 Breakfast in the hotel 7:30 a.m. Check out 7:40 a.m. Depart hotel for Beit Ben Yehuda 8:00 a.m. Tour of “Life in Jerusalem today focusing on the future of the relationship between Jews and Arabs in Israel.” Two years ago Eliezer Yaari started producing a documentary film about Dr. Tariq Abu Hammed, a chemist from Sur Baher who wanted to move to Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava. The production of the film was completed only a week ago (mid-August 2018); and the film will be premiered at the New York Film Festival in early November. At Beit Ben Yehuda we will watch the film together, where Eliezer will be available for Q&A. For preview click here. Depart Beit Ben Yehuda for Kibbutz Ramat Rachel where Eliezer will provide an overview of Sur Baher, an Arab village adjacent to Jerusalem’s southern border, and then enter the village to meet with Ramadan Dabash in the Village Community Center; Mr. Dabash is running in the election for the Jerusalem municipality on Oct 30th. Eliezer will also ask Dr. Abu Hammad, the main character of the movie, to join the meeting. 12:00 p.m. Return to your hotel 12:30 p.m. Closing Lunch .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Views Or Conclusions
    The American Public and Israel in the Twenty-First Century Eytan Gilboa Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 181 THE BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY Mideast Security and Policy Studies No. 181 The American Public and Israel in the Twenty-First Century Eytan Gilboa The American Public and Israel in the Twenty-First Century Eytan Gilboa © The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan 5290002 Israel Tel. 972-3-5318959 Fax. 972-3-5359195 [email protected] www.besacenter.org ISSN 0793-1042 October 2020 Cover image: Sheri Hooley via Unsplash The Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies is an independent, non-partisan think tank conducting policy-relevant research on Middle Eastern and global strategic affairs, particularly as they relate to the national security and foreign policy of Israel and regional peace and stability. It is named in memory of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, whose efforts in pursuing peace laid the cornerstone for conflict resolution in the Middle East. Mideast Security and Policy Studies serve as a forum for publication or re-publication of research conducted by BESA associates. Publication of a work by BESA signifies that it is deemed worthy of public consideration but does not imply endorsement of the author’s views or conclusions. Colloquia on Strategy and Diplomacy summarize the papers delivered at conferences and seminars held by the Center for the academic, military, official and general publics. In sponsoring these discussions, the BESA Center aims to stimulate public debate on, and consideration of, contending approaches to problems of peace and war in the Middle East.
    [Show full text]
  • Download File
    Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Human Rights Studies Master of Arts Program Silencing “Breaking the Silence”: The Israeli government’s agenda respecting human rights NGOs activism since 2009 Ido Dembin Thesis Adviser: Prof. Yinon Cohen Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 12 September, 2018 Abstract This research examines a key aspect in the deterioration of Israeli democracy between 2009-2018. Mainly, it looks at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Right-wing governments utilization of legislative procedure to limit the right to free speech. The aspects of the right to free speech discussed here pertain to dissenting and critical activism against these government’s policies. The suppression of said right is manifested in the marginalization, delegitimization and ultimately silencing of its expression in Human Rights NGOs activism. To demonstrate this, the research presents a case study of one such NGO – “Breaking the Silence” – and the legal and political actions designed to cause its eventual ousting from mainstream Israeli discourse. The research focuses on the importance and uniqueness of this NGO, as well as the ways in which the government perceives and acts against it. First, it analyzes the NGO’s history, modus operandi and goals, emphasizing the uniqueness that makes it a particularly fascinating case. Then, it researches the government’s specific interest in crippling and limiting its influence. Finally, it highlights the government’s toolbox and utilization thereof against it. By shining a light on this case, the research seeks to show the process of watering down of a fundamental right within Israeli democracy – which is instrumental to understanding the state’s risk of decline towards illiberal democracy.
    [Show full text]
  • Mancom Israel Centre
    MANCOM OCTOBER ISRAEL CENTRE ()*+ Members of Knesset visit A delegation of Members of Knesset had an official visit (August) to South Africa. Organized jointly by the Knesset and The Jewish Agency in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the South African Jewish community, the trip included high-level meetings with leaders from throughout South African society, as well as a series of meetings and visits aimed at deepening the Israeli lawmakers’ familiarity with South African Jewry. During their time in South Africa, the five Members of Knesset— representing both the coalition and the opposition—met with senior political figures from across the political spectrum. While in Johannesburg, the lawmakers met with the leaders of the local Jewish community and with Jewish Agency representatives, as well as with families who are about to immigrate to Israel. They also KDL and met with Jewish students, youth movement leaders, and alumni of Masa Israel Journey. In Cape Town, the MKs visited the South African Jewish Museum, the Holocaust Centre, and the local Herzlia School, and celebrated Shabbat at the Cape Town Hebrew Congregation (Gardens Shul). Throughout their time in South Africa, the delegates were accompanied by representatives of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, the South African Zionist Federation, IUA-UCF (Keren Hayesod), and the Embassy of Israel in Pretoria, who helped organize the visit. Member of Knesset Dr. Nachman Shai (Zionist Union), who co-chairs the Knesset Caucus for Strengthening the Jewish World and led the delegation, said: “The delegation’s visit and meetings with the Jewish community dealt with the ties that bind the Jewish people worldwide, including Israel and the South African Jewish community.
    [Show full text]
  • Project Democracy: Fighting for the Ground Rules
    Project Democracy: Fighting for the Ground Rules Chapter 4: Freedom of Speech, Dissent, and Political Activity Freedom of speech is a basic human right and an essential component of any democracy. It is this freedom that enables citizens to exchange views and information, to protest against injustice, to influence the public discourse, and to criticize the actions of the government. As such, freedom of speech represents a necessary condition for the informed and effective political participation of a country's citizenry. Restrictions on free speech cause harm to democratic life and stands in contradiction to the fundamental principles of democracy – that government should impose no more than the necessary minimum of restrictions on individuals, especially regarding their basic rights. The safeguarding of free speech is especially critical for defending the rights of minority groups. Minorities often suffer from limited political influence and limited access to the corridors of power, and so the arena of public expression is where they are best able to give voice to their positions, to protest, and to influence public opinion. In numerous and unrelenting rulings and legal decisions, Israel's Supreme Court has defended freedom of speech, calling it “the lifeline of democracy.” In these principled rulings, time after time the justices have affirmed that the true test of freedom of speech is not the defense of commonly accepted statements – which no one seeks to limit anyway – but of statements considered irritating, extreme, and unexceptional. Over the last two years, we have witnessed increasing threats in Israel to freedom of speech and those freedoms which derive from it: The right to demonstrate, freedom of the press, academic freedom and freedom of political activity.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel and Overseas: Israeli Election Primer 2015 (As Of, January 27, 2015) Elections • in Israel, Elections for the Knesset A
    Israel and Overseas: Israeli Election Primer 2015 (As of, January 27, 2015) Elections In Israel, elections for the Knesset are held at least every four years. As is frequently the case, the outgoing government coalition collapsed due to disagreements between the parties. As a result, the Knesset fell significantly short of seeing out its full four year term. Knesset elections in Israel will now be held on March 17, 2015, slightly over two years since the last time that this occurred. The Basics of the Israeli Electoral System All Israeli citizens above the age of 18 and currently in the country are eligible to vote. Voters simply select one political party. Votes are tallied and each party is then basically awarded the same percentage of Knesset seats as the percentage of votes that it received. So a party that wins 10% of total votes, receives 10% of the seats in the Knesset (In other words, they would win 12, out of a total of 120 seats). To discourage small parties, the law was recently amended and now the votes of any party that does not win at least 3.25% of the total (probably around 130,000 votes) are completely discarded and that party will not receive any seats. (Until recently, the “electoral threshold,” as it is known, was only 2%). For the upcoming elections, by January 29, each party must submit a numbered list of its candidates, which cannot later be altered. So a party that receives 10 seats will send to the Knesset the top 10 people listed on its pre-submitted list.
    [Show full text]
  • Excluded, for God's Sake: Gender Segregation and the Exclusion of Women in Public Space in Israel
    Excluded, For God’s Sake: Gender Segregation and the Exclusion of Women in Public Space in Israel המרכז הרפורמי לדת ומדינה -לוגו ללא מספר. Third Annual Report – December 2013 Israel Religious Action Center Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism Excluded, For God’s Sake: Gender Segregation and the Exclusion of Women in Public Space in Israel Third Annual Report – December 2013 Written by: Attorney Ruth Carmi, Attorney Ricky Shapira-Rosenberg Consultation: Attorney Einat Hurwitz, Attorney Orly Erez-Lahovsky English translation: Shaul Vardi Cover photo: Tomer Appelbaum, Haaretz, September 29, 2010 – © Haaretz Newspaper Ltd. © 2014 Israel Religious Action Center, Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism Israel Religious Action Center 13 King David St., P.O.B. 31936, Jerusalem 91319 Telephone: 02-6203323 | Fax: 03-6256260 www.irac.org | [email protected] Acknowledgement In loving memory of Dick England z"l, Sherry Levy-Reiner z"l, and Carole Chaiken z"l. May their memories be blessed. With special thanks to Loni Rush for her contribution to this report IRAC's work against gender segregation and the exclusion of women is made possible by the support of the following people and organizations: Kathryn Ames Foundation Claudia Bach Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation Bildstein Memorial Fund Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation Inc. Donald and Carole Chaiken Foundation Isabel Dunst Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation Eugene J. Eder Charitable Foundation John and Noeleen Cohen Richard and Lois England Family Jay and Shoshana Dweck Foundation Foundation Lewis Eigen and Ramona Arnett Edith Everett Finchley Reform Synagogue, London Jim and Sue Klau Gold Family Foundation FJC- A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds Vicki and John Goldwyn Mark and Peachy Levy Robert Goodman & Jayne Lipman Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Richard and Lois Gunther Family Foundation Charitable Funds Richard and Barbara Harrison Yocheved Mintz (Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bennett-Lapid ‘Change Government’
    BICOM Briefing The Bennett-Lapid ‘Change Government’ June 2021 The Bennett-Lapid ‘Change Government’ On Wednesday evening, 2 June, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid informed President Rivlin that he had succeeded in forming a coalition government, adding that it would “work for all the citizens of Israel, those that voted for it and those that didn’t. It will do everything to unite Israeli society”. Swearing the new government into office, which only requires only a relative majority, will take place within the next 11 days. Yamina’s Naftali Bennett will serve as Prime Minister for the first two years, followed by Lapid. Maariv 1 June, Bennett and Lapid stare lovingly at eachother as the sun – with the face of Netan- yahu sets The Change Government How did we get here? The elections for the 24th Knesset which took place on 23 March 2021 gave neither the pro-Netanyahu bloc nor the anti-Netanyahu bloc a clear majority of 61 seats. Following the results, two parties who defined themselves as unaligned were considered to be key to both sides - Naftali Bennett of Yamina (7 seats) and Mansour Abbas of Raam (4 seats). Bennett emphasised his preference for a right-wing and ultra- Orthodox coalition. When Likud sources sent out feelers to Raam to support the government from outside 2 the coalition, that move was opposed by Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionist party. With Saar unwilling to sit with Netanyahu, and Smotrich unwilling to countenance outside support from Raam, the pro-Netanyahu right-wing/ultra-Orthodox coalition could only muster 59 seats.
    [Show full text]
  • Speakers' Biographies
    Speakers’ Biographies Mr. Elliott Abrams is a Senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC. Mr. Abrams served as Deputy Assistant to The President and Deputy National Security Advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House. Prior to that Mr. Abrams served in many high ranking public service positions. Including as Assistant Secretary of State in The Reagan Administration, for which he received The Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award from Secretary George P. Shultz. Mr. Abrams holds a BA and JD from Harvard University and an MA from The London School of Economics. Prof. Dmitry Adamsky is an Associate Professor at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, IDC Herzliya. Prof. Adamsky has been a pre- and post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University, a visiting fellow at the Institute of War and Peace Studies, Columbia University and at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies. His research interests include international security, strategic studies, cultural approach to international relations, modern military thought, nuclear strategy, American, Russian and Israeli national security policy. Prof. Adamsky has published on these topics in Foreign Affairs, Journal of Strategic Studies, Intelligence and National Security, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Journal of Cold War History, Defense and Security Studies and has contributed chapters to edited volumes and encyclopedias on modern military and international history. Prof. Adamsky's books Operation Kavkaz (Hebrew) and The Culture of Military Innovation (English/Hebrew) earned the annual (2006 and 2012) prizes for the best academic work on Israeli security.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel National Election Study, April 9, 2019 Pre and Post Election Inclusive Questionnaires
    2019 Survey Id (from a list)_______________ Israel National Election Study, April 9, 2019 Pre and Post Election Inclusive Questionnaires Pre-election Inclusive Questionnaire – April 2019 Throughout the questionnaire: 98 Don’t know/no answer; 99 Refuses to answer 1. Version 1. Version A (Green+Blue) 2. Version B (Green+Red) Hi, my name is….. I am an interviewer from Tel Aviv University. You were chosen randomly to participate in an academic survey dealing with various issues. It is very important that everyone who was sampled will participate in order to ensure the quality of the research. Your answers will remain confidential and will be used only for the study. 2. How old are you______________ ? Interview only 18 and above For those who did not answer: 3. What age group do you belong to? 1. 18-22 2. 23-29 3. 30-39 4. 40-49 5. 50-59 6. 60-69 7. 70-79 8. 80 and over Interview only 18 and above 4. Sex: 1. Male 2. Female 136. What is your highest level of education: 1. Elementary school or less 2. Partial high school 3. Complete high school - without matriculation diploma 4. Complete high school with matriculation diploma 5. Post high school, non-academic (teacher’s seminar, nursing school, engineering school, yeshiva) 6. Partial academic degree 7. Full academic degree - BA 8. Full academic degree - MA or higher 2019 Survey 5. Are you an Israeli citizen? 1. Yes 2. No → End interview Interview only Israeli citizens 6. In your opinion, what is Israel's general situation? 1.
    [Show full text]
  • What Do You Think Are the Important Jewish Issues That Could Be
    What do you think are the important Jewish issues that could be significantly influenced by philanthropic intervention if the Jewish community could devote sufficient resources on a large scale? What types of interventions would be most effective? Dr. Nachman Shai was elected to the 18th Knesset in February 2009. In his capacity as a Knesset Member on behalf of the Kadima party, he is a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee; the Economic Affairs Committee and the Committee on the Status of Women. Nachman also serves as the Chairman of the Knesset Delegation to the European Parliament and chairs the Israel-United Kingdom Parliamentary Friendship Group, the Israel-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, the Israel-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Lobby for the Promotion of Israel's Public Diplomacy. Immediately prior to his entry into the world of politics, Nachman held the position of Senior Vice President and Director General, External Affairs of the United Jewish Communities (UJC), Israel . Nachman has held diverse positions in the military, the media, the diplomatic and the public arenas. These include: Director General of the Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport; Israel Defense Force Spokesperson, with the rank of Brigadier General; Communications Advisor to the Minister of Defense; Director General of the Second Television and Radio Authority; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Channel 2 News Company and Chairman of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA). Israel is at a very important juncture regarding its internal affairs – namely, the struggle for democracy and the continually deepening social crisis. As for democracy, the general public's inclination toward the religious right has brought heavy pressure on democratic institutions - the Supreme Court, the Knesset, the Media to conform with the political majority, and in this way, to harm the democratic foundations of the State.
    [Show full text]
  • NAFTALI BENNETT INAUGURATION SPEECH at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel by Luis B
    NAFTALI BENNETT INAUGURATION SPEECH At the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel by Luis B. Vega [email protected] www.PostScritpts.org ‘When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our Enemies heard that I had rebuilt the Wall and not a gap was left, though to that time I had not yet installed the Doors in the Gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. But they were planning to harm me.’ -Nehemiah 6:1-2 The purpose of this study is to 1st provide the official released Inauguration Speech of Israel’s new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett. The 2nd purposed is to analyze key prophetic inferences related to the Last Days that are pertinent from the speech in light of a Christian perspective and interpretation of world event and Israel’s coming 70th Week for Years. It is very interesting how when such national events occur and the occasion is for a Transition of Government, for example, that such People invoke the Name of GOD, in this case, the GOD of Israel, YHVH. Bennett ended his speech with a prayer to ‘Our Heavenly Father, the Rock and Redeemer of Israel’. It is very interesting as it echoes the Triune Nature of YHVH being, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. If one knows and has read the Gospel accounts of Jesus, it is striking how at the account of the Resurrection of Jesus, Mary Magdalene sought to locate the body of Jesus. Why? She came to the Garden Tomb and found that the Stone that had sealed the Tomb was rolled away.
    [Show full text]
  • Netanyahu Soundly Defeats Chief Rival in Israeli Elections
    Middle East Netanyahu Soundly Defeats Chief Rival in Israeli Elections By Jodi Rudoren, March 17, 2015 TEL AVIV — After a bruising campaign focused on his failings, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel won a clear victory in Tuesday’s elections and seemed all but certain to form a new government and serve a fourth term, though he offended many voters and alienated allies in the process. With 99.5 percent of the ballots counted, the YNet news site reported Wednesday morning that Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party had captured 29 or 30 of the 120 seats in Parliament, sweeping past his chief rival, the center-left Zionist Union alliance, which got 24 seats. Mr. Netanyahu and his allies had seized on earlier exit polls that showed a slimmer Likud lead to create an aura of inevitability, and celebrated with singing and dancing. While his opponents vowed a fight, Israeli political analysts agreed even before most of the ballots were counted that he had the advantage, with more seats having gone to the right-leaning parties likely to support him. It was a stunning turnabout from the last pre-election polls published Friday, which showed the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog, with a four- or five-seat lead and building momentum, and the Likud polling close to 20 seats. To bridge the gap, Mr. Netanyahu embarked on a last-minute scorched-earth campaign, promising that no Palestinian state would be established as long as he remained in office and insulting Arab citizens. Mr. Netanyahu, who served as prime minister for three years in the 1990s and returned to office in 2009, exulted in what he called “a huge victory” and said he had spoken to the heads of all the parties “in the national camp” and urged them to help him form a government “without any further ado.” “I am proud of the Israeli people that, in the moment of truth, knew how to separate between what’s important or what’s not and to stand up for what’s important,” he told an exuberant crowd early Wednesday morning at Likud’s election party at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds.
    [Show full text]