H.R. 2590 would restrict U.S. military aid to Israel from being used to demolish homes, annex Palestinian land, or imprison Palestinian children in military detention facilities.
AIPAC says Lapid's potential government shows 'resilience' of Israeli democracy; Democratic group expresses 'pride' at inclusivity; J Street predicts struggle over policy
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Then-vice president Joe Biden is seen on large video screens as he addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in Washington, Sunday, March 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Leading US lobby groups welcome Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid’s announcement late Wednesday that he had succeeded in forming a coalition government to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and while applauding the breadth of parties it includes, also mull what that would mean for its actual operation.
In particular, groups laud the fact that the coalition would include the Islamist Ra’am party, the first time that an Arab party has formally joined an Israeli government.
Mansour Abbas, head of the Ra am party, arrives to take part in coalition talks, at the Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan on June 2, 2021. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
In an interview with Army Radio, Mansour Abbas of Ra’am calls on fellow Arab party Ta’al to vote with the Lapid-Bennett coalition to oust Yariv Levin of Likud from his position as Knesset speaker.
Unconfirmed reports say other Arab parties that are part of the Joint List alliance are said to be mulling supporting Levin’s ouster, a move that would enable the new government to be sworn in as early as next Monday.