Obama’s revisionist ‘Promised Land’

I have never criticized former U.S. President Barack Obama publicly—neither during my time in the Knesset nor anywhere else—despite my having disagreed with many of his policies. Read more

New unity government pledges to continue corona response, apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria

After more than 500 days of political instability and three consecutive national elections, Israel’s 35th government was officially sworn in. Read more

Ins and outs of Israel’s unprecedented national emergency unity government

Israel’s 15-month political stalemate, which led to three election cycles within the course of a year, has come to a close with the signing of a unity government deal between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the Likud Party, and Blue and White Party head Benny Gantz. Read more

Differences on key issues threaten to bog down Netanyahu-Gantz unity talks

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and challenger Benny Gantz have agreed to work towards the formation of an emergency unity government to end a bitter political standoff and respond effectively to the coronavirus crisis, negotiations on political appointments as well as government policies are proving difficult. Read more

Whirlwind week ends with unity government in Israel, Netanyahu remaining at the helm

After nearly a year of political paralysis, Israel is finally on its way towards a national unity government as the nation battles against the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. Read more

Edelstein’s sudden resignation as Knesset speaker leaves country’s political future uncertain

Israel’s political chaos took another surprise twist on Wednesday when Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein suddenly resigned. The snap decision by Edelstein came after he rejected an order by Israel’s Supreme Court to hold a vote on replacing him as speaker. Read more

Unity talks continue despite Knesset shutdown, COVID-19 crisis

With Israel’s Knesset shut down and amid an ongoing national health crisis, negotiations towards a unity government are quietly continuing. Read more

Israel lawmakers propose multiple bills designed to oust Netanyahu

The COVID-19 pandemic cast a pall over the swearing-in of Israel’s 23rd Knesset on Monday, with the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers being sworn in three at a time to avoid spreading the disease, while Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein delivered speeches to a nearly empty hall. Read more

Netanyahu rival Gantz to get first chance to form a government

Despite the coronavirus pandemic firmly on most Israelis’ minds, the country’s political mayhem continued to unfold on Sunday as party leaders met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin for consultations in the wake of the March 2 election. Read more

Does push to bar an indicted Netanyahu from leading next government violate democratic norms?

Israel’s fractured political system is possibly entering uncharted territory in the next few weeks. Read more

Israelis have spoken and prefer Netanyahu, though hurdles remain on way to government

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared “a giant victory” on Monday night for the Likud Party and the Israeli right-wing. With 92 per cent of the votes counted, Likud won 36 seats and the right-wing/religious bloc 59 seats. Read more

Despite mergers and ousters on right and left, Israel’s electoral map looks similar to previous election

Two consecutive elections in Israel just five months apart have produced inconclusive results without the formation of a left-wing, right-wing or centrist majority government. Read more

Tens of thousands of Jews worldwide ‘on the same page,’ celebrating 13th ‘Siyum HaShas’

Tens of thousands of Jews around the world joined together on Jan. 1 to celebrate the 13th Siyum HaShas—“the completion of the Six Orders [of the Talmud]”—the culmination of a seven-and-a-half-year study cycle in which each of the 2,711 pages of the Babylonian Talmud’s 63 tractates are learned in sequence. Read more

Netanyahu faces major challenge to leadership in upcoming Likud party primary

Over 110,000 members of the Likud Party will vote on Thursday to select a party chairman prior to Israel’s March 2 elections—the country’s third national vote in under 12 months. The incumbent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing a leadership challenge from Knesset member and former minister Gideon Sa’ar. Read more

Israeli leaders point fingers at one another for taking country to third round of election

After being unable to form a government following two inconclusive elections, Israelis will now need to head back to the polls on March 2 for a third round of voting within the past 12 months. Read more

Legal scholars debate whether Netanyahu can run for prime minister

With little political movement and less than two weeks remaining for the Knesset to decide on a prime minister, Israel appears poised to head for an unprecedented third election within one year. Read more

Israeli party leaders lament stalling of movement towards government coalition

With a tenuous ceasefire taking hold across southern Israel, politics has again returned to centre stage. Read more

Can Israel’s party leaders find a way out of third elections?

Israel’s election impasse doesn’t appear to be waning as the country is closing in on nearly two months since its second national election in September. Read more

Discord between Blue and White, Likud erodes hope for national unity government

Coalition talks continue with Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz, who is trying to use the most of the 28 days that Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin has given him to form a coalition. Read more

With ball in Gantz’s court, he’s shooting for support wherever he can find it

Benny Gantz and the Blue and White Party are hard at work trying to find other parties to join his coalition to give him the 61 mandates needed to form a government. Read more

As mandate passes to Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz, all eyes now turn to Mandelblit

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the process of trying to form a government 28 days ago, he had 55 Knesset seats supporting him—32 from his Likud Party, nine from Shas, eight from United Torah Judaism and six from Jewish Home/New Right. Read more

With Netanyahu and Gantz in political deadlock, Lieberman says only ‘one option’ remains

Following his completion of meeting with party representatives, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin hosted Israeli Prime Minister and Likud Party head Benjamin Netanyahu, and Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz, in an attempt to discuss the coalition-building process and to break the political deadlock. Read more

Who can (and will) break Israel’s political stalemate?

Will Benjamin Netanyahu or Benny Gantz be able to form a government, or will Israel have to go to the polls for a third election in the course of a year? That’s the question being asked throughout Israel in the wake of Tuesday’s election results, which again ended in a dead heat. Read more

Could Israel’s religious parties surge in next round of elections?

As the Sept. 17 elections draw here, a flurry of activity among the various political parties continues to be a game-changer. Israel is holding a second round after the April 9 elections because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, mainly due to Knesset member Avigdor Lieberman’s refusal to sit in a government with the ultra-Orthodox parties. Now, those same parties may prove the sleeper of the election and might provide Netanyahu with the 61 mandates he needs to succeed. Read more

House Democrats in Israel say ‘Squad’ doesn’t speak for party

Since Democrats were swept into power in the U.S. House of Representatives in November—with some harboring more progressive views than the mainstream—questions have rattled many in the Jewish community over whether or not the party would continue its long-held support for Israel. Read more

Shaked shakes up politics again with new merger on Israeli right

Israel’s politics got another major shakeup in recent days—this time on the right, with the announcement of the merger between Ayelet Shaked’s New Right Party and Jewish Home. Read more

Can Israel’s new left-wing alliance shift the political landscape?

With the deadline to file party lists ahead of the September election fast approaching, a major shake-up within Israel’s leftist could bolster its camp after weak results in the April election. Read more

Israel’s under-20 basketball team takes home European title for second year in a row

The Israel under-20 men’s basketball team defeated Spain 92-84 to win its second consecutive European championship. Read more

As Netanyahu strides by a longevity record, his biggest challenges may lie ahead

History was made on July 20 as Benjamin Netanyahu, 69, became the longest-serving prime minister that the nation—only two years older than he—has seen. Read more

Two new Israeli contenders enter political fray before fall elections

Israel’s repeat election on Sept. 17 might not be a literal do-over of April 9, as two new parties may be entering the fray. Read more

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