With the government’s popularity plummeting, a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nevertheless garnered only 18 votes in the Knesset on Monday evening, falling far short of the necessary majority to pass in the 120-strong Knesset plenum.
The vote was boycotted by the coalition, whose heads stated earlier in the day that they would “not take part in political theater during wartime.”
Yisrael Beytenu party head Avigdor Liberman and Labor chief Merav Michaeli went further in their criticism, calling on Netanyahu to resign.
(03.08.2023)
Sponsored by a group of lawmakers led by MK Limor Son Har Melech, from the racist coalition faction Otzma Yehudit, and MK Yulia Malinovsky from right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beytenu, the new law marked a rare case of cross-Knesset alignment and passed 39 to 7 on its final reading.
Sharp criticism of the law quickly came in from Hadash-Ta’al lawmakers and Israel’s rape crisis center umbrella organization, with both alleging the law improperly creates a ranking of the severity of such crimes. Hadash-Ta’al MK Aida Touma-Sliman, a former head of the Knesset’s Women’s Status Committee, told the Knesset: “Do not punish according to hierarchies and classifications.” “Shame on these laws,” she continued, tweeting after the law passed, “Don’t promote racism on the backs of victims!”
(17.06.2023)
ומי שהצביעו עבור קארין אלהרר ופנינה תמנו שטה היו גם חברי הכנסת של ש״ס, בהוראה של דרעי ואולי אף דרעי בעצמו, ובידיעת נתניהו, גנץ ולפיד.
האינטרס של לפיד וגנץ היה להראות ״הישג״ בהצבעה בכנסת, האינטרס של נתניהו היה להקפיא את ההפיכה המשטרית על מנת להגיע לוושינגטון ולמסמס את המחאה, והאינטרס של דרעי היה להמשיך את השיחות בבית הנשיא על מנת לסלול את דרכו לממשלה.
נתניהו ודרעי הבינו שללא נציגת האופוזיציה בוועדה תקום סערה ציבורית והכל יתפוצץ. לכן פעלו כפי שפעלו בתיאום מלא עם גנץ ולפיד.
ולכן גם ההודעה של גנץ ולפיד, שהם משהים את השיחות עד לבחירת נציג הקואליציה לוועדה וכינוסה, גם האמירה הזאת היא עבודה בעיניים, הכל בלוף.
זה פשוט המשך שיתוף פעולה, וחלק מאותה הסכמה של גנץ ולפיד להכשיר את דרעי ולהכניסו לממשלה.
גנץ ולפיד הרימו דגל לבן, ועשו מכירת חיסול של הציבור הליברלי במדינת ישראל.
לצערי זו האמת מאחורי השיחות בבית הנשיא וההצבעה בכנסת ביום רביעי.
(17.06.2023)
“The picture that arises is that everything that happened on Wednesday in the Knesset vote for the Judicial Appointments Committee was one big show, behind which there was a four-way deal between [National Unity Party chief Benny] Gantz and [Opposition leader Yair] Lapid on one side and Netanyahu and [Shas leader Arye] Dery on the other,” Lieberman posted on his Twitter account.
“The interest of Lapid and Gantz is to show ‘an achievement’ in the Knesset vote, Netanyahu’s interest is to freeze the [judicial overhaul] so he can go to Washington and soften the protests, and Dery’s interest is to continue the talks at the President’s Residence to pave his path back to the government,” he wrote.
(June 15, 2023)
But it may well be a Pyrrhic victory, writes @noa_landau
(Jun 12, 2023)
A compromise agreement between coalition and opposition lawmakers over the government‘s judicial overhaul is expected to be reached as early as Wednesday, opposition MK Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday.
According to the Yisrael Beitenu chairman, the agreement will come after the opposition candidate for the Judicial Appointments Committee, MK Karine Elharrar of Yesh Atid, is elected to the position.
Member of the opposition Avigdor Lieberman spoke at a demonstration in Be‘er Sheva and called on opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid to „immediately“ cease negotiations with the Netanyahu government.
„Any compromise is a self-goal for the opposition and a reinforcement of Netanyahu‘s messianic government. The continuation of these meetings is tantamount to legitimizing the people who crushed the country within three months and continue to crush it even more intensely every day,“ Lieberman said.
According to the polls, conducted by Channel 12 and public broadcaster Kan, if an election were held today, the parties that make up the current ruling coalition – Netanyahu’s Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Shas and United Torah Judaism – would amass a total of just 54 seats, seven short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The opposition, made up of National Unity, Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, Ra’am and Labor, is projected to win 61 seats. Hadash-Ta’al would garner the remaining five seats.
Opposition lawmakers boycotted the final votes in committee approving the bill for its first reading in the Knesset plenum, after Rothman granted only one MK from each Knesset faction the right to speak for five minutes.
“This is a dictatorship and the silencing of people’s opinions, we won’t be part of it. Vote among yourselves” shouted Hadash MK Ofer Cassif at Rothman.
“This is a regime putsch!” Yisrael Beytenu Yulia Malinovsky fumed before leaving the committee room.
(October 23, 2022)
Smotrich made the most significant gain with a 0.6 jump. Liberman’s Yisrael Beitenu went up for the second straight week, this time by 0.3.
Likud dropped for the second consecutive week, this time by 0.5. Gantz also went down this week, this time by 0.3. Lapid’s Yesh Atid also lost 0.1.
Overall, we remain stuck at a 60-60 deadlock between the two blocs.
(12.09.2022)
Lieberman accuses Netanyahu of being behind claims made by Yossi Kamisa, a former aide, that the finance minister had commissioned him to kill a police superintendent 20 years ago.
„It is a blood libel,“ Lieberman said yesterday. „These are Netanyahu‘s methods, exactly like those of Goebbels and Stalin, to make the most severe, absurd accusation and repeat it a million times until people get used to the absurdity.“
(09.09.2022)
The criminal aspect of those allegations will be looked into by Attorney-General Gali Baharv-Miara. The political dimension of this horror story, less than 60 days before Israelis vote, is part of a much broader phenomenon: a tug of war between Benjamin Netanyahu and Lieberman over the „Russian“ vote.
No wonder Lieberman‘s first reaction to the allegations, even before he filed a criminal complaint against Kamisa, was a Facebook post entitled „Netanyahu is in panic“, not only denying all allegations but also mainly insinuating that the former prime minister is behind the affair. He posted in Hebrew, for all Israeli readers.
Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu Party, was asked to comment on allegations that he had offered to pay $100,000 to kill a police director.
He rejected the allegations and said this was a smear campaign orchestrated by Likud leader Netanyahu.
„It is clear that he understands that all that stands between him and being in power is Avigdor Lieberman,“ he said, pledging that „nothing will help him.“
The claims are “defamation, absolute lies, which were published with the intention of causing political damage when the political establishment is in the midst of an election campaign,” according to the complaint that was filed by Liberman’s lawyers on his behalf.
On Sunday Liberman called Likud party leader Netanyahu “the scum of the human race who knows no red lines,” for allegedly setting up the pay-for-murder accusation.
„Capturing the Prime Minister‘s Residence on Balfour Street was for us like capturing the Bastille“ prison in France, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman told his Yisrael Beytenu faction in the Knesset on Monday.
Der 57-Jährige habe den israelischen Präsident Reuven Rivlin über die Regierungsbildung informiert, hieß es in einer Erklärung. Mit Vereidigung einer solchen Regierung im Parlament wäre die Ära von Netanyahu als Premierminister vorerst beendet.
With Lapid apparently making strides in building government, New Hope leader nixes Likud offer for first slot in three-way rotation of premiership that would also include Yamina‘s Bennett; ‚Our commitment is to replace Netanyahu,‘ Saar says
The coalition of parties seeking to form a new government without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have hammered out an agreement on the assignment of senior cabinet positions if the coalition actually comes into being.
Naftali Bennett: The Yamina party chairman would be prime minister first, then foreign minister. Yair Lapid, Yesh Atid leader, would first serve as foreign minister, then prime minister. Ayelet Shaked: interior minister. Avigdor Lieberman: finance minister. Benny Gantz: The Kahol Lavan chief will continue to serve as defense minister. Gideon Sa’ar: justice minister. Merav Michaeli: The Labor Party chairwoman would serve as transportation minister.
This entails replacing the Knesset Speaker, taking over the chairmanship of the House Committee and the chairmanship of the Finance Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees as well, Maariv reported.
Liberman further stressed in discussions the need to advance immediately legislation that will prevent an indicted individual to contend for the premiership.
The bloc that wants Netanyahu to form the next government – Likud, Shas, UTJ and the Religious Zionist Party – received 46 seats.
The bloc that does not want him to remain prime minister – Yesh Atid, New Hope, Yisrael Beytenu, Labor, Blue and White and Meretz – received 54.
(09.01.2021)
Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman says the storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters is “nothing” compared to what he claims Prime Minister Netanyahu is planning if the premier feels he’s lost the elections.
„Unite now, fight later,“ Bennett said at a Tel Aviv press conference in which he proposed passing a bill to freeze the current political situation for six months.
Liberman suggested a government of only Likud and Blue and White to deal with the coronavirus on Thursday in an interview with the Russian-language Channel 9.
Peretz said that he was still in touch with Orly Levy-Abekasis and was hoping to come to an accord regarding the steps to be taken in the future.
Kahol Lavan confirmed Sunday night that party representatives were in contact with Yisrael Beiteinu and the Joint List over efforts to form a minority government with their support.
A source in Kahol Lavan said nothing will be said to the media “until it’s certain and finalized.”
Joint List MK and Balad Chairman Mtanes Shehadeh said Saturday following Gantz and Netenyahu‘s statements that „the arab community has spoken, they want a change in their position and aim for an end to discrimination and racism. Netanyahu would die to disqualify them but could not, and Gantz would have liked to ignore them but he couldn‘t.“
Israel‘s right didn‘t get the victory it expected – but at least there‘s corona ■ Netanyahu‘s 2020 achievement: Boosting the Joint List ■ Left and right, Naftali Bennett and Amir Peretz are waging the same war
Announcement means center-left, Joint List bloc will have 62 Knesset seats to pass bill
The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman, who according to recent polls could once again be kingmaker and decide the leader of which political bloc would secure the backing of enough lawmakers to become prime minister after Israel‘s March 2 election, added that „Instead of driving two-and-a-half kilometers to the Knesset, he [Netanyahu] prefers to fly 9,500 kilometers to Washington.“
Bashing the premier, Lieberman said: „It‘s clear that Netanyahu worked very hard to escape [the immunity discussions], and it would be best if he kisses his immunity goodbye before he brings peace to the Middle East.“
For a decade, Netanyahu dominated Israel like few others since founding prime minister David Ben-Gurion, leaving a huge imprint on every sphere: diplomatic, economic, military.
But in 2019 – Netanyahu’s own annus horribilis, as Queen Elizabeth II referred to her own “horrible year” in 1992 – his utter dominance began to fade.
„Das wäre nicht passiert, wenn es nicht bereits zwei gescheiterte Versuche Netanyahus gegeben hätte, eine Koalition zu bilden. Alles deutet darauf hin, dass Netanyahu auch nach einer dritten Neuwahl kein Bündnis bilden kann.“ Denn weiterhin schließen mögliche Koalitionspartner eine Zusammenarbeit mit Netanyahu aus: Avigdor Lieberman und dessen Partei Israel Beitenu sowie das Bündnis Blau-Weiß von Benny Gantz.
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman has told Benny Gantz‘s Kahol Lavan that he would join a narrow right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the party doesn‘t agree to let Netanyahu be first to serve as premier in a rotation agreement.
Lieberman‘s staff said on Tuesday that he was approached by Knesset members who asked him to enter a right-wing government to prevent Israel from going to a third election this year.
According to the report, Edelstein planned to announce an agreed deal in a press conference on Wednesday, after receiving signatures supporting the move from Blue & White’s Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beiteinu’s Avigdor Liberman, and two-thirds of the Likud faction.
However, at the end of a five-day political maneuver, the Likud’s second on the Knesset list — preceded only by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — realized he does not have enough votes to push forth the idea,
Weder die rechtsgerichtete Likud-Partei von Netanyahu noch Gantz‘ Mitte-Rechts-Bündnis Blau-Weiß konnte sich bei der Parlamentswahl im September eine Mehrheit sichern. Liebermans laizistisch-nationalistische Partei Israel Beitenu gilt seitdem als Königsmacher.
The survey, commissioned by Army Radio, showed 49% of Israeli-Arab citizens supporting the Joint List, made up of four separate Arab parties, backing Gantz from outside a coalition government even if it includes secular right-wing politician Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party.
According to reports in the Hebrew media, Gantz could offer Netanyahu a “compromise deal” that would force him to choose between including his religious allies in the coalition, and being prime minister first in any rotation deal.
Kingmaker and Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Lieberman also bashes FM Katz as ‚pathetic liar‘ and says that Likud can ‚go to hell‘ if they offer him rotation agreement
Rare move by Joint List in bid to ‚end the Netanyahu era‘ could give Kahol Lavan leader first chance at forming coalition ■ Lieberman: ‚Joint List members are enemies‘
All eyes are on Yisrael Beiteinu‘s Avigdor Lieberman and the Joint List, comprised of four Arab-majority parties, in order to gauge Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz‘s chances at unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Neither parties have announced officially whether they would recommend Gantz to the president, and are expected to make their decisions public later Sunday.
The poll also contains good news for Netanyahu – it has the far-right Otzma Yehudit party passing the electoral threshold and receiving four seats, giving the right-wing bloc led by Likud 59 seats without the support of Avigdor Lieberman‘s Yisrael Beiteinu – close to the 61 required to create a coalition, with the center-left bloc garnering 54 seats.
55 [55] Center-Left-Arab Bloc (Have ruled out nominating Netanyahu for PM)
54 [60] Right-Religious Bloc (Have ruled out nominating Gantz for PM)
11 [05] Pushing Unity Government (Liberman)
Yair Lapid, the co-chair of opposition party Kahol Lavan, said on Sunday that he believes a unity government headed by his outfit is the „right thing for Israel.“
Lapid said he would agree to form a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to comments made by former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Saturday.
As it stands, Kahol Lavan maintains a lead of only three seats.
The poll also shows that if the elections were to take place today, six parties would teeter on the brink of the electoral threshold. Avigdor Lieberman‘s Yisrael Beiteinu, the United Arab List-Balad, Meretz, Moshe Feiglin‘s Zehut party and Naftali Bennet and Ayelet Shaked‘s Hayamin Hehadash would all make the minimum four seats needed to enter Knesset.