Israel swears in new parliament under coronavirus shadow

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel swore in its newly elected parliament on Monday under stringent restrictions because of the coronavirus outbreak, in a surreal ceremony reflecting the country’s unprecedented dual crisis in politics and public health. Instead of the typical festive gathering of parliament’s 120, the new lawmakers took the oath of office in groups of three over 40 staggered rounds, … Read More

Netanyahu rival Gantz chosen to form new Israeli government

JERUSALEM _ Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz will be given the first opportunity to form a new government, the country’s president said Sunday, raising questions about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future following an inconclusive national election earlier this month. The decision by President Reuven Rivlin was announced by his office after he consulted with leaders of all of the … Read More

Arab voters key to blocking Netanyahu-led hard-line majority

TIRA, Israel (AP) — A surge in Arab voter turnout was key to depriving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist allies of a parliamentary majority in this week’s Israeli election. Undercutting Netanyahu’s ambitions was celebrated as sweet payback in the nearly 2 million-strong minority that the hard-line leader had relentlessly tried to tarnish as disloyal to the state. An … Read More

Netanyahu’s future still uncertain after Israeli election

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future remained up in the air as preliminary results from Israel’s election indicated he would fall short of securing the parliamentary majority needed to form a new government. AP correspondent Aron Heller reports from Jerusalem. [url href=”https://www.aronheller.com/articles/netanyahus-future-still-uncertain-after-israeli-election/”] [url href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv-n-zzGS8M&feature=youtu.be” content=”Watch the Video” target=external]

Netanyahu’s future still uncertain after Israeli election

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future remained up in the air Tuesday as preliminary results and exit polls from Israel’s third election in under a year indicated the embattled leader would fall short of securing the parliamentary majority needed to form a new government. Netanyahu, set to go on trial on corruption charges in two weeks, claimed … Read More

A look at how Israel’s 3rd election in a year could play out

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel heads into its unprecedented third election in less than a year Monday after a tumultuous campaign that saw the prime minister indicted on corruption charges, President Donald Trump release his much-anticipated Mideast plan and various mergers and machinations that reshuffled Israel’s fragmented political world. Yet, despite the flurry of activity, public opinion polls are predicting a … Read More

Ex-housekeeper sues Israeli PM’s wife over abusive behavior

JERUSALEM (AP) — A former housekeeper at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence is suing the leader’s wife Sara for pain and suffering allegedly caused during her employment there, the housekeeper’s attorney said Thursday. Opheer Shimson says his client is demanding $190,000 in damages for the abuse from Sara Netanyahu. He said the woman, an immigrant from France in … Read More

Israeli foreign minister slams Sanders ‘horrifying comment’

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister denounced Democratic front-runner Bernie Sanders on Wednesday for what he called his “horrifying comment” about Jerusalem, saying that those who support Israel would not back Sanders’ presidential candidacy after such remarks. At a contentious Democratic debate on Tuesday night in South Carolina, Sanders labeled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “reactionary racist” and said … Read More

Israel’s Lieberman stills holds keys to future government

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel finds itself in a familiar place after a tumultuous election campaign — with maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman still seemingly in control of the country’s fate. The run-up to Israel’s third election in less than a year saw criminal charges filed against the prime minister, an American Mideast plan unveiled and various party mergers and machinations. Yet … Read More

Israeli opposition co-leader: PM makes Trump plan a ‘stunt’

JERUSALEM (AP) — A leading Israeli opposition figure said Monday that embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned a U.S. initiative for ending conflict with the Palestinians into a campaign “stunt” by pushing for the immediate annexation of West Bank settlements. Co-leader of the Blue and White party Yair Lapid insisted he was against unilateral steps endangering what he … Read More

Indictment, a plan and a pardon: Israeli PM has a wild week

MOSCOW (AP) — When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the White House after the unveiling of President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan, which hugely favors Israel, he and his entourage could barely contain their glee as they boasted of realizing their dream of swiftly annexing large swaths of the West Bank. But by the time his plane had flown across … Read More

Israel PM meets with Putin, returns with freed tourist

MOSCOW (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a quick stopover in Moscow on Thursday to brief Russian President Vladimir Putin on the new U.S. proposal for the Middle East and to bring home an Israeli woman who had been jailed on drug charges. Netanyahu told Putin that the visit reflected the ever-warming ties between the countries, and that … Read More

Trump peace plan delights Israelis, enrages Palestinians

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Mideast peace plan Tuesday alongside a beaming Benjamin Netanyahu, presenting a vision that matched the Israeli leader’s hard-line, nationalist views while falling far short of Palestinian ambitions. Trump’s plan envisions a disjointed Palestinian state that turns over key parts of the West Bank to Israel. It sides with Israel on key … Read More

Trump hosts Israeli leaders who call his peace plan historic

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump hosted Israel’s prime minister and his chief rival Monday at the White House on the eve of unveiling a long-awaited Mideast peace plan, expressing confidence that despite adamant Palestinian rejection they would ultimately go along with a blueprint he said was “very good for them.” The Trump proposal is widely expected to be favorable … Read More

Netanyahu hopes to “make history” with Trump in White House visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington Sunday night vowing to “make history” at a planned meeting with President Donald Trump for the unveiling of the U.S. administration’s much-anticipated plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the high-profile meeting in Washington looks set to serve mostly as a sideshow to the two allied leaders’ serious legal … Read More