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Artzeinu Weekly Israel News Update Artzeinu ○ www.artzeinu.org ○ Vol. 20 No. 671 ○ June 5, 2021 Yamina MK seems to signal On Thursday morning, the change bloc will get cold feet before the government is parties submitted 61 signatures, sworn in. The so-called change coalition p he won’t rebel, but hope of demanding a vote on a new Knesset is made from a wide array of parties from quick gov’t approval fades speaker early next week. The move was the left to the pro-settlement right, and intended to prevent Levin from stalling on includes Ra’am. It will be led by Bennett A wavering Yamina lawmaker, Nir a vote of confidence in the new as prime minister for two years, before Orbach, appeared to signal Thursday that government and to ensure that it happened Lapid takes over for the remainder of the he would not break with his party leader next week, rather than the week after that. term. Naftali Bennett by opposing the potential If the emerging government is sworn in, “change government,” The Times of Orbach’s signature had apparently been Israel will have a new prime minister for Israel reports. given to his party’s leaders some time ago. However, on Thursday he quickly the first time since 2009. Along with the Still, with a Knesset vote to approve the moved to withdraw his support. The Arab over 12 consecutive years he has served coalition likely 12 days away, and Prime majority Joint List, which is not part of as premier since then, Netanyahu was also Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepping up the coalition, then moved to prop up the prime minister for three years in the late efforts to break up the so-called change effort by adding its own six votes to the 1990s. bloc, the new government is far from bid. secure. Protests near homes of But bloc leaders Yamina and Yesh Atid With only a 61-59 majority in the 120- Yamina’s Shaked, Orbach quickly distanced themselves from the seat Knesset, a change of heart from Joint List’s backing, saying it had not Right-wing activists protested Thursday Orbach or any other MK in the new been sought. Though Islamist party Ra’am outside the homes of Yamina MKs Ayelet coalition could doom its chances of is part of the new coalition, the Joint List Shaked and Nir Orbach, pressing them to getting approved in parliament. Orbach is seen as less palatable to many right- oppose the proposed government that will met with Bennett a day after Yamina, wing members of the change bloc. see their party leader Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid, and six other parties agreed to Yesh Atid chief Yair Lapid rotate as Yamina then said it would only vote to assemble a unity government that would prime minister, The Times of Israel replace the Knesset speaker once the replace Netanyahu as premier. reports. government itself was approved. As Orbach has long voiced reluctance to back Knesset speaker, Levin can legally delay a Hundreds took part in the rallies, a day the coalition, but had previously vowed to vote on the new government for a week or after Lapid officially declared that he can resign from the Knesset rather than more, giving Netanyahu’s Likud party form a government. If formed, the actively vote against the bloc. However, more time to try to peel away rebels from government would end the premier’s run on Wednesday he began weighing the the right-wing factions of the unity of 12 consecutive years in office and second option. On Thursday, he withdrew coalition. relegate his Likud party and allied his signature from a petition by the factions to the opposition. change bloc to quickly replace Knesset Netanyahu retweeted posts from Likud’s At the rally outside Shaked’s home in Tel Speaker Yariv Levin of Likud, apparently Twitter account lashing Bennett and Yesh Aviv, the leader of the far-right Religious scuppering that bid. Atid leader Yair Lapid over the Joint List’s support for replacing Levin, Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich, a former Minutes after his meeting with Bennett — claiming it proved they were all in Yamina lawmaker, urged Shaked to come the second between the two since the cahoots. “Less than 24 hours passed and out to “those who embraced you and who coalition deal was announced late already Lapid and Bennett are relying on you embraced, those who believed in you Wednesday — Orbach tweeted that he the Joint List,” Netanyahu charged. “They and you believed in them…. They really was with Bennett and would do will do this every day, every vote.” feel betrayed.” “everything” to ensure the Yamina leader’s efforts to facilitate the country’s Thursday’s bid to vote in a new Knesset Iran’s largest warship sinks success in the long-term. speaker underlined fears in Lapid’s Iran suffered another humiliating disaster nascent coalition that Knesset members after its largest naval ship, which it calls a IDF destroys Syrian outpost after the 2021-22 season. Coach K naval training support vessel, sunk as the guided the Blue Devils to five national result of a mysterious fire, The Jerusalem The Israeli army destroyed a Syrian championships, including in 2010 with regime observation post established on the Post reports. Iranian officials said that Scheyer as a captain. theIsraeli side of the buffer zone in the Golan “the cause of the accident is still Scheyer joined the Duke coaching staff Heights on Tuesday, according to The unknown...." in 2013. Times of Israel. The fire on the Kharq happened near the Gracie to Golan port of Jask. IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee said troops attacked and blew up the post, NYC mayoral candidate Eric Adams It is not clear whether the fire was adding that Israel would not “tolerate any wants to spend his final days in Israel, accidental, but tensions have loomed over attempt to violate the sovereignty” of the The New York Post reports. the region for the last year amid reports of Jewish state. The site is on the Syrian side various attacks on vessels of Iran and The leading mayoral candidate says he of the border fence, but still technically in Israel, as well as Iranian harassment of loves Israel so much that he wants to buy Israeli territory. US ships. Iranian ships swarmed a US a plot of land and retire in the Jewish Channel 13 showed footage of the troops Coast Guard vessel in April, and the US State. A Jewish weekly publication, going in and planting the explosives. seized an Iranian weapons shipment in Mishpacha, asked the Brooklyn borough May. Officers said the post was used by president if he would be an advocate for Hezbollah fighters and pro-Iranian Israel as have other mayors. Herzog elected president militias. The IDF apparently deliberately “I’ve visited Israel twice, I am going used ground forces instead of targeting the Issac Herzog on Wednesday was elected back again, and I am going to try to find site from the air in order to send a as Israel's next president, succeeding a plot of land so it can be my retirement message to Syria and Hezbollah that Israel popular president Reuven Rivlin, The place,” Adams said. “I love the people of would not tolerate any violations of its Guardian reports. Israel, the food, the culture, the dance, sovereignty. Herzog becomes Israel's 11th president. everything about Israel.” His father was also one of Israel's Hamas terror big nabbed Adams is vying with Andrew Yang and presidents from May 5, 1983 to May 13, The IDF's elite Duvdevan unit and the Kathryn Garcia in a tight three-way race 1993. Herzog will start his seven-year Shin Bet nabbed Sheikh Jamal Al Tawil, a where the Jewish vote could be a factor. term on July 9 when current president, senior Hamas official in Yehudah and Asked what part of Israel he would Reuven Rivlin's term ends. Herzog is the Shomron, Tuesday in Ramallah, Hamodia choose, Adams said with a laugh, “In the first son of a president to become reports. Al Tawil is a senior member of Golan Heights.” Asked about his president of the Jewish State. the Hamas terrorist group in Yehudah and comments, Adams said he was joking The President of Israel is chosen by the Shomron and recently took an active part about moving to the Golan Heights. He Knesset and must receive a majority of in organizing violent riots and inciting stood by the rest of his statement. the votes. 60-year-old Herzog received violence in the area. * * * the nation’s greatest majority beating Miriam Perez and receiving 87 votes from From K to S Comedian Bill Maher spent nearly 10 Knesset members compared to her 27. Jon Scheyer, a one-time Jewish basketball minutes of his HBO talk show last week defending Israel in its war against After his win was announced, Herzog, star at Duke University who went on to Hamas. A clip of the segment can be who is known as Bougie, made a short play for the Israeli powerhouse Maccabi found at artzeinu.org. statement saying "I plan to be everyone’s Tel Aviv, was picked to succeed Mike president. It is crucial to mend the Krzyzewski, the winningest coach in bleeding wounds in our society and fight Division 1 college basketball history. anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel to Krzyzewski, known familiarly as “Coach protect the pillars of our democracy." K,” said this week that he will be retiring The president's role is largely ceremonial in Israel.
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