Israeli Politics

Diplomatic Affairs: Gabi Ashkenazi dives into post-corona diplomacy – from the Trump plan to the Iranian threat.

Israel's new public security minister Amir Ohana's most urgent challenge is to appoint a new police commissioner.

Yamina was quick to issue a response to the report, claiming that no alliance was made between their party and Yisrael Beytenu.

Women head a record eight of a possible 36 ministries but lead less important departments

180 degree U-turn from Ohana

New government's first bill would bring Diaspora advocates to Knesset, set to pass Wednesday

Gantz spoke with the families of Lt. Hadar Goldin and Sgt. Oren Shaul, as well as the families of Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed.

Sources close to Netanyahu gave mixed messages for why Barkat was rejected. One source said it was because Barkat did not pose a threat to Netanyahu. Another said it was because he did.

The minister, who has held multiple cabinet posts at once, says he is up for the job of shuttling between New York and Washington to represent Israel.

Netanyahu helped solve the problem by persuading Erdan to become ambassador to the United States and United Nations, but other solutions ended up having to be more creative.

Levin, who is close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will replace Benny Gantz, who held the post for a month

The new government will cost a total of NIS 238.5m., or an annual increase of NIS 79m.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz made these issues a central part of his maiden political speech before the April 2019 election, and repeated his promise on the Western Wall at the AIPAC conference

The prime minister argued that the settlements and their residents would remain part of Israel in any scenario.

Among the high profile Likud figures left without a portfolio are Gideon Sa'ar and Avi Dichter.

Likud rebels held up Thursday's swearing in ceremony; Netanyahu seeking to placate the three senior Likud MKs.

Israel's first female transportation minister, Likud MK Miri Regev, garnered criticism early Friday morning for firing director-general Keren Turner-Eyal while on maternity leave.

THE IDEA that Netanyahu and Gantz would sit down and shake hands just weeks after vicious attacks by members of Likud was beyond the imagination.

Diplomatic Affairs: Former ambassadors think that while it creates some unnecessary challenges, it’s still possible to do the job effectively.

Let’s hope that once the new ministers get to work, they will put their personal ambitions on the back burner and devote all of their focus to the issues at hand.

Political Affairs: What the PM decides to do in Judea and Samaria will determine how he will be remembered.

Miki Haimovich will not be minister

With Peretz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition will have 73 MKs.

Bennett said Netanyahu "only spoke with us through tweets and videos where he said incorrect things."

Levy-Abekasis will also serve as a member of the newly-formed government's Socio-Economic Committee as well as the Reconciliation Committee.

That’s right, the Harpaz Affair, that dizzying, confusing convoluted affair that began with a conflict between then defense minister Ehud Barak and the IDF chief-of-staff at the time, Gabi Ashkenazi.

Likud had 15 portfolios in the departing government, but it will only have 10 in the incoming one, which means that some of the current cabinet members are vying for non-ministerial roles.

Debate about if his trial creates conflict of interest

The court filing quotes a tweet published by Yair in which he says "they remind me of the brown shirt thugs," referencing the Nazi Storm Trooper (SA) militia which helped Hitler rise to power.

Dermer set to stay in Washington til US election, taking away plum post in crowded Likud

Gantz wrote that the government that is set to be sworn in next Wednesday has the right checks and balances and would safeguard Israeli democracy and protect the rule of law.

Thursday night at midnight is the deadline for a request to be given to the president for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form the next government.

New court challenges to wait until after government formed

In their meeting, they also discussed changes in the coalition agreement, including extend the government’s term from three years to four and a half.

“We are finally ending the political dead end,” said Blue and White MK Eitan Ginzburg.

Masad Barhoum would be first Christian Arab minister

“The Knesset attempted to pass a law defending the residents of south Tel Aviv three times already and the Supreme Court is trampling the will of the people,” Kahan said.

Hayut: Voters didn’t vote for form of gov’t, voted for parties

The days of a truly activist court are long gone.

The judges and lawyers called each other sir and madame and addressed each other respectfully and politely. Knesset members are more likely to call each other names that cannot be published.

Along with being important, the 7-hour proceedings on Sunday were tedious, highly technical and full of references to clauses and sub clauses of laws and court decisions.

There’s something ironic about a law passed to defend democracy now being attacked by people who argue they’re the ones defending democracy.

If the bill is not passed by Thursday at midnight, Israel is expected to go to a fourth election in August.

On Thursday, Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit green-lighted Netanyahu despite significant misgivings regarding the bribery indictment pending against him.

Opposition leader on his fight for Israel's democracy and bringing the voice of ordinary Israelis to the Knesset

In Context: Hell hath no fury like Yair Lapid scorned

Both Mandelblit and the High Court have already rejected several petitions seeking to fire Netanyahu on a variety of grounds dating back to the indictment being issued on November 21, 2019.

This last Friday, the grand rabbi summoned Litzman to his residence and told him that he should step down from his beloved Health Ministry and move over to the Housing Ministry instead.

Litzman has come under fire over his handling of the coronavirus epidemic, including his initial disinclination to force ultra-Orthodox institutions to shutter.

Other police officials have dismissed the expected appointments, stressing that "it's too early to speculate on the matter."

Blue and White wants post for doctor

The agreement calls for Peretz to become economy minister and Labor MK Itzik Shmuli to become welfare minister.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS: How two neophyte MKs punched far above their weight and played a key role in bringing the unity government together.

MIDDLE ISRAEL: The coalition agreement epitomizes a decaying political establishment’s loss of touch with morality, solidarity and reality.

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit's statement was in a letter to Daniel Hershkovitz who had asked his legal view about whether Eldad could remain in office for six months.

Lapid challenges coalition to limit itself to 18 ministers

The basis of the coalition agreement is very similar to those which were drafted after the April and September elections.

Labor set to battle over coalition

Much of the discussion has revolved around what kinds of High Court justices Nissenkorn will appoint, with implications for who may hear appeals by Netanyahu if he is convicted in the bribery trial.

Some Palestinian officials and factions called on the Palestinian leadership to immediately halt all forms of cooperation with Israel.

Many of the most scandalous parts of the agreement require special bills to pass before the government will even be formed.

Bennett supported an aggressive reopening policy in order to mitigate the economic damage of the lockdown.

The source also said that Naftali Bennett did not see the coalition agreement before it was signed, but that it seems Ya'acov Litzman and Arye Deri did.

Negotiations have been stuck over Netanyahu’s demands for legislation to preserve him in office.

MIDDLE ISRAEL: Israeli politics, once a celebration of councils, secretariats, party centers and ideological conventions, has become a collection of one-man shows.

Blue and White threatens to pass anti-Netanyahu legislation if no agreement by Monday

High Court rejects petition to disqualify Netanyahu to form government.

Gantz submits request for two week extension to his mandate to form gov't

Yair Netanyahu calls Shaffir 'ugly outside and inside'

Once Gantz is at the end of his mandate, he will have no leverage left, and he will have to make more concessions to Netanyahu.

Asked whether they were satisfied with Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis over the coronavirus, 68% said yes, and only 30% said no. Among Likud voters, 95% said they were satisfied.

Blue and White said agreements were reached on every dispute, including portfolios, the judicial selection committee and how to implement US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.

"350,000 disadvantaged senior citizens in the state of Israel, whom Netanyahu announced would be receiving a grant of NIS 500, will receive an additional NIS 450 to their grants," MK Shmuli said.

Unlike Netanyahu, Gantz fears the instability that would follow, particularly with neighboring Jordan.

Earlier, Benny Gantz, who is also Knesset speaker, warned Netanyahu that if he would not make concessions leading to signing of an agreement, then he would enable anti-Netanyahu legislation.

Gantz's mandate from Rivlin is set to end on April 13 at 11:5pm, but by law, Rivlin can extend it for two weeks.

Gantz informed the public on Friday that "essential and critical issues remain to be decided in coalition talks."

MIDDLE ISRAEL: Somebody had to cut the Gordian knot, and how good it is that somebody did

Netanyahu wants Edelstein as foreign minister

For many in the business sector there is little appetite to celebrate at all. Others, looking at measures implemented by other governments, are green with envy.

The spy chief has racked up major wins against Iran and the coronavirus, is scandal-free, has charisma and leans to the Right.

"Amir Peretz shaved his mustache and said "read my lips, I will not sit with Netanyahu." We still believe Amir, I still believe Amir," Michaeli said of the Labor leader's promise before the elections

Netanyahu, Gantz meet all night then fight all day.

Gantz: Lapid, Ya'alon wanted elections; Lapid: Gantz didn't join because of the coronavirus

The protest was held against the Supreme Court's decision to force Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein to hold a plenary vote, over which he has resigned.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS: The former speaker doubles down on his decision to resign and to buck the High Court

IN CONTEXT: This week witnessed a constitutional crisis decades in the making.

MIDDLE ISRAEL: Cold War hero Yuli Edelstein became cannon fodder in his master’s war on the judiciary.

Gantz reportedly to be defense minister under Netanyahu, Gabi Ashkenazi to serve as foreign minister

Yuli Edelstein's decision to resign on Wednesday created an unprecedentedly awkward position.

‘We must ensure the rules of democracy, without which we are destroyed’

Cohen, 64, was born in the Moroccan town of Essaouira and moved to Israel when he was seven years old. His family was one of the founding families of Dimona, the city he became mayor of in 2003.

The pledge claimed that Yair Lapid's true intent in wanting a new speaker was "to thwart the unity government and to pass on Iran-style anti-democratic laws."

If a permanent solution is found for distance voting, it could also solve the problem that MKs are not given maternity or paternity leave.

Knesset committees to be formed today despite Netanyahu's threats.