| 1 |
For the fifth time in less than four years, Israelis will be heading to the polls as Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that he would bring forward a bill to dissolve the Knesset next week.
Bennett’s announcement came after being counseled by Attorney General Gali Baharav Miyara that the critical West Bank emergency bill could not be extended past its June 30 deadline but would remain in effect until 90 days after the formation of the next government.
The West Bank emergency bill, which usually enjoys a wide consensus, was recently voted down in the Knesset after a number of defections from Bennett’s fragile coalition and opposition from right-wing parties outside the government.
During his announcement, Bennett said that the move to dissolve the Knesset was not an easy one but was “the right decision.”
In compliance with the government’s coalition agreement, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will become the caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. In line with his new role, Lapid is expected to meet with US President Joe Biden on his upcoming trip to Israel next month.
The fall of the Bennett government was greeted with satisfaction by right-wing opposition parties, with former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to form a “nationalist and wide” coalition.
The new elections will most likely be set for October 25, 2022.
| 2 |
US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel is vital in the fight against a nuclear Iran, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday.
Bennett commented that Biden’s visit will be used “to finalize a clear joint plan of action together with the US to stop Iran’s nuclear program.”
The Israeli premier’s comments came amid stalled negotiations between Iran and the international community over a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Bennett, who will retain the Iran portfolio after stepping down as prime minister, also stated that “the world is waking up to Iran’s true face” after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently censured Iran for non-compliance.
In response to the international censuring, Iran removed IAEA cameras from its facilities and, more recently, increased its uranium-enrichment capabilities at the Fordow nuclear facility.
Aside from collaborating on issues related to the Islamic Republic, Biden’s July visit will also focus on Israel integrating into the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, the strengthening of regional alliances and US funding of the Iron Dome missile defense system.
| 3 |
Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Israel is in the midst of building a regional air defense alliance in partnership with the United States.
Without naming the other countries involved with the project, Gantz claimed that this alliance, designated as “The Middle East Air Defense Alliance,” had already foiled attempted Iranian attacks within the region.
Gantz also commented that he hoped that this regional cooperation would “take another step forward” with US President Biden’s upcoming visit to the Middle East.
According to an unnamed Israeli official, the member countries of the alliance were synchronizing their air defense systems through remote electronic communication.
There was no official comment on the project from possible member states or the US embassy in Jerusalem.
There is growing consensus for regional cooperation between Israel and Arab states (in particular the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia) in the face of increased Iranian belligerence and the withdrawal of American equipment and forces from the region over the past couple years.
| 4 |
Both German Jewish organizations and the Israeli embassy in Berlin have expressed outrage over the displaying of antisemitic imagery at Documenta, one of the largest art exhibitions in the world.
The controversial images came from the Indonesian art group Taring Padi and depicted a pig wearing a helmet with the word “Mossad” written on it along with a caricature of a religious Jew with fangs and an SS hat.
In response to the exhibition, the Israeli embassy claimed that all red lines “have been shattered” and that the work was “reminiscent of propaganda used by Goebbels and his goons during darker times in German history.”
The work was also denounced by both Germany’s Culture Minister and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who opened the exhibition.
This year’s Documenta, which is traditionally held once every five years, had already been the subject of controversy for months over the inclusion of a Palestinian artists group with alleged ties to the BDS movement. In Germany, BDS is deemed to be antisemitic and is not allowed to receive any public funding.
Recommended Reading
- Was Iran Behind Siren Cyberattacks in Jerusalem, Eilat? (Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post)
- Poland Calls for ‘Regulated’ Holocaust Educational Trips Amid Dispute With Israel (Times of Israel)
- Rapprochement Between Israel and Saudi Arabia Expected to Deepen, Regardless of Biden Visit (Israel Kasnett, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Scholar Who Equated Palestinians to Europeans Triggers Backlash (Shahar Klaiman, Israel Hayom)
- Justice For All: Darrow’s AI Platform Seeks to Democratize the Judicial System (Simona Shemer, NoCamels)
