Israel and Middle East News Update Tuesday, April 20 Headlines: ● Netanyahu Backs Direct Election for Prime Minister ● Arab MKs Help Anti-Bibi Bloc Win Control of Knesset ● Netanyahu Threatens Defamation Suit Against Predecessor ● IAI Touts Groundbreaking Barak Missile System ● Sudan Repeals Israel Boycott Law ● Paper: US Understands If Abbas Postpones Elections ● Saudis, Iranians Hold Talks Aimed at Easing Tensions ● Russian Airstrikes Kill 200 'Terrorists' in Northwestern Syria Commentary: ● Yedioth Ahronoth: “A Painful, But Symbolic Blow’’ - By Nadav Eyal ● Ma’ariv: “The Magician Turned into a Rabbit’’ - By Ben Caspit S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 1725 I St NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 The Hon. Robert Wexler, President News Excerpts April 20, 2021 Ynet News Netanyahu Backs Direct Election for Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for a direct election for the premiership as a way of ending the two-year cycle of inconclusive elections and to prevent a potential fifth. Netanyahu is also two weeks into a four-week window to form a coalition government in the wake of Israel's March 23 elections, a mission that has proven to be elusive. There is a solution to the political mess and a huge majority of the public supports it," Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud party's Knesset faction. "Instead of forming absurd governments, for example with a prime minister who received only seven seats in the election, there will be direct elections for prime minister," he said, alluding to Naftali Bennett, who is said to be mulling a rotation agreement with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. Dig Deeper ‘‘After Defeat in Key Vote, Likud Whip Concedes Netanyahu Won’t Form Government’’ (Times of Israel) Jerusalem Post Arab MKs Help Anti-Bibi Bloc Win Control of Knesset The anti-Netanyahu bloc scored a victory in the Knesset when the Ra'am (United Arab List) Party joined the bloc in passing its proposal to take control over the powerful Knesset Arrangements Committee that runs the Knesset until a government is formed. Yamina MKs were not present for the vote. Sources in Yesh Atid said their victory in the vote was the result of a successful meeting between Yair Lapid and Ra'am head Mansour Abbas. In exchange for his support, Lapid offered Ra’am a spot on the Knesset Finance Committee, chairmanship of a committee on fighting violence in the Arab sector and a deputy Knesset speaker post. The bloc's majority on the committee could help it advance anti-Netanyahu legislation, including a bill that would prevent a candidate who is under criminal indictment from forming a government. Dig Deeper ‘‘Could Abraham Accords Work In Favor Of Israeli Left?’’ (Al-Monitor) Ynet News Netanyahu Threatens Defamation Suit Against Predecessor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to sue his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, if he does not apologize for saying the Likud leader and his family suffer from mental illness. A spokesman for the Netanyahu family confirmed that the Netanyahus' attorney sent Olmert the letter of warning in advance of a possible defamation suit. In an interview with Democrat TV, Olmert leveled criticism at Netanyahu and said that "what is irreparable is the mental illness of the prime minister, his wife and his son [Yair]." In 2017, the incumbent premier's eldest son and viral right-wing provocateur Yair pushed unsubstantiated claims alleging that one of Olmert's sons was having a homosexual affair with a Palestinian man in Paris. According to Channel 12, a Netanyahu family attorney demanded that Olmert apologize within a week and pay 1m shekels in damages or face a libel lawsuit. 2 I24 News IAI Touts Groundbreaking Barak Missile System Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled a groundbreaking new data on its BARAK Air and Missile Defense System following a series of successful trials, including testing the system's capabilities in a range of scenarios and threats, including the interception of assault ballistics. According to IAI, the BARAK ER Air Defense System has the ability to intercept airborne threats at an extended range of nearly 100 miles, revolutionizing "air defense with unprecedented flexibility, both in real-time full net-centric combat management as well as with unique smart launchers." IAI is touted as a world-leading aerospace and defense company innovating and delivering state-of-the-art technologies in space, air, land, naval, cyber, and homeland security. Dig Deeper ‘‘Israel's Rafael, UAE's Group 42 Set Up AI-Focused Joint Venture’’ (I24 News) Associated Press Sudan Repeals Israel Boycott Law Sudan abolished a decades-old law on boycotting Israel, part of efforts to establish normal ties with the Jewish state. A bill was approved by the ruling Sovereign Council and Cabinet that annuls the 1958 law. Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to overthrow longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The country is now ruled by a joint military and civilian government that seeks better ties with Washington and the West. The Cabinet also affirmed Sudan’s endorsement of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as part of a two-state settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The measure would allow Sudanese to do business with Israelis. It would also allow Sudanese to visit relatives living in Israel. There are at least 6,000 Sudanese in Israel. Under the 1958 law, violators could be punished to up to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine. The law mirrored pan-Arab politics in the 1950s and 1960s that largely supported the prohibition of dealings with Israel and Israelis. Dig Deeper ‘‘Sens. Sanders, Warren Call For ‘Restricting’ US Aid to Israel at J Street’’ (Times of Israel) Jerusalem Post Paper: US Understands If Abbas Postpones Elections Despite the issuance of a presidential decree to hold legislative and presidential elections, and the setting of dates for them, talk is heating up that elections may be postponed after all. Al-Quds newspaper, printed in East Jerusalem, reported that a US source believed President Joe Biden would not object to postponing the elections. The source told the paper that the US “views positively the participation of the Palestinians in the political process,” adding, “We are also aware of the special challenges facing the Palestinians, such as the coronavirus pandemic crisis and a stifling economic crisis, in addition to the complexities of the political scene.” The US official warned that a Hamas win in the elections would jeopardize the prospect of a two-state solution. A Palestinian official in Ramallah said that the PA had asked foreign diplomats to intervene with Israel so that it would allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to take part in the elections, as they did in the 2006 elections. Around 340,000 Palestinians live in Jerusalem, according to unofficial Palestinian estimates. Dig Deeper ‘‘Binyamin Regional Council Tackles Palestinian Building in Area C Battle’’ (Jerusalem Post) 3 Israel Hayom Saudis, Iranians Hold Talks Aimed at Easing Tensions Saudi and Iranian officials held direct talks this month in a bid to ease tensions between the two foes, a senior Iranian official and two regional sources said. The April 9 meeting in Iraq, which focused on Yemen, where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi group since March 2015, did not lead to any breakthrough. "This was a low-level meeting to explore whether there might be a way to ease ongoing tensions in the region," the Iranian official said, adding that it was based on Iraq's request. Another source said that the talks also touched on Lebanon, which is facing a political vacuum amid a dire financial crisis. Gulf Arab states are alarmed by the expanding role of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Sunni Gulf power Saudi Arabia cut ties with Shiite Iran in January 2016 following the storming of its embassy in Tehran in a row over Riyadh's execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric. A Western diplomat in the region said the US and Britain were informed in advance of the Saudi-Iran talks but had "not seen the outcome." Dig Deeper ‘‘Some Progress in Nuclear Talks, Interim Deal Possible - Iranian Officials’’ (Reuters) I24 News Russian Airstrikes Kill 200 'Terrorists' in Northwestern Syria Some 200 "terrorists" in Syria have been killed in airstrikes launched by the Russian military, according to the Interfax news agency. The Russian Air Force reportedly struck a site located in northwestern Syria. It remains unclear which group the militants belonged to. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Russian air force conducted 220 airstrikes in Syria since Friday, confirming 26 members of Islamic State killed. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the group attacked was planning attacks ahead of presidential polls next month, which will be the second since the civil war in Syria began. "After confirming data through multiple channels on the location of terrorist facilities, Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft carried out air strikes," it said in a statement. "Two hideouts were destroyed," according to the ministry, "up to 200 militants, 24 pickup trucks with large-caliber machine guns, as well as about 1,100 pounds of ammunition and components for creating improvised explosive devices." Russia has aided the Syrian regime in its civil war since 2015, which helped Syria's President Bashar al-Assad win back most of the country. Dig Deeper ‘‘Syria to Hold Presidential Election Denounced By US’’ (Al-Monitor) 4 Yedioth Ahronoth – April 20, 2021 A Painful, But Symbolic Blow By Nadav Eyal ● It was for good reason that Gideon Saar’s wink last night starred all over the place, a symbol of the surprising victory by the pro-change bloc in the plenum battle.