The Political Deadlock Negatively Impacts Government Function: Due to the fact that Netanyahu has not as yet succeeded in establishing a coalition, the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) cannot start working in terms of nominating MKs (members of Knesset) to the committees. According to the Israeli system, the key to nominating MKs to the committees depends on the power of each party in the coalition.
Until that happens the Knesset can only form three committees that are essential for the functioning of the transition government. The main/general committee that oversees the procedures of the Knesset according to its bylaws, the finance committee and the state security committee.
The vote on the representation for the general committee, how many seats each party will get, did not go according to Netanyahu’s plan, and his party lost the political battle. As an act of revenge, the head of the committee, from the Likud (Netanyahu’s party), refused to establish the 2 other committees and as a result the whole functioning of the Knesset is on hold.
The victory of the Bloc for Change, the anti-Netanyahu bloc, was vocal and echoed strongly on social media.
Netanyahu has ten more days to try and establish a coalition, if he fails, the mandate may be given to one of his political rivals, or he may be given an extension of fourteen more days by the president.
Meanwhile, in order to try and avoid losing power, Netanyahu and his political allies have invented a new deal: change the law to enable a direct vote only for PM by the Knesset. That is unlikely to succeed as the proposal needs a majority of the Knesset to support the new legislation. This is not likely to happen within the 10 days left to form a new government.
At the heart of the deadlock is the challenge to square the circle and gather together in a single coalition the anti-Arab party from the extreme-right and the parties that represent the Arab community in Israel.
Violent Clashes Between Jews and Arabs in Jaffa and Jerusalem – Police Make Several Arrests: violent clashes in downtown Jerusalem continue, as groups of Jewish youth attack Arabs in the streets, in retaliation for attacks against Haredi Jews on the city’s light train. This, while tensions were already high between Arab residents of East Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Police, who have blocked the access to the stairs leading to the Damascus Gate in the Old City, since the beginning of Ramadan. In Jaffa, an attack on the Rabbi of a Jewish Yeshiva, sparked violent clashes between Jewish and Arab residents, and once again sparked a heated public debate on the process of “the Judaization of Jaffa”, whereby Jewish religious groups and “intentional communities” (groups of young adults and families who receive government funding to relocate to underserved and poor neighborhoods) gain access to properties in the heart of predominantly Arab neighborhoods. Israeli reporters and TV crews, covering the clashes in Jerusalem, were attacked by Jewish youth, and criticized the police for not taking any action against the attacking youth. As violence continued and escalated, Jerusalem has seen one the most difficult evenings in recent years; the police used stun grenades and sponge bullets to disperse the Jewish and Arab protesters. Dozens were injured, and the police made several arrests. Protests and vigils will continue over the weekend.
Netanyahu’s Trial: The Prosecution Ended Direct Examination of their First Witness. The court took a recess for two weeks for the defense to prepare for the cross examination. The witness, an ex-CEO of the second most distributed news-site in Israel, Walla, had recordings and text messages that demonstrated intense pressure on the website editors by the owners of the website for positive coverage of Netanyahu and his family, because, allegedly they were threatened by Netanyahu, his wife and his oldest son that if they did not deliver positive coverage, Netanyahu, in his position as minister of communications would not sign and would not approve a business merger that would have benefitted the website owners by tens of millions. Netanyahu did agree to the merger, and the prosecution is trying to prove a quid pro quo, the bribery deal.
Screenshots of tweets reporting on Netanyahu’s trial
Disabled IDF Veterans Take to the Streets of Tel Aviv in Protest at Government Failure to Address Rehabilitation Needs: traffic on the Ayalon highway came to a standstill for several hours earlier this week, as army veterans, who endured physical and emotional injuries in battle, demonstrated in the heart of Tel Aviv, against the policies and practices of the rehabilitation unit of the Ministry of Defense. This, while Itzik Sa’adiyan, the IDF veteran suffering from PTSD who self immolated, remains hospitalized in the ICU in critical condition. The protest received broad public support, as the media published several stories of the rehabilitation unit probing into veterans’ personal files in elementary and high school, seeking to prove that they suffered from “previous emotional conditions” before being drafted. The protests and public uproar have proven effective; the Ministry of Defense was quick to reveal its plan, named “One Soul”, for the rehabilitation of war veterans suffering from PTSD.
A Long Range Syrian Ballistic Missile Caused Serious Alarm in Israel Wednesday Night. The missile reached southern Israel, not far from the Israeli nuclear reactor near the town of Dimona. Israeli fighter jets attacked targets in Syria in retaliation. This is considered to be a serious event, since it revealed that Syria has the capability for long range heavyweight missiles, that Syria can target strategic sites in Israel, and that sensitive Israeli locations are exposed to possible long range attacks.
Screenshots of tweets reporting on the Syrian anti-aircraft missile landing in Israel
For Further Reading
The Political Deadlock: Here, here, here
Disabled IDF Veterans: Here, here, here, here, here, and here
Violence in Jerusalem and Jaffa: Here, here, here, here, and here