Israel Has A New Government, and For the First Time since 12 Years of Netanyahu, Israel has a New PM, Naftali Bennet. The government was sworn in during a special Knesset assembly on Sunday afternoon. The event, which was widely broadcast, was ugly, loud and the address of the new PM Bennet to The Knesset and the Israeli public was brutally and constantly interrupted by members of the Likud party (which Netanyahu leads).
While the government was sworn-in, thousands of people celebrated all over the country, Rabin Square in Tel Aviv held the main celebratory event. Many of those who gathered took part in the weekly protest against Netanyahu in front of the PM residence in Jerusalem, also known as “Balfour” after the name of the street where it is located. Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who is now the head of the opposition, and his family still live there, and continue to hold meetings with local and international leaders. Since there is no clear protocol, and there is no constitution to regulate matters, each PM who loses power acts differently. Netanyahu’s close allies have stated that it will take the family a few more weeks to leave the residence. Meanwhile, the new PM said he wishes to continue living in his private home in Ra’anana, while his small children, four of them, attend local schools. Either way, the PM residence became a key symbol of the divisions in Israeli society, especially for those who wanted Netanyahu to step down due to the corruption that is reflected in the indictments and his ongoing trial.
The new coalition is composed of 8 parties including right of center, left and Arabs. In the new government there are a record number of women, 9 out of 26 in total, and a record number of women in the cabinet, three. There is a major challenge faced by all the different partners to agree upon the manner, the content and the priorities to be tackled. The first main challenge will be to pass a state budget in the next three months.Escalation on the Gaza-Israel Border Following the Flag March: the Israeli Airforce attacked targets in the north and center of the Gaza strip, in retaliation for the launch of incendiary balloons towards Israeli communities near the border. The launch of incendiary balloons, for the first time since the ceasefire that ended the recent Wall Keeper operation in Gaza, was Hamas’ response to the Flag March that took place earlier this week in Jerusalem. At this point, both the IDF chief of staff, as well as Hamas leaders, announced that they are ready for yet another round of fighting.
The flag march, originally scheduled to take place last week, only days before the swearing in of the new government, was postponed, but not cancelled, by the former security cabinet, despite warnings from senior security officials that a march through the streets of the Old City in Jerusalem may well lead to eruptions of violence, at the Gaza border, in mixed cities within Israel, and the launch of missiles at Israeli communities. The new minister of homeland security, Omer Barlev (Labor) decided not to cancel the march, but to divert its course, so that it will not go through the Nablus Gate and the Muslim quarter in the old city. To keep the public order and prevent violent clashes between Jewish right-wing nationalists and Palestinian demonstrators, the police ordered all Palestinian business owners to close their shops hours ahead of the march, and mobilized 2,000 policemen to accompany some 5,000 people who participated in the march, including right wing members of Knesset. Some of the marchers were caught on camera chanting “death to Arabs”, “May your village burn”, and other Islamophobic slogans. Seventeen people, all Palestinian, were detained by the police.The Nablus Gate to the Old City of Jerusalem has been a focus of friction between Palestinian residents and the Israeli police for some time. A year ago, a young autistic man, Iyad Halak, was shot dead by a border police officer. His death caused a public uproar, with calls from human rights groups and activists to bring the officer to justice. Earlier this week, the border police officer was charged with negligent manslaughter and will stand trial, following an investigation that showed that the officer shot Iyad twice, mistaking him for a terrorist. The second, fatal shot, was fired when he was on the ground and presented no threat.
New US Ambassador to Israel Nominated: Thomas Nides is the US administration’s nominee to serve as the next ambassador to Israel. Nides, former Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, most recently served as managing director and vice-chairman of Morgan Stanley. Nides’ appointment requires a Senate confirmation hearing, but analysts believe that no significant opposition is expected. His appointment, once approved, will come after a six-month period with no US ambassador to Israel, after former US Ambassador David Freidman stepped down following the election of President Biden.
End of COVID-19 Era in Israel: for the first time since March 2020, the ministry of health lifted the mandatory use of face masks in closed public spaces. This, follows the steady decline in all COVID-19 indicators, from the number of new active cases to that of severe cases still hospitalized. According to ministry of health officials, most new cases are caused by people entering Israel from abroad. While it appears that for now, Israel has entered a COVID-19 free era, leading politicians and freedom of information advocates are now calling for opening the minutes of the Corona cabinet to the public. Former PM Netanyahu was the one who insisted that the minutes remain sealed for a period of 30 years, a decision that caused a public outcry, as well as open criticism from the former and current minister of defense, Benny Gantz.
The Hebrew Book Fair is Back After a One Year Suspension Due to COVID-19. The first Hebrew Book week was held in 1926. Starting in 1961 it became an annual 10 day event that includes book fairs all over the country selling books for bargain prices. The main fair is in Tel Aviv and it includes tens of publishers and thousands of books of all genre and types, fiction, non-fiction, for adults and children alike. It is consider a major celebration for books and authors.
Hebrew book week in Tel Aviv. Photo credit: Anat Saragusti
For more reading:
Politics: Here, here, here, here
Gaza and flag march: Here, here, here, here, and here
US ambassador: Here, here, here
Book Week: Here