DOCSLIB.ORG

Israel and the Middle East News Update

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Israel and the Middle East News Update Israel and the Middle East News Update Thursday, December 27 Headlines: ​ ● Likud Denies PM Will Stay in Office No Matter What ● Former IDF Chiefs Gantz, Ya’alon May Unite for Election ● Report: 5 Zionist Union MKs Considering Joining Meretz ● Israel Approves 1,450 New Homes in West Bank Settlements ● Israeli Official Says Israel Carried Out Syria Strike ● Abbas: Ready to Negotiate Based on UN Resolutions ● Bennett Held Secret Meetings with Settler Leaders ● Qatar to Welcome Jewish, Israeli Fans for World Cup Commentary: ● The New York Times: “Donald Trump is Bad for Israel” − By Bret Stephens, Senior Columnist ● Al Monitor: “Fear of Indictment Drives PM to Call Early Elections” − By Ben Caspit, Senior Columnist S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 The Hon. Robert Wexler, President ● Yoni Komorov, Editor ● Aaron Zucker, Associate Editor ​ ​ News Excerpts ​ December 27, 2018 Jerusalem Post Likud Denies PM Will Stay in Office No Matter What The Likud party released a statement Thursday denying reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not resign even if indicted. The statement said, "The threats and pressure to release an indictment against Netanyahu, no matter the cost and no matter the circumstances, comes every day from the Left and the media." The article claimed that Netanyahu told confidants that he does not believe that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit will dare to indict him during the election campaign, and that even if he does, Netanyahu will not resign. Times of Israel Former IDF Chiefs Gantz, Ya’alon May Unite for Election Former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz has been holding talks with Moshe Ya’alon, also once the army’s top officer, with a view to forming a new centrist political alliance in elections next year, Hadashot television news reported Wednesday. Gantz would supposedly lead the faction and the rest of the spots on the list would be filled by alternating between parties. Gantz has emerged as a dark horse candidate as the election campaigns kick off, with polls indicating either the center-left Zionist Union or centrist Yesh Atid could only present a realistic challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud if Gantz were to join their ranks. Times of Israel Report: 5 Zionist Union MKs Considering Joining Meretz A group of lawmakers is planning to leave the Zionist Union, an official in the opposition party told The Times of Israel on Wednesday, as the leaders of the two factions that make up the center-left alliance appeared to be at loggerheads over how best to defeat Netanyahu. The party official said the MKs were Eitan Cabel, Mickey Rosenthal, Nachman Shai, Yossi Yona and Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin. A third of a party’s lawmakers must make such a move together if they wish to leave without forfeiting their seats in the parliament. Ha’aretz Israel Approves 1,450 New Homes in West Bank Settlements Israel's Civil Administration has approved the construction of 1,451 new housing units in West Bank settlements and advanced plans for the construction of 837 additional units, some in relatively isolated settlements. The council approved 220 housing units in Givat Ze'ev, 180 in Neveh Daniel, 120 in Karmei Tzur, 129 in Avnei Hefetz, 62 in Ma'aleh Mikhmash, 61 in Tzofim, 42 in Alfei Menashe, 55 in Tomer, 18 in Adora, 16 in Metzad and one in Shiloh. 2 Washington Post Israeli Official Says Israel Carried Out Syria Strike An Israeli security official confirmed that Israel carried out a Tuesday night airstrike in Syria. The official says the airstrike hit Iranian storage and logistic targets being used to transfer weapons to the Hezbollah militant group. The official said Israel also took out a Syrian anti-aircraft battery near Damascus that fired at the Israeli warplanes. Earlier Wednesday, Russia criticized the airstrikes, saying they had endangered civilian flights. The Israeli official said, however, that Israel alerted Russia about the airstrikes ahead of time. Times of Israel Abbas: Ready to Negotiate Based on UN Resolutions Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said late Tuesday that the Palestinian leadership is prepared to enter a peace process based on international law and United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the official PA news site Wafa reported. Abbas made the comments hours after Pope Francis said in a Christmas message he hoped Israelis and Palestinians would “resume dialogue and undertake a journey of peace.” An Israeli official said, “Israel has repeatedly expressed its readiness to enter a diplomatic process with the Palestinians without preconditions.” Al Monitor Bennett Held Secret Meetings with Settler Leaders In secret meetings between Education Minister and Jewish Home Party Chair Naftali Bennett and several settler leaders, among them Rabbi Hayim Druckman, he was asked to wait on breaking up the coalition and to advance bills and resolutions regarding the settlements before this legislative term is over. Bennett was reportedly told, “This is the most practical right-wing government we have seen and we have to make use of it until the end. After the election, if Netanyahu remains in power, he may form a unity government, and if he loses because of the police investigations, who knows who will form the next government.” The main goal of the meeting was legislation that would legalize West Bank outposts. Ynet Qatar to Welcome Jewish, Israeli Fans for World Cup Authorities in Qatar are preparing to host thousands of Jews and Israelis during the 2022 FIFA World Cup competition. Arrangements need to be made to supply kosher food and places of prayer for soccer fans traveling to the Gulf state. A senior Qatari official in charge of the preparations met with US Rabbi Marc Schneier, considered the unofficial Jewish chaplain of the Persian Gulf states, and asked him to serve as an adviser on welcoming Jewish fans. "This is an exceptional development that attests to the sensitivity that the Qataris show toward Israelis and the Jewish world," said Rabbi Schneier. 3 The New York Times – December 26, 2018 Donald Trump is Bad for Israel By the Bret Stephens, Senior Columnist ● Suppose you’re the type of smart conservative reluctantly inclined to give Donald Trump a pass for his boorish behavior and ideological heresies because you like the way the economy is going and appreciate the tough tone of his foreign policy, especially when it comes to Islamic fundamentalism. These last few weeks haven’t exactly validated your faith in the man, have they? You can track the performance of your I.R.A. as well as I can mine, so there’s no need to dilate on the broad rout in the markets (Wednesday’s gains notwithstanding). But let’s focus on something possibly as dear to your heart as it is to mine. The president has abruptly undermined Israel’s security following a phone call with an Islamist strongman in Turkey. So much for the idea, common on the right, that this is the most pro-Israel administration ever. ● I write this as someone who supported Trump moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and who praised his decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal as courageous and correct. I also would have opposed the president’s decision to remove U.S. forces from Syria under nearly any circumstances. Contrary to the invidious myth that neoconservatives always put Israel first, the reasons for staying in Syria have everything to do with core U.S. interests. Among them: Keeping ISIS beaten, keeping faith with the Kurds, maintaining leverage in Syria and preventing Russia and Iran from consolidating their grip on the Levant. Powers that maintain a reputation as reliable allies and formidable foes tend to enhance their power. Powers that behave as Trump’s America has squander it. ● But leave that aside and consider the Trump presidency from a purely Israeli standpoint. Are Israelis better off now that the U.S. Embassy is in Jerusalem? Not materially. The move was mostly a matter of symbolism, albeit of an overdue and useful sort. Are Israelis safer from Iran now that the U.S. is no longer in the Iran deal and sanctions are back in force? Only marginally. Sanctions are a tool of strategy, not a strategy unto themselves. What Israel most needs from the U.S. today is what it needed at its birth in 1948: an America committed to defending the liberal-international order against totalitarian enemies, as opposed to one that conducts a purely transactional foreign policy based on the needs of the moment or the whims of a president. From that, everything follows. It means that the U.S. should not sell out small nations — whether it was Israel in 1973 or Kuwait in 1990 — for the sake of currying favor with larger ones. It means we should resist interloping foreign aggressors, whether it was the Soviets in Egypt in the 1960s, or the Russians and Iranians in Syria in this decade. It means we should oppose militant religious fundamentalism, whether it is Wahhabis in Riyadh or Khomeinists in Tehran or Muslim Brothers in Cairo and Ankara. It means we should advocate human rights, civil liberties, and democratic institutions, in that order. ● Trump has stood all of this on its head. He shows no interest in pushing Russia out of Syria. He has neither articulated nor pursued any coherent strategy for pushing Iran out of Syria. He has 4 all but invited Turkey to interfere in Syria. He has done nothing to prevent Iran from continuing to arm Hezbollah. He shows no regard for the Kurds. His fatuous response to Saudi Arabia’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi is that we’re getting a lot of money from the Saudis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Israel: Background and U.S
    Israel: Background and U.S. Relations Casey L. Addis Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs February 14, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33476 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Israel: Background and U.S. Relations Summary On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and was immediately engaged in a war with all of its neighbors. Armed conflict has marked every decade of Israel’s existence. Despite its unstable regional environment, Israel has developed a vibrant parliamentary democracy, albeit with relatively fragile governments. The most recent national elections were held on February 10, 2009, ahead of schedule. Although the Kadima Party placed first, parties holding 65 seats in the 120-seat Knesset supported opposition Likud party leader Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, who was designated to form a government. Netanyahu’s coalition includes his own Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home), Shas, Habayet Hayehudi (Jewish Home), the United Torah Judaism (UTJ), and the new Ha’atzmout (Independence) party. The coalition controls 66 of 120 Knesset seats. Israel has an advanced industrial, market economy with a large government role. Israel’s foreign policy is focused largely on its region, Europe, and the United States. Israel’s foreign policy agenda begins with Iran, which it views as an existential threat due to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and support for terrorism. Achieving peace with its neighbors is next. Israel concluded peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, but not with Syria and Lebanon. Recent unrest in Egypt is rekindling latent anxiety in Israel about the durability of the peace treaty Egypt and Israel have relied upon for 30 years.
    [Show full text]
  • 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]
  • 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]
  • The Role of Ultra-Orthodox Political Parties in Israeli Democracy
    Luke Howson University of Liverpool The Role of Ultra-Orthodox Political Parties in Israeli Democracy Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy By Luke Howson July 2014 Committee: Clive Jones, BA (Hons) MA, PhD Prof Jon Tonge, PhD 1 Luke Howson University of Liverpool © 2014 Luke Howson All Rights Reserved 2 Luke Howson University of Liverpool Abstract This thesis focuses on the role of ultra-orthodox party Shas within the Israeli state as a means to explore wider themes and divisions in Israeli society. Without underestimating the significance of security and conflict within the structure of the Israeli state, in this thesis the Arab–Jewish relationship is viewed as just one important cleavage within the Israeli state. Instead of focusing on this single cleavage, this thesis explores the complex structure of cleavages at the heart of the Israeli political system. It introduces the concept of a ‘cleavage pyramid’, whereby divisions are of different saliency to different groups. At the top of the pyramid is division between Arabs and Jews, but one rung down from this are the intra-Jewish divisions, be they religious, ethnic or political in nature. In the case of Shas, the religious and ethnic elements are the most salient. The secular–religious divide is a key fault line in Israel and one in which ultra-orthodox parties like Shas are at the forefront. They and their politically secular counterparts form a key division in Israel, and an exploration of Shas is an insightful means of exploring this division further, its history and causes, and how these groups interact politically.
    [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]
  • 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]
  • 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]
  • 25 January 2013 / 14 Shevat 5773 Volume 17 - Number 2 News Opinion Letters Tapestry Community Columns Youth Sports
    friday 25 january 2013 / 14 Shevat 5773 volume 17 - number 2 news opinion letters tapestry community columns youth sports Aviva Pelham south african sings her mother’s story. (page 10) jewish report www.sajewishreport.co.za Likud leads, but bumpy road ahead for Netanyahu BEN SALES rupled its representation from TEL AVIV three to 12 seats. Together with the Sephardic His party shrunk, his opponents Orthodox Shas party and the grew and his challengers multi- haredi Orthodox United Torah plied. Judaism, the rightwing Knesset But with the results in, it bloc will hold 62 of the Knesset’s seems Benjamin Netanyahu sur- 120 seats - a slim majority. vived the Knesset elections on That’s anything but a mandate Tuesday to serve another term for Netanyahu, who campaigned as prime minister. on the slogan: “A strong prime Netanyahu faces a bumpy road minister, a strong Israel”. ahead. His Likud party, together Instead of being able to lead a with the nationalist Yisrael new coalition with a large party Beiteinu, fell to 31 seats in the behind him, Netanyahu will voting from its current represen- have to negotiate with rivals and tation of 42. forge compromises with oppos- The biggest surprise of the ing camps. election was the ascendance Judging from the successes of of former TV personality Yair Yesh Atid, Labour and Jewish Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid party. Home, Israelis cast a resounding Founded just a year ago, Yesh vote for progressive economic Atid won 18 seats on a platform reform and new leaders in their of national service and pro- parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • The Jewish Agency South Africa: a Year in Review
    ZIONIST ANNUAL REPORT DGNJSR The Jewish Agency South Africa: A Year in Review 2013 DGNJSR TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE ISRAEL CENTRE 2 GREETINGS 4-6 ISRAEL ENCOUNTER 2013 7 THE JEWISH AGENCY MISHLACHAT 8-9 (DELEGATION) TO SOUTH AFRICA 2013-14 THE ISRAEL QUIZ 2013 10 ZIONIST CARAVAN 11 ALIYAH2GETHER 12 HIGHER EDUCATION EXPO 13 ABOUT THE ISRAEL CENTRE The Israel Centre represents The Jewish Agency for Israel in South Africa. We are committed CYCALIVE 14 to strengthening the connection between the South African Jewish community and the PARTNERSHIP2GETHER ARTISTS DELEGATION 15 State of Israel, through various programmes and comprehensive Zionist Education. ALIYAH NOW EXPO 2013 16 Through Partnership2Gether, we are proud to join with the Beit Shemesh-Mateh Yehuda region in Israel and Washington DC to connect Jewish Communities in Israel and the PARTNERSHIP2GETHER COEXISTENCE SOCCER DELEGATION 17 Diaspora. ZIONIST YOUTH MOVEMENTS 18-19 Working closely with our Shlichim, we maintain vital ties with our Zionist Youth SAZF ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013 20-23 Movements. JNF ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013 24-25 The Israel Centre offers various educational programmes, including Israel Encounter and ABOUT THE SOUTH AFRICAN ZIONIST FEDERATION 26 Masa Israel Journey gap year, study abroad, post-college and volunteer programs in Israel. With over 200 unique programmes on offer, the Israel Centre does its best to match the ABOUT THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL 26 most suitable programme to the individual. Through our Maoz Education Program, the Israel Centre works closely with the formal and informal Jewish education systems to create and maintain the vital bond between young Jews and Israel.
    [Show full text]