3 mar 2020
Likud leader repeats pledge to annex West Bank settlements and Jordan Valley, boasts of his relations with world leaders, saying that 'peace agreements with other Arab countries is just a matter of time'; party faithful call for AG Mandelblit who indicted PM on corruption charges to 'go home'
Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory in the Israel's elections on Monday night, despite exit polls pointing to his right-wing bloc being below the 61-MK target he needs to form a government.
"What joy we have tonight," he told supporters in Tel Aviv. "It's a night of huge victory."
The Likud leader also said that there would be more party Knesset members, as "we have significantly increased the Likud list."
His supporters at the party's headquarters chanted "Mandelblit go home," a reference to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit who has charged Netanyahu with fraud, bribery and breach of trust in a trial set to begin on March 17.
The prime minister also boasted of his relations with world leaders, saying that, "peace agreements with other Arab countries is just a matter of time - and not much."
Israel has a peace agreement with Jordan and Egypt and low-key or unofficial ties with primarily Gulf states in the Arab world. Netanyahu has made developing relations with the Arab world a central feature in his election campaign, claiming to be the only one who can achieve this goal.
To a rapturous reception from supporters at the Likud campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu also reiterated his promise to annex the West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley.
Israel went to the polls for the third time in less than a year on Monday, after two earlier rounds of voting left both the right-wing and center-left blocs unable to muster the 61 Knesset members needed to form a government.
As the exit polls released as the ballot closed at 10pm showed Likud on 36 or 37 seats in the 120-strong Knesset, Netanyahu tweeted out a simple "thank you" with a heart emoji.
Netanyahu's right-wing bloc was uniformly predicted to take 59 seats, while the center-left bloc headed by Blue & White leader Benny Gantz was tipped to take just 55 seats.
Just moments after the exit polls were released, Netanyahu called the heads of the parties in his right-wing bloc and pledged to immediately start work on forming a government.
"This is clearly an achievement from Netanyahu's standpoint but by no means is it a clear, decisive outcome that enables him to form a stable, functioning government," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute. "The country is heading toward constitutional uncertainty."
Netanyahu's defense minister and Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett called the night a victory for the right and reiterated his commitment to the bloc.
"The right has won, we will make sure that the path of the right also wins," wrote Bennett on Twitter.
"As we promised, we will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. We are committed to the right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu to establish a government that will continue to keep Israeli citizens safe, continue to provide support to IDF soldiers, protect the Land of Israel and the values of the right."
Yamina co-leader Ayelet Shaked also took to Twitter to celebrate the right-wing bloc's result.
"The religious-Zionist movement enlisted, with its thousands of activists, young and old, to this campaign with great determination. The Israeli democracy is strong and vibrant and the people have decided – a right-wing government with Netanyahu at the helm."
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also of Yamina, celebrated the results and called them a "great achievement."
"This is a great evening for the State of Israel. I thank the thousands of sons and daughters of religious Zionism who took responsibility for the State of Israel and the right-wing bloc, flocked to the polls in droves and brought about a great achievement," Smotrich said.
"This great spirit will be translated, with the help of God, into a national government that is good for Israel. Keep going forward with full force!"
Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory in the Israel's elections on Monday night, despite exit polls pointing to his right-wing bloc being below the 61-MK target he needs to form a government.
"What joy we have tonight," he told supporters in Tel Aviv. "It's a night of huge victory."
The Likud leader also said that there would be more party Knesset members, as "we have significantly increased the Likud list."
His supporters at the party's headquarters chanted "Mandelblit go home," a reference to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit who has charged Netanyahu with fraud, bribery and breach of trust in a trial set to begin on March 17.
The prime minister also boasted of his relations with world leaders, saying that, "peace agreements with other Arab countries is just a matter of time - and not much."
Israel has a peace agreement with Jordan and Egypt and low-key or unofficial ties with primarily Gulf states in the Arab world. Netanyahu has made developing relations with the Arab world a central feature in his election campaign, claiming to be the only one who can achieve this goal.
To a rapturous reception from supporters at the Likud campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu also reiterated his promise to annex the West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley.
Israel went to the polls for the third time in less than a year on Monday, after two earlier rounds of voting left both the right-wing and center-left blocs unable to muster the 61 Knesset members needed to form a government.
As the exit polls released as the ballot closed at 10pm showed Likud on 36 or 37 seats in the 120-strong Knesset, Netanyahu tweeted out a simple "thank you" with a heart emoji.
Netanyahu's right-wing bloc was uniformly predicted to take 59 seats, while the center-left bloc headed by Blue & White leader Benny Gantz was tipped to take just 55 seats.
Just moments after the exit polls were released, Netanyahu called the heads of the parties in his right-wing bloc and pledged to immediately start work on forming a government.
"This is clearly an achievement from Netanyahu's standpoint but by no means is it a clear, decisive outcome that enables him to form a stable, functioning government," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute. "The country is heading toward constitutional uncertainty."
Netanyahu's defense minister and Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett called the night a victory for the right and reiterated his commitment to the bloc.
"The right has won, we will make sure that the path of the right also wins," wrote Bennett on Twitter.
"As we promised, we will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. We are committed to the right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu to establish a government that will continue to keep Israeli citizens safe, continue to provide support to IDF soldiers, protect the Land of Israel and the values of the right."
Yamina co-leader Ayelet Shaked also took to Twitter to celebrate the right-wing bloc's result.
"The religious-Zionist movement enlisted, with its thousands of activists, young and old, to this campaign with great determination. The Israeli democracy is strong and vibrant and the people have decided – a right-wing government with Netanyahu at the helm."
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also of Yamina, celebrated the results and called them a "great achievement."
"This is a great evening for the State of Israel. I thank the thousands of sons and daughters of religious Zionism who took responsibility for the State of Israel and the right-wing bloc, flocked to the polls in droves and brought about a great achievement," Smotrich said.
"This great spirit will be translated, with the help of God, into a national government that is good for Israel. Keep going forward with full force!"
2 mar 2020
While one short of the 61 Knesset seats he needs, PM vows to immediately start work on forming a new government; Gantz pledges to continue fighting for 'right path'
With exit polls pointing to a Likud victory in the Knesset elections, Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted out a simple "thank you" with a heart emoji on Monday night. tweet
Israel went to the polls for the third time in less than a year on Monday, after two earlier rounds of voting left both the right-wing and center-left blocs unable to muster the 61 Knesset members needed to form a government.
But with Netanyahu's right-wing bloc uniformly predicted to take 60 seats, his prime minister's chair seems secure if not certain. His Likud party is predicted to have won between 35 and 37 seats in the vote while Blue & White is on course to take just 30 and 33 seats.
Just moments after the exit polls were released at 10pm, Netanyahu spoke with the heads of the parties in his right-wing bloc and pledged to immediately start work on forming a government.
Netanyahu's defense minister and Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett called the night a victory for the right and reiterated his commitment to the bloc.
"The right has won, we will make sure that the path of the right also wins," wrote Bennett on Twitter.
"As we promised, we will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. We are committed to the right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu to establish a government that will continue to keep Israeli citizens safe, continue to provide support to IDF soldiers, protect the Land of Israel and the values of the right."
Yamina co-leader Ayelet Shaked also took to Twitter to celebrate the right-wing bloc's apparent victory.
"The religious-Zionist movement enlisted, with its thousands of activists, young and old, to this campaign with great determination. The Israeli democracy is strong and vibrant and the people have decided – a right-wing government with Netanyahu at the helm."
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also of Yamina, celebrated the results and called them a "great achievement."
"This is a great evening for the State of Israel. I thank the thousands of sons and daughters of religious Zionism who took responsibility for the State of Israel and the right-wing bloc, flocked to the polls in droves and brought about a great achievement," Smotrich said. "This great spirit will be translated, with the help of God, into a national government that is good for Israel. Keep going forward with full force!"
Justice Minister Meir Ohana of Likud called the exit polls a "tremendous vote of confidence" in Netanyahu.
"This is a tremendous vote of confidence and a victory that will give Netanyahu the tools to form the next government and continue to do good for the State of Israel," he told the Ynet studio.
Likud minister Miri Regev proclaimed an "overwhelming victory" for Netanyahu's party.
"The nation had its say, a referendum that proved the trust of the people in Netanyahu and in the Likud, with all the indictments and all the attempts to depose Netanyahu," Regev said.
Foreign minister and Likud MK Israel Katz called the results "a huge achievement for Likud and expression of confidence in Netanyahu."
Knesset Speaker and Likud MK Yuli Edelstein wrote, "according to the numbers, it is a great victory for Likud and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The people have spoken – they want Likud. We will form a strong and good government that will work for all Israeli citizens and bring the country back on track."
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman, whose party is predicted to get 6-8 seats, said he is still waiting on the final results before acting.
"Any seat could be critical. We will wait for the final results and only then will a situation assessment be done."
Yisrael Beytenu Knesset faction leader MK Oded Forer said his party will keep striving for a liberal national government.
"We will make sure a government is formed. We will not betray our principles," Forer said. "Our objective is a liberal national government, which is what the majority of the public wants."
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri shared a tweet thanking "hundreds of thousands of Shas voters who put their faith in the movement once again."
With exit polls pointing to a Likud victory in the Knesset elections, Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted out a simple "thank you" with a heart emoji on Monday night. tweet
Israel went to the polls for the third time in less than a year on Monday, after two earlier rounds of voting left both the right-wing and center-left blocs unable to muster the 61 Knesset members needed to form a government.
But with Netanyahu's right-wing bloc uniformly predicted to take 60 seats, his prime minister's chair seems secure if not certain. His Likud party is predicted to have won between 35 and 37 seats in the vote while Blue & White is on course to take just 30 and 33 seats.
Just moments after the exit polls were released at 10pm, Netanyahu spoke with the heads of the parties in his right-wing bloc and pledged to immediately start work on forming a government.
Netanyahu's defense minister and Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett called the night a victory for the right and reiterated his commitment to the bloc.
"The right has won, we will make sure that the path of the right also wins," wrote Bennett on Twitter.
"As we promised, we will recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. We are committed to the right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu to establish a government that will continue to keep Israeli citizens safe, continue to provide support to IDF soldiers, protect the Land of Israel and the values of the right."
Yamina co-leader Ayelet Shaked also took to Twitter to celebrate the right-wing bloc's apparent victory.
"The religious-Zionist movement enlisted, with its thousands of activists, young and old, to this campaign with great determination. The Israeli democracy is strong and vibrant and the people have decided – a right-wing government with Netanyahu at the helm."
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also of Yamina, celebrated the results and called them a "great achievement."
"This is a great evening for the State of Israel. I thank the thousands of sons and daughters of religious Zionism who took responsibility for the State of Israel and the right-wing bloc, flocked to the polls in droves and brought about a great achievement," Smotrich said. "This great spirit will be translated, with the help of God, into a national government that is good for Israel. Keep going forward with full force!"
Justice Minister Meir Ohana of Likud called the exit polls a "tremendous vote of confidence" in Netanyahu.
"This is a tremendous vote of confidence and a victory that will give Netanyahu the tools to form the next government and continue to do good for the State of Israel," he told the Ynet studio.
Likud minister Miri Regev proclaimed an "overwhelming victory" for Netanyahu's party.
"The nation had its say, a referendum that proved the trust of the people in Netanyahu and in the Likud, with all the indictments and all the attempts to depose Netanyahu," Regev said.
Foreign minister and Likud MK Israel Katz called the results "a huge achievement for Likud and expression of confidence in Netanyahu."
Knesset Speaker and Likud MK Yuli Edelstein wrote, "according to the numbers, it is a great victory for Likud and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The people have spoken – they want Likud. We will form a strong and good government that will work for all Israeli citizens and bring the country back on track."
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman, whose party is predicted to get 6-8 seats, said he is still waiting on the final results before acting.
"Any seat could be critical. We will wait for the final results and only then will a situation assessment be done."
Yisrael Beytenu Knesset faction leader MK Oded Forer said his party will keep striving for a liberal national government.
"We will make sure a government is formed. We will not betray our principles," Forer said. "Our objective is a liberal national government, which is what the majority of the public wants."
Shas chairman Aryeh Deri shared a tweet thanking "hundreds of thousands of Shas voters who put their faith in the movement once again."
18 feb 2020
Trial scheduled to open two weeks after general election; justice who convicted former PM Olmert will lead judges' panel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will open on March 17 at 3 p.m., the Justice Ministry announced on Tuesday.
Last Wednesday, the District Court in Jerusalem announced the three-judge panel that will manage the judicial proceedings, led by Justice Rivkah Friedman-Feldman, alongside judges Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham.
Friedman-Feldman served on the panel that convicted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Talansky Affair retrial.
On January 28, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed the indictments against Netanyahu at the Jerusalem District Court on three separate charges of corruption.
The move came just hours after Netanyahu, who was in Washington for the roll-out of U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast peace plan, withdrew his request for parliamentary immunity from prosecution for charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
This is the first time in Israel's 71-year history that a sitting prime minister has been indicted. Olmert resigned before the charges, that ultimately led to a prison sentence, could be brought against him.
The indictments relate to three separate investigations, known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000 (Case 3000, which related to the purchase of German submarines by the Israeli Navy, did not lead to charges against the prime minister).
The most serious charges are connected to Case 4000 and include bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu is accused of passing regulations that gave telecom magnate Shaul Elovitch benefits worth over $250 million to his company Bezeq. In return, Bezeq's news site, Walla, published favorable articles about Netanyahu and his family. Shaul Elovitch and his wife Iris have also been charged with bribery.
Netanyahu is also charged with fraud and breach of trust in Case 2000, in which the prime minister and Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet owner Arnon Mozes allegedly discussed mutual assistance to promote one another's interests during private meetings that began in 2009 and lasted for several years. Mozes has been charged with bribery over the affair.
Case 1000 also involves charges of fraud and breach of trust, in which Netanyahu's gifts of champagne from billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer turned into a sort of supply line.
The indictment said Netanyahu assisted the Israeli Hollywood mogul Milchan with extending his U.S. visa. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Packer received in return.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will open on March 17 at 3 p.m., the Justice Ministry announced on Tuesday.
Last Wednesday, the District Court in Jerusalem announced the three-judge panel that will manage the judicial proceedings, led by Justice Rivkah Friedman-Feldman, alongside judges Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham.
Friedman-Feldman served on the panel that convicted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Talansky Affair retrial.
On January 28, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed the indictments against Netanyahu at the Jerusalem District Court on three separate charges of corruption.
The move came just hours after Netanyahu, who was in Washington for the roll-out of U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast peace plan, withdrew his request for parliamentary immunity from prosecution for charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
This is the first time in Israel's 71-year history that a sitting prime minister has been indicted. Olmert resigned before the charges, that ultimately led to a prison sentence, could be brought against him.
The indictments relate to three separate investigations, known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000 (Case 3000, which related to the purchase of German submarines by the Israeli Navy, did not lead to charges against the prime minister).
The most serious charges are connected to Case 4000 and include bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu is accused of passing regulations that gave telecom magnate Shaul Elovitch benefits worth over $250 million to his company Bezeq. In return, Bezeq's news site, Walla, published favorable articles about Netanyahu and his family. Shaul Elovitch and his wife Iris have also been charged with bribery.
Netanyahu is also charged with fraud and breach of trust in Case 2000, in which the prime minister and Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet owner Arnon Mozes allegedly discussed mutual assistance to promote one another's interests during private meetings that began in 2009 and lasted for several years. Mozes has been charged with bribery over the affair.
Case 1000 also involves charges of fraud and breach of trust, in which Netanyahu's gifts of champagne from billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer turned into a sort of supply line.
The indictment said Netanyahu assisted the Israeli Hollywood mogul Milchan with extending his U.S. visa. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Packer received in return.
29 jan 2020
Israel’s attorney general, on Tuesday, filed the indictment against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in three corruption cases to a district court, effectively launching the trial against the premier, Haaretz Israeli daily reports.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu announced he was withdrawing his request for immunity from prosecution in the cases, in which he is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
His decision allowed Israel’s attorney general to file the indictment with the Jerusalem District Court, instead of having to wait for the conclusion of immunity deliberations in the Israeli parliament.
It also means Netanyahu won’t be able seek protection from prosecution again in any of the three cases.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu announced he was withdrawing his request for immunity from prosecution in the cases, in which he is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
His decision allowed Israel’s attorney general to file the indictment with the Jerusalem District Court, instead of having to wait for the conclusion of immunity deliberations in the Israeli parliament.
It also means Netanyahu won’t be able seek protection from prosecution again in any of the three cases.
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