Bloc of Anti-Bibi Parties Win Control of Israel’s Parliament in Major Blow to Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suffered a major blow on Monday and lost control of the Knesset after his opponents defeated him in a key parliamentary vote.
Netanyahu
Netanyahu backs direct election for PM to end Israel’s ‘political mess’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday expressed support for a direct election for the premier as a way of ending Israel’s two-year cycle of inconclusive elections and to prevent a potential fifth national vote since April 2019.
To avert 5th elections, block Lapid, right-wing parties float direct vote for PM
A new effort to reintroduce direct elections for prime minister is reportedly being advanced by right-wing party leaders in a bid to break the political logjam, block Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid’s path to the premiership, and prevent a fifth consecutive Knesset election.
Israel celebrates Independence Day; PM: This year we discovered how strong we are
Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror came to an end on Wednesday evening with sadness giving way to joy in a state ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem to mark the start of the country’s Independence Day.
Netanyahu hosts Bennett for second round of intensive government talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hosted Yamina party chief Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem for the second day in a row, after the former interim Defense Minister said his faction would throw its support in forming a right-wing government with Likud.
Netanyahu to visiting US defense secretary: We won’t let Iran obtain nukes
Hosting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at his office in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel and the US agree on never allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
Battle against Iran is a huge mission, Netanyahu says, hinting Mossad ops
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that “The struggle against Iran and its proxies and the Iranian armament efforts is a huge mission.”
Austin fails to mention Iran in speech, while Gantz vows to cooperate on nuclear deal
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin completely omitted the Iranian issue during his press conference with Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Israel on Sunday.
Amid Iran tensions, US defense chief to visit Israel
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Israel, Germany, Britain and the NATO headquarters in Belgium in the coming week for talks with government and military leaders, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
After receiving government mandate, Netanyahu says viable coalition ‘within reach’
After receiving the mandate to form the next government from President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on fellow lawmakers Tuesday to end their boycotts of him and join his coalition In an effort to avoid unprecedented fifth elections in two years.
Netanyahu calls trial against him ‘witch hunt,’ warns of damage to rule of law
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at prosecutors on Monday, accusing them of waging a “witch hunt” against him aimed at unseating a democratically elected leader.
Netanyahu gets most support after Lapid, Bennett fail to close deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received more endorsements to form the next government than Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid on Monday, making it likely that he will receive the first mandate from President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.
Lapid, Bennett said to reach breakthrough on rotation deal for joint government
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett have reportedly reached a “breakthrough” in their discussions on forming a joint government to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, the Kan public broadcaster reported Sunday evening.
Bennet to meet with Netanyahu and Lapid
Chairman of right-wing Yamina party Naftali Bennett will have meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid this weekend, Ynet News reports. The scheduled meetings follow a week in which Bennet declined to indicate who he would recommend to President Reuven Rivlin to form Israel’s next government.
Likud MKs turn on Rivlin, claim he’s abusing his powers in bid to oust Netanyahu
Likud lawmakers lashed out at President Reuven Rivlin Wednesday, accusing him of being in cahoots with the prime minister’s rivals, after the president urged the various party leaders to engage in “out-of-the-ordinary coalitions, collaborations that cross sectors,” in order to break the extended political deadlock, and lamented the Netanyahu-led government’s failure to pass a budget.
‘Come back home,’ Netanyahu tells right-wing leaders
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed on Wednesday to two right-wing rivals to “come back home” and align themselves with him again to break a deadlock following Israel’s inconclusive election last week.
Sa’ar tells Lapid to ‘step aside’ to let Bennett be PM, before it’s ‘too late’
New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday urged Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid to “put ego aside,” in an apparent call to let Yamina chief Naftali Bennett serve as prime minister first in a potential rotation deal in a new government.
Right-wing vetoes on Arabs set to give Netanyahu first mandate
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chances of receiving the first mandate to form a coalition from President Reuven Rivlin received a boost on Monday, when New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar and Yamina head Naftali Bennett ruled out a government backed by Arab parties.
Lapid, Likud meet kingmaker Abbas in effort to draft coalition
Ra’am (United Arab List) head Mansour Abbas, who holds the key to the formation of the next government, met on Saturday with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Likud MK Ayoub Kara, as both sides attempted to woo him in order to build a coalition.
Game of Thrones: Is the anti-Netanyahu camp looking to make Defense Minister Benny Gantz their consensus candidate to be prime minister?
With the final vote count being constantly updated – and continued uncertainty as to whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to form a coalition – rumors are buzzing throughout the Israeli media that the “anti-Netanyahu” camp is considering three new moves to seize the initiative.