Tag: Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu charged with corruption, says he won’t resign

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he would not resign despite being charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a corruption scandal that he denounced as an “attempted coup”. The charges announced by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit were the first of their kind against a serving Israeli prime minister and represented the gravest crisis in the political career of Israel’s longest-serving leader.

Netanyahu, in power continuously since 2009 and before that in the 1990s, has dominated Israeli politics for a generation, decisively turning the country to the right. He has denied wrongdoing in the three graft cases, saying he is the victim of a political witch hunt.

He is under no legal obligation to resign. But the indictment could further embolden challengers trying to dislodge him after two inconclusive elections since April, with a third election expected to be announced within weeks.

Conviction on the charges could bring a lengthy jail term. But any trial could be delayed for months by the political crisis, and Netanyahu could try to secure parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

His rejection of the charges echoed the pugnacious language of his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.

“It is an attempted coup based on fabrications and a tainted and biased investigative process,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech. “I will continue to lead the country, according to the letter of the law, with responsibility, devotion and concern for all of our futures,” he said, standing at a podium against the backdrop of four Israeli flags in his official residence.

His main centre-left challenger in the two elections this year, Benny Gantz, tweeted in response: “There is no coup in Israel, just a bid (by Netanyahu) to hang onto power.”

The attorney general, who was appointed by Netanyahu, spelled out the indictment in his own televised statement.

“This is a difficult and sad day,” said Mandelblit. It was his duty, Mandelblit said, to ensure that no one in Israel was above the law.

Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000

Police recommended in February that Mandelblit file criminal charges against Netanyahu in the long-running investigations dubbed Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000.

Netanyahu is suspected of wrongfully accepting $264,000 worth of gifts, including champagne and cigars, from wealthy businessmen in one case. In another, he is accused of dispensing favours in return for favourable stories about him in Israel’s biggest-selling newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth.

In the most serious case, he is accused of granting regulatory favours worth about 1.8 billion shekels (about $500 million) to Israel’s leading telecoms company, Bezeq Telecom Israel, in return for positive coverage on a website owned by its former chairman.

Mandelblit indicted Netanyahu on charges of breach of trust and fraud in all three corruption cases, as well as bribery in the Bezeq Telecom case.

“They weren’t after the truth, they were after me,” Netanyahu said in his address, a note of emotion in what was otherwise a speech mixing anger with accusations.

“What I’m going through is not easy. I’m a human being, too. What my family is going through is unbearable. Every day, every evening, my blood and the blood of my wife and son are being spilled.”

Netanyahu failed to form a government after the election in April, and he and Gantz each fell short of securing a ruling majority in parliament after the second vote in September.

Earlier on Thursday, during one of the most unusual days in Israeli political history, the country’s president told lawmakers to name a third candidate to form a new government, a development that probably sets the stage for a third election within a year.

“These are harsh dark days in the annals of the State of Israel,” President Reuven Rivlin said as he announced that Gantz had not mustered enough support for a stable coalition.

The prolonged political stalemate comes at a tricky time for Israel and its most prominent statesman on the domestic and international fronts.

A conflict with arch-foe Iran has deepened – Israeli warplanes hit Iranian targets in Syria on Wednesday after rockets were fired toward Israel – while fighting with Palestinian militants in Gaza flared last week.

The introduction of criminal charges could further complicate the eventual rollout of a long-delayed Middle East peace plan from Trump, by imperilling the political future of one of the key players whose support is needed.

And if a new Israeli election is in the cards, Netanyahu would be running as an indicted suspect, displaying further vulnerability to an electorate that has already seen him falter at the polls.

Palestinians greeted the news with grim pleasure. Palestine Liberation Organization official Wasel Abu Youssef said that for years Netanyahu had sought to avoid this outcome by “launching wars against the Palestinian people” to boost his domestic popularity.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu urges rival Benny Gantz to form unity government with him

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Thursday on his main rival, former general Benny Gantz, to join him in a broad, governing coalition after Israel’s election ended with no clear winner.

A spokeswoman for Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, had no immediate response to the surprise offer from Netanyahu, head of the right-wing Likud party.

The change of strategy reflected Netanyahu’s weakened position after he failed again in Tuesday’s election, which followed an inconclusive ballot in April, to secure a parliamentary majority.

“During the election campaign, I called for the establishment of a right-wing government but to my regret, the election results show that this is impossible,” Netanyahu said.

“Benny, we must set up a broad unity government, as soon as today. The nation expects us, both of us, to demonstrate responsibility and that we pursue cooperation.”

On Wednesday, Gantz said he hoped for a “good, desirable unity government”. But he has also ruled out forming one with a Netanyahu-led Likud, citing looming corruption charges against the prime minister. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu appears to suffer setback in exit polls

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fell short of securing a parliamentary majority with his religious and nationalist allies in national elections Tuesday, initial exit polls showed, setting the stage for a period of coalition negotiations that could threaten his political future and clear the way for him to be tried on corruption charges.

Initial results posted by Israel’s three major television stations showed challenger Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party tied or with a slight lead over Netanyahu’s Likud. While the results do not guarantee that Gantz will be the next prime minister, they signalled that Netanyahu, who has led the country for over 10 years, could have trouble holding on to the job.

Addressing his supporters early Wednesday, Netanyahu refused to concede defeat and vowed to work to form a new government that excludes Arab parties. His campaign focused heavily on attacking and questioning the loyalty of the country’s Arab minority — a strategy that drew accusations of racism and incitement from Arab leaders.

“In the coming days we will convene negotiations to assemble a strong Zionist government and to prevent a dangerous anti-Zionist government,” he said. He claimed that Arab parties “negate the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state” and “glorify bloodthirsty murderers.”

Israeli exit polls are often imprecise, and final results, expected Wednesday, could still swing in Netanyahu’s favour. But all three stations predicted a similar outcome.

According to those polls, neither Likud nor Blue and White, with their smaller respective allies, could control a majority in the 120-seat parliament without the support of Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party. That put Lieberman, a former protege of Netanyahu’s who has become one of the prime minister’s fiercest rivals, in the position of kingmaker.

Arab parties, which have never before sat in an Israeli government, also finished strong, and exit polls predicted they would form the third-largest party in parliament.

Addressing his supporters late Tuesday, a jubilant Lieberman said he saw only “one option:” a broad, secular coalition with both Blue and White and Likud.

“We’ve always said that a unity government is only possible in emergency situations. And I tell you and I tell every citizen today watching us on television: the situation, both security-wise and economically, are emergency situations,” he said. “The country, therefore, requires a broad government.”

Early Wednesday, Gantz told a cheering rally of supporters that while it was too soon to declare victory, he had begun speaking to potential partners and hoped to form a unity government.

“Starting tonight we will work to form a broad unity government that will express the will of the people,” he said.

Attention will now focus on Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, who is to choose the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a stable coalition. Rivlin is to consult with all parties in the coming days before making his decision.

After that, the prime minister designate would have up to six weeks to form a coalition. If that fails, Rivlin could give another candidate for prime minister 28 days to form a coalition. And if that doesn’t work, new elections would be triggered yet again. Rivlin has said he will do everything possible to avoid such a scenario.

Lieberman called for an immediate start to negotiations and predicted it could be wrapped up quickly. But such a deal promises to be complicated.

Gantz, a former military chief who has presented himself as a unifying figure in a divided nation, has ruled out a partnership with Likud if Netanyahu remains at the helm at a time when he is expected to be indicted on criminal charges.

But in his speech, he made no such conditions. “I intend to speak with everyone,” he said, without mentioning Netanyahu.

Lieberman, who leads a nationalist but secular party, is unlikely to sit with Arab parties on the left or ultra-Orthodox religious parties on the right.

That could limit both Gantz’s and Netanyahu’s ability to manoeuvre and could potentially put pressure on the longtime leader, who has ruled for over a decade, to step aside.

Likud members said they remained behind their leader.

“We have the basic principle of standing by the party leader who was elected in the party primary, which is why we won’t take action against Netanyahu,” said lawmaker Micky Zohar, a Netanyahu loyalist.

Netanyahu had sought an outright majority with his allies in hopes of passing legislation to give him immunity from the expected indictment.

Israel’s attorney general has recommended charging Netanyahu with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three scandals, pending a hearing scheduled next month. A formal indictment would increase the pressure on Netanyahu to step aside if he does not have immunity.

Netanyahu tried to portray himself as a seasoned statesman uniquely qualified to lead the country through challenging times during an alarmist campaign marked by mudslinging and slogans that were condemned as racist. Gantz tried to paint Netanyahu as divisive and scandal-plagued, offering himself as a calming influence and honest alternative.

Netanyahu’s campaign promoted images of him jetting off to world capitals and boasting of warm relations with powerful leaders, most notably President Donald Trump.

At the same time, he issued repeated doomsday warnings that his opponents were scheming with politicians from the country’s Arab minority to “steal” the election.

He tried, and failed, to pass legislation that would allow cameras in polling stations, a step he said was needed to crack down on alleged fraud in Arab towns. Facebook suspended his account for 24 hours last week after it published a post saying that “Arabs want to annihilate all of us.”

Netanyahu also sought to appeal to his hardline base with a number of election promises, including plans to annex all of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank.

His proposal, which could extinguish any remaining hopes for a Palestinian state, were condemned by much of the world, including important Arab countries like Jordan and Saudi Arabia. But the U.S. remained muted, suggesting he had coordinated with Washington ahead of time.

Netanyahu’s frenetic warnings about Arabs appeared to backfire, turning off some Jewish voters and driving heavy turnout in the Arab sector.

Ayman Odeh, leader of the main Arab faction in parliament, said Netanyahu’s repeated attacks had boosted turnout and hurt Netanyahu in the end.

“There’s a heavy price to pay for incitement,” he told Channel 13 TV.

The election was Israel’s second of the year.

In April’s vote, Netanyahu appeared to have the upper hand, with his traditional allies of nationalist and ultra-religious Jewish parties controlling a parliamentary majority.

But Lieberman, his mercurial ally-turned-rival, refused to join the new coalition, citing excessive influence it granted the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. Without a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu dissolved parliament and called a new election.

Lieberman’s gamble paid off Tuesday, and exit polls suggested his party had nearly doubled in strength, to as many as 10 seats.

Israel’s election commission said 69.4% of all eligible voters cast ballots by the time polls closed on Tuesday evening, a slightly larger number than took part in April’s vote. Turnout in April’s elections was 68.5%.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyhu is showcasing his friendship with Modi in re-election bid

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is  showcasing his friendship with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the hustings as looks to return to power in the national elections on Tuesday. The elections — the second this year — became inevitable after Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition after a vote in April.

Netanyahu is facing the fight of his political life as he faces a raft of corruption charges.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has dominated the political discourse during a campaign that is largely seen as a referendum on his rule. The combative leader from the Likud Party has run a carefully scripted campaign where is portrayed as being in a “different league” and shows him embracing his friend, President Donald Trump, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi and other world leaders.

A win in Tuesday’s elections could come as a major booster for Netanyahu who is battling major corruption charges. Israel’s attorney general has recommended pressing criminal charges against him in three separate corruption cases, pending a long delayed pre-trial hearing scheduled for early October — just three weeks after the election.

The April election and Tuesday’s vote in Israel largely coincide with India’s own election season and shows a close connection between the two countries. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become an indirect variable in Netanyahu’s electoral calculus by appearing in the Likud Party’s campaign posters.

While the personal chemistry between Modi and Netanyahu is not a secret, Netanyahu boasting about his relations with Modi in election posters is something that has never happened in the history of two countries. In fact, until few years back any mention of Israel in during India’s election season could have put any political party on back foot given the presence of a significant Muslim minority in the country.

The bonhomie between Modi and Netanyahu has been on full display since the Indian PM was first elected in May 2014 who was congratulated by the Israeli PM. Since then, the personal chemistry, backed by largely ideological affinity by their parent right-wing organisations, has transpired in various meetings, bilaterally as well as on multilateral platforms, twitter congratulations and phone calls.

Happy #FriendshipDay2019 India!

May our ever strengthening friendship & #growingpartnership touch greater heights.
🔊🎧🎶 ये दोस्ती हम नहीं तोड़ेंगे….. 🇮🇱❤🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/BQDv8QnFVj

— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) August 4, 2019

In July 2017, Modi became the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Netanyahu returned the visit to India in January 2018 and planned at least two visit to India this year, both cancelled due to his election bid. But Netanyahu contacted Modi to clarify that the repeated cancellations should not be interpreted as a diplomatic slight.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu cancels India visit ahead of domestic elections

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, scheduled to visit India a week ahead of the Israeli election due to be held on September 17, has cancelled his trip, his office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The visit will now take place after the conclusion of the election.

“A short time ago, the prime minister spoke with India’s prime minister,” the statement said. “The two agreed that due to scheduling constraints – the [Israeli] prime minister’s visit will take place after the election.”

After Netanyahu failed to stitch together a coalition following the April elections, the Israeli parliament — known as the Knesset — dissolved itself and triggered fresh elections.

Netanyahu, who has been the Israeli prime minister since his election in 2009, is a strong favourite to return to power following this month’s election.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first sitting Indian PM to visit Israel during his trip to the country in July last year.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Lok Sabha election results: Israeli PM Netanyahu, Nepal PM Oli, others congratulate PM Modi on election victory

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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World leaders congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-NDA alliance is scripting a historic win in the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 leading with 343 seats. The BJP is set to return to power as it leading in 292 seats while the Congress trailed far behind with 51, according to trends released by the Election Commission for all 542 seats that went to polls.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday became the first world leader to congratulate his counterpart Narendra Modi for scripting an “impressive victory” in the general elections and vowed to strengthen their “great friendship” as well as bilateral ties

“Sincerely greetings to you, my friend @Narendramodi, for your impressive victory in the elections!,” Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew and Hindi.

“The election results are another confirmation of your leadership and the way you lead the world’s greatest democracy. Together we will continue to strengthen the great friendship between us and India and Israel and lead it to new heights,” he tweeted.

मेरे दोस्त @narendramodi आपके प्रभावशाली चुनावी जीत पर हार्दिक बधाई! ये चुनावी नतीजे एक बार फिर दुनिया के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र में आपके नेतृत्व को साबित करते हैं। हम साथ मिलकर भारत और इज़राइल के बीच घनिष्ट मित्रता को मजबूत करना जारी रखेंगे । बहुत बढ़िया, मेरे दोस्त 🇮🇱🤝🇮🇳

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 23, 2019

Along with Netanyahu, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chinese President Xi Jinping,  Russian President Vladimir Putin, and others, also congratulated Modi.

I extend warmest congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi ji for landslide election victory in the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. I wish all success ahead. I look forward to working closely with you. #PMOIndia

— K P Sharma Oli (@kpsharmaoli) May 23, 2019

Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a statement, said: “On the occasion of the National Democratic Alliance winning the 17th Lok Sabha Election of India under your leadership, I would like to extend my heart-felt congratulations.” He added that China and India’s bilateral ties are of key importance and seeks to ‘enhance mutual political trust’ between the two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory telegram to Modi in connection “with the convincing victory of the BJP at the general parliamentary elections.”

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe tweets, “Congratulations to #NarendraModi on a magnificent victory! We look forward to working closely with you.”

Congratulations to PM @narendramodi on a strong mandate from the people of India. The government and the people of Afghanistan look forward to expanding cooperation between our two democracies in pursuit of regional cooperation, peace and prosperity for all of South Asia.

— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) May 23, 2019

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also tweeted congratulating Modi.

I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 23, 2019

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated her Modi on his election victory and said this “emphatic verdict is a reflection of the trust and confidence reposed on you by the people of the world’s largest democracy.”

“I strongly believe that with the renewed mandate given to both of us by our respective peoples, Bangladesh-India ties, which have already been termed as a role model of good neighbourliness, will be further consolidated and our relations will scale newer heights,” Hasina said.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo called Prime Minister Modi and congratulated him for the resounding victory of his party in the elections. Modi thanked him for his wishes.

During the conversation, both leaders noted the advances made in the bilateral relationship in the last five years and reiterated their commitment towards further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership to achieve their shared vision of peace, progress and prosperity.

The two Prime Ministers looked forward to their meeting during the G20 Summit in Osaka next month.

Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lotay Tshering also offered heartiest congratulations to Prime Minister Modi and said he looks forward to working closely with him in years to come.

Around 67 percent of the nearly 900 million voters exercised their franchise in the seven-phase elections that began on April 11 and ended on May 19.

Exit polls predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP is most likely to return to power. A total number of 8,049 candidates were in the race for 542 Lok Sabha seats.

India’s parliament has a total of 545 seats, out of which the BJP won 282 in the previous general election in 2014 to secure a single-party majority for the first time in around three decades.

To rule a party needs the support of 272 MPs.

(With inputs from PTI)

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel to name new town on Golan after Donald Trump, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel said on Tuesday it would name a new community on the Golan Heights after US President Donald Trump as an expression of gratitude for his recognition of its claim of sovereignty over the strategic plateau.

Israel captured the Golan from Syria in a 1967 war and annexed it, in a move not recognised internationally. The United States broke with other world powers last month when Trump signed a decree recognising Israeli sovereignty there.

“All Israelis were deeply moved when President Trump made his historic decision,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement made on the Golan.

He added that, after the Jewish Passover festival, he would “bring to the government a resolution calling for a new community on the Golan Heights named after President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump’s Golan move followed his decision in December 2017 to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, breaking with decades of US policy over the status of a city contested by the Palestinians.

Israel has said separately that, in appreciation of the US president, it intends to name a proposed train station near Jerusalem’s Western Wall after him.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel’s Netanyahu wins reelection with parliamentary majority

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured a clear path to reelection on Wednesday, with religious-rightist parties set to hand him a parliamentary majority despite a close contest against his main centrist challenger, a vote tally showed.

With more than 97 percent of votes counted, Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party looked likely to muster enough support to control 65 of the Knesset’s 120 seats and be named to head the next coalition government – a record fifth term as premier.

The close and often vitriolic contest was widely seen in Israel as a referendum on Netanyahu’s character and record in the face of corruption allegations. He faces possible indictment in three graft cases, and has denied wrongdoing in all of them.

Despite that, Netanyahu gained four seats compared to his outgoing coalition government, according to a spreadsheet published by the Central Elections Committee of parties that won enough votes to enter the next parliament.

“It is a night of colossal victory,” the 69-year-old Netanyahu told cheering supporters in a late-night speech at Likud headquarters after Tuesday’s vote.

“He’s a magician,” the crowd chanted as fireworks flared and Netanyahu kissed his wife Sara.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange main indexes opened up 0.5 percent on Wednesday, showing confidence in a prime minister who has overseen a humming economy and restrained security challenges.

His challenger, the new Blue and White party of ex-general Benny Gantz, claimed a more modest victory after winning a 35-seat tie with Likud. Unless he reverses on campaign pledges to shun Netanyahu, and joins him in a future broad coalition, Gantz looked destined to lead a centre-left parliamentary opposition.

“The skies may look overcast…but they cannot conceal the sun of hope that we have brought to theIsraeli people and society,” Gantz, 59, wrote in an open letter to supporters.

Should Netanyahu retain the helm, he will become the longest-serving Israeli prime minister in July, overtaking the country’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion. That could be scuppered if criminal charges are filed and force his removal.

Immunity?

An indictment decision would follow a review hearing where Netanyahu can be expected to argue he should be spared, in the national interest. Some political analysts predict he may try to pass a law granting himself immunity, as a sitting leader, from trial.

During the campaign, the rival parties accused each other of corruption, fostering bigotry and being soft on security.

Netanyahu highlighted his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who delightedIsraelis and angered Palestinians by recognising Jerusalem as Israel‘s capital in 2017 and moving the U.S. Embassy to the holy city last May.

Two weeks before the election, Trump signed a proclamation, with Netanyahu at his side at the White House, recognising Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.

In a rare turn during the race towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Netanyahu further alarmed Palestinians by pledging to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank if re-elected. Palestinians seek a state there and in the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Netanyahu’s pre-election promise was widely seen as an attempt to draw right-wing votes rather than a change of policy. But with Trump’s moves on Jerusalem and The Golan, the prime minister may feel emboldened to advocate for annexation.

Commenting on the election, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said: “Israelis have voted to preserve the status quo. They have said no to peace and yes to the occupation”.

The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014.

Trump is expected to release his administration’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan after the election. If it includes Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, Netanyahu’s probable far-right coalition allies will likely object.

Once the vote tally is final, President Reuven Rivlin will ask parties that have won parliamentary seats who they support for prime minister. He will then pick a party leader to try to form a coalition, giving the candidate 28 days to do so, with a two-week extension if needed.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Will annex West Bank settlements if re-elected, says Benjamin Netanyahu

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would extend the country’s sovereignty over parts of the West Bank if re-elected in the April 9 legislative polls, a major policy shift that would stir Arab opposition.

Just three days before Israelis vote on whether he should get a fifth term, Netanyahu said on Saturday that he was contemplating moves that would upend decades of the nation’s policy acknowledging that the lands it seized in the 1967 war would be part of a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians, Efe news reported.

The Prime Minister’s apparent push to cement control over the West Bank comes in the wake of victories in getting the US to acknowledge Jerusalem as the country’s capital and its sovereignty over the Golan Heights seized from Syria in 1967 as Israeli territory.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has become more strident in speaking about lands seized, saying territory taken in a defensive war need not be returned.

On Saturday, an Israeli Channel 12 interviewer asked Netanyahu why, with the broad consensus of Israel’s right wing over the sovereignty for the settlements, he hadn’t annexed or placed Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank during four years of leading a right-wing government.

“We are on the way; we are in discussions about it and other things… Everyone understands the next term will be fateful,” he said.

Netanyahu went further, contradicting previous American-led peace plans that would have allowed Israel to negotiate the annexation of large settlement blocs but not smaller isolated settlements that would break up the continuity of an eventual Palestinian state.

“I am going to apply Israeli sovereignty, but I don’t distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements.”

Israeli sovereignty would ensure that Israeli civil law applies in its settlements there, while annexing them would claim the territory outright.

Netanyahu is trying to marshal his right-wing base, as his party, Likud, is in a tight race with a coalition led by his former army chief of staff, Benny Gantz, and trails him in most recent polls.

Right-wing parties are doing well enough that the prime minister could still be in position to form a government, but the election is expected to be close.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that there were “two good people” running in Israel’s coming election and that the race would be tight.

Israel already controls the West Bank militarily, allowing Palestinians a limited form of autonomy in a few densely populated pockets. Applying Israeli sovereignty and civil law or annexing territory outright would be fiercely opposed by the nearly 3 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank as well as much of the Arab world.

Netanyahu previously had backed resolving settlements’ fate in final status discussions, though in recent years has said he won’t support the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israelis have grown accustomed to viewing Israeli settlements as part of their country. Polls show about half of Jewish Israelis no longer support a Palestinian state.

The Trump administration is expected to release its peace plan shortly after the Israeli elections, and little is known about it. The Trump administration’s ambassador to Israel David Friedman said the President understands Israel’s need to maintain security control over the West Bank.

The premier has made last minute election policy shifts before.

In 2015, he came out against a Palestinian state just days before the vote, when polls suggested that he was trailing Zionist Union’s Isaac Herzog.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow