Edited by: TJVNews.com
Incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to announce that he has formed a coalition government this week as the extension given to him by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog expires on Wednesday, as was reported by i24 News on Sunday.
Following a rocky negotiation process that lasted for over six weeks, the leader of Likud has reportedly sealed deals with all of the allied parties, although no official signings have been announced, i24 News reported. One of the remaining issues that has been negotiated by Netanyahu ahead of the deadline with the far-right Religious Zionism party is an amendment of the military service law for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
According to media reports, the new legislation will give an exemption from service for religious Jews studying Torah full time. Another issue that has been reportedly agreed upon between the two parties is the declaration of a new city for ultra-religious Jews within 90 days of the government’s formation, i24 News reported.
Additional clauses regarding housing for the ultra-Orthodox community, that would cost the country’s budget over $43 million, were allegedly negotiated with the United Torah Judaism party, as was reported by i24 News. The party is said to be poised to receive the housing minister’s position, as well as appoint an ultra-Orthodox representative to the Israel Land Council.
Following the announcement to the president, Netanyahu must have the government approved by the Knesset plenum within a week, the report indicated. He can, however, request another extension to December 25.
In the meantime, the coalition parties this week are set to continue voting for four bills that passed preliminary readings last week, i24 News reported. The legislative process is expected to be finished before the new government is sworn in.
Earlier on Saturday evening, nearly 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against the incoming government. The event titled “Israeli democracy is in danger” was focused on the controversial laws that Netanyahu’s coalition is trying to adopt in the Knesset. In addition to bills giving far-right parties more power over settlements in Judea and Samaria as well as police policies, there is a law that would allow for Shas head Arye Deri to assume a ministerial position despite a past conviction for tax offenses, according to the i24 News report.
A Channel 13 News poll conducted by Camil Fuchs and published on Monday evening shows that there is a significant majority among the Israeli public who are against changing the legislation in such a way that would allow Deri to serve as a minister in the new government, according to an Israel National News report on Tuesday.
65% of the public is against changing the law and appointing Deri as a minister, with only 24% in favor of the move, the poll found.
INN also reported that the poll revealed that approximately 37% of the public oppose far-reaching changes to the legal system, which they believe the newly formed government will implement. On the other hand, about 28% support such changes, INN reported. About 26% believe that the government will ultimately make no significant changes at all.
According to the poll, 45% of the Israeli public prefer a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu together with Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party, with only 32% preferring the Religious Zionist Party instead, as was reported by INN. It also found that 56% believe that Netanyahu has given in to the demands of the haredi parties regarding the status quo and matters of religion and state, while 33% believe that this is not the case.
On the topic of internal law enforcement policies, Israel National News reported that the Knesset on Tuesday afternoon passed National Security Minister-designate Itamar Ben-Gvir’s legislation giving him greater control over the Israel police in its first reading.
63 MKs voted in favor of the legislation, while 53 voted against it.
INN reported that the bill will now return to committee for further discussion prior to being voted on in second and third readings and entered into the statute book.
At the start of the debate Tuesday morning, Ben-Gvir addressed the plenum, decrying the attempts of opponents to his amendments to block their passage and stating that, “Only in police states is the chief commissioner of police not subordinate to the relevant government minister,” as was reported by INN.
His speech was repeatedly disturbed by shouts from members of the opposition.
“The bill being proposed comes to amend an ordinance dating back to the days of the British Mandate that was enacted in 1926,” Ben-Gvir continued, according to the INN reported. “Many things have changed since then and the country has advanced, but this outdated ordinance remains in place. Our proposal now comes to align Israel with other democratic countries where it is the minister in charge of the police force who determines policy, outlines his positions, and is granted the authority needed to implement them.
“In the current situation, the National Security Minister bears the responsibility without holding authority. This amendment to the ordinance is a blessing for democracy,” Ben-Gvir asserted.
INN reported that he then gave as “an example, Ronny Alsheikh, a failed commissioner of police who is now found hopping from one media studio to the next granting interviews. Six months ago he said of the position of Public Security Minister that it was a ‘frustrating position with no powers.’ Now, suddenly, when it’s a question of Ben-Gvir, he says that the chain of command should not be altered.”
On Tuesday, INN reported that Alsheikh has refused to rule out the possibility that mistakes were made in the criminal cases against Netanyahu, and now has offered the Attorney-General his advice to propose a plea bargain.
Alsheikh was being interviewed on Channel 12 News on Tuesday when he made the comments, according to the INN report. He added that, “I know the people who led the investigations against Netanyahu, and I can tell you that their hands are clean.”
Explaining his proposal of a plea bargain, Alsheikh said, “As an Israeli citizen, I am making this suggestion because our democracy is not yet mature enough to withstand a serving prime minister being put on trial.”
Turning to the members of the outgoing coalition, Ben Gvir noted, “Democracy does not interest you in the slightest. You belong in the dark ages – you’re not liberals,” INN reported.
Tensions escalated as former Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) responded, “You’re not worthy of standing here. You’ll never match what they did in twenty years. They contributed to the State of Israel in a way that you will never contribute. You are a Knesset member with seven convictions behind you, one of them for supporting terrorism. And you are going to be a minister who will be responsible for offenses of this kind. Shame on you. You didn’t even wear a uniform.”
In terms of Netanyahu dealing with increased criticism of his incoming government and the purported “danger” to the democratic principles that Israel is predicated upon, INN reported on Sunday that Netanyahu responded to an op-ed published in The New York Times which issued stern warnings against the new government that is expected to be sworn in.
“After burying the Holocaust for years on its back pages and demonizing Israel for decades on its front pages, the New York Times now shamefully calls for undermining Israel’s elected incoming government,” tweeted Netanyahu, according to the INN report.
“While the NYT continues to delegitimize the one true democracy in the Middle East and America’s best ally in the region, I will continue to ignore its ill-founded advice and instead focus on building a stronger and more prosperous country, strengthening ties with America, expanding peace with our neighbors, and securing the future of the one and only Jewish state,” he added.
The op-ed, published by The New York Times’ editorial board on Saturday, claimed that Netanyahu’s government “is a significant threat to the future of Israel — its direction, its security and even the idea of a Jewish homeland. For one, the government’s posture could make it militarily and politically impossible for a two-state solution to ever emerge.”
INN reported that the op-ed calls on the Biden administration to act and “do everything it can to express its support for a society governed by equal rights and the rule of law in Israel, as it does in countries all over the world. That would be an act of friendship, consistent with the deep bond between the two nations.”
“Ministers in the new government are set to include figures such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was convicted in Israel in 2007 for incitement to racism and supporting a Jewish terrorist organization. He will probably be minister of national security. Bezalel Smotrich, who has long supported outright annexation of the West Bank, is expected to be named the next finance minister, with additional authority over the administration of the West Bank. For the deputy in the prime minister’s office in charge of Jewish identity, Mr. Netanyahu is expected to name Avi Maoz, who once described himself as a ‘proud homophobe,’” the Times’ editorial states, as was reported by INN.
INN reported that the piece concludes by saying: “Anything that undermines Israel’s democratic ideals – whether outright annexation of Jewish settlements or legalization of illegal settlements and outposts – would undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. America’s support for Israel reflects our two countries’ respect for democratic ideals. President Biden and Mr. Netanyahu should do everything they can to reaffirm that commitment. “
Offering an analysis on the problems facing Netanyahu in forming his new government, i24News reported that the prime minister-designate has had an issue in terms of achieving balance within his new far-right and religious coalition, appeasing his partners to stay in the coalition and also putting them in positions that they actually have skills, qualifications and expertise for. That is why it has taken him so long to be able to properly form the government, i24 News reported. It is likely Netanyahu himself did not understand how difficult this balancing act would be, the news site opined.
Last week, the AP reported that Netanyahu vowed to seek full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia once he takes office, claiming that doing so would also promote peace with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu also said he would be open to restarting behind-the-scenes peace talks with the Palestinians, according to the AP report.
The comments, made in a rare interview with an Arab news outlet, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, appeared to be aimed at easing concerns over the far-right makeup of the government that Netanyahu is forming.
Netanyahu told the channel that he will set overall policies, the AP reported.
“I will govern and I will lead,” he said. “The other parties are joining me. I’m not joining them.”
Netanyahu said he hoped to expand the Abraham Accords — a set of normalization agreements reached with four Arab countries in 2020 — by reaching a similar deal with Saudi Arabia, as was reported by the AP.
World Israel News reported on Tuesday that the Biden administration plans to hold Netanyahu “personally responsible” for the actions of right-wing lawmakers in his government, U.S. officials were cited as saying by Politico.
The policy is one the U.S. has been working on since it became clear that Netanyahu would form a right wing, religious government with lawmakers considered to be hardline, including MKs Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, WIN reported.
“Biden aides say they need to limit its far-right excesses, and they see Netanyahu as their best conduit to exert such influence,” the report said, as was reported by WIN.
According to the officials, the Biden administration will also “publicly turn to, refer to, and rely upon” Netanyahu on any serious issues regarding the Palestinians or Israel’s ties with Arab states.
“Bibi says he can control his government, so let’s see him do just that,” said one of the U.S. officials, using Netanyahu’s nickname, as was reported by WIN.
“Everyone, without exception, understands that these guys are fundamentally different” from previous Israeli governments, he said.
“What’s relevant is Netanyahu. He is the prime minister,” the second US official said, according to the WIN report. He referenced the right-wing elements of Netanyahu’s government, adding, “People are making a strategic mistake by building these guys up.”
“Netanyahu wants a bunch of stuff from us,” one of the US officials told Politico. “It’s a two-way street… We’ll work with him on the things he cares about, and he’ll work on the things we care about.”
(Sources: i24News.com, IsraelNationalNews.com, worldisraelnews.com & AP.com) – Additional reporting by: Fern Sidman