Yamina leader Naftali Bennett delivered his long-awaited announcement that he would join a government with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and seek to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yesh Atid and Yamina began negotiations immediately following the announcement on Sunday night in an effort to reach an agreement by Wednesday’s deadline.
As Bennett and Lapid — now publicly committed to each other — try to lock down the coalition agreements that will give shape to their declaration of intent, the thorny problem of actually building and stabilizing the unwieldy coalition is still ahead of them.
A vote of confidence in the government and a swearing-in ceremony could take place as early as Wednesday. But by law, once Lapid tells President Reuven Rivlin he can form a government, he will have a week to do so.
Bennett invited parties to show restraint in achieving their goals in coalition talks and in the government. More elections would lead to the collapse of the country, he said, adding that he had decided instead to “stop the craziness.”
Lapid and Bennett have agreed that Bennett will serve first as prime minister until September 2023, and Lapid will take over until the term ends in November 2025.
Following high-level talks between senior Israeli and Egyptian officials to shore up a fragile truce with Hamas , Egyptian officials said they would submit a long-term ceasefire proposal between Israel and the terrorist group within a matter of weeks.
Abbas Kamel, Egypt’s intelligence chief, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat in Jerusalem. Netanyahu said he raised the issue of returning the remains of two IDF soldiers and two Israeli civilians, as well as demands to prevent Hamas from gaining military strength or diverting resources meant for Gaza’s civilian population.
The Israeli side stressed that Jerusalem will respond forcefully to any Hamas violation of the ceasefire. According to Saudi news outlet Al-Arabiya, Israel also presented Kamel with proof of Iranian involvement in Gaza.
Following the meeting, Kamel said, “The war against the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is a member, is a joint interest to [Egypt and Israel], for the sake of preserving regional stability.”
Despite the ceasefire talks, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group have recently staged weapons parades in a show of force. On Sunday, thousands attended a Hamas rally in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia, where masked terrorists displayed rockets, launchers and drones.
Iran’s Quds Force commander said that Palestinians were ready to wrest control of all Israeli territory, urging “all Zionists,” referring to Israelis, to “go back” and “rebuild lives” in Europe and the United States.
Brigadier-General Esmail Qaani — who was put in charge of the foreign operations arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, formerly led by Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike in Baghdad in January last year — made the comments during a ceremony in Tehran.
“This war proved that the champion Palestine, God willing, should be thinking about administering the whole of Palestine and the Zionist regime must be thinking about leaving the region,” Qaani added.
Iran supports the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations that fired over 4,000 rockets across the border at Israel during the recent Gaza conflict.
In the wake of a rise in antisemitism across the United States and elsewhere, MTV News will be airing an hour-long special “One Voice: Fighting Hatred Together,” which will explore antisemitism through the eyes of four young Jewish-American activists.
Hosted by 60 Minutes+ correspondent Laurie Segall for MTV News, the special will air on Monday, May 31 at 10 p.m. EST – simulcast across MTV, MTV2, VH1 and the Smithsonian Channel.
“With the alarming rise of violence against the Jewish community and Jews across the country, it is imperative for all of us to take action to fight antisemitism,” said President of MTV Entertainment Chris McCarthy. “We are proud to use our platforms to showcase four young, diverse Jewish activists who are on the frontline of the battle to combat antisemitism and hate in all its forms.”
The special will feature a conversation with one of the youngest living survivors of Auschwitz, Tova Friedman, and former NFL athlete Emmanuel Acho who hosts a YouTube show titled “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.”
HonestReporting is pleased to inform you that it is organizing a remarkable mission to the Jewish state from October 5-12, 2021.
The behind-the-scenes trip includes:
- 5-star accommodations at the Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem
- Exclusive briefings by political, defense and academic leaders
- Tour of the Lebanon border with an anti-terrorism expert
- Insider’s look into the complexities of the disputed West Bank
- Examination of Israel’s vibrant democracy at the Supreme Court
- Meetings with influential journalists… and much more!
For more information, please contact us.
Recommended Reading
- Is Israel Entering the Post-Netanyahu Era? – Analysis (Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post)
- Abraham Accords Countries Need Better Public Diplomacy (Najat Al-Saied, Israel Hayom)
- Jewish Studies Has an Antisemitism Problem (Daniel Greenfield, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Bill Maher Defends Israel on His HBO Show: ‘You Can’t Learn History From Instagram’ (Gabe Friedman, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
