Popular Pilot Poaches Prominent Politician from Pummeled Peer, Presents Promises, Pulling Plug on Parallel Party Uri Cohen 12/29/2020
Never a dull day in Israel’s hectic political world, as on Tuesday a new party promising to represent the nation’s battered left wing was formed with a bang. Former fighter pilot and current Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, long a bitter critic of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and a champion of the country’s most liberal city, announced he was establishing yet another party. But while Huldai’s ascension to the national level was expected for some time, the revelation of a surprising running mate drew the attention of Israel’s by-now skeptical and weary pundits and voters. Hizzoner’s second in command will be current Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn, a prominent member of Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party, which after capturing the most seats in the September 2019 election and second-most in March 2020, has in
Dima Abumaria
Experts say progress on exchange deal unlikely until a new government is formed in Israel
Hamas denied reaching any progress on a prisoner exchange with Israel, amid reports on Wednesday indicating that given the difficult situation in the Gaza Strip due to the coronavirus crisis and the blockade, the Islamist group might soften its demands.
Husam Badran, a Qatar-based member of Hamas’ political bureau, told The Media Line there were no new developments regarding a prisoner exchange because of Israel’s inflexibility.
The truth is, there is nothing new regarding this matter,” Badran said. “The problem is on the Israeli side.”
Israel
By Yoni Weiss
YERUSHALAYIM -
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (R.) and Yamina chairman MK Naftali Bennett. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
According to a new poll conducted by Kantar on behalf of Kan News, 43% of respondents blamed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the fact that Israel is now heading to its fourth round of elections in two years.
This suggests that the public perception is that Netanyahu used a loophole in the coalition agreements of the unity government, that regarding the state budget, to prevent Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz from attaining the premiership – which was scheduled for next November – despite repeated claims that the Likud would honor the rotation agreement.
Israeli Knesset, Photo Credit: Oren1973
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For the fourth time in two years, Israelis are heading to a national election after the government collapsed overnight.
Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin announced that the Knesset dissolved automatically at midnight after the deadline expired to pass a 2020 budget or a bill to extend that deadline.
“We need to say that we are in a complicated period with multiple challenges, with multiple conflicts. It appears to me that there’s not an end of the conflicts in the public and also naturally in this building,” Levin told the plenum.
During the last seven months, the short-lived coalition between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party was plagued by mistrust and infighting.