The government coalition lost the vote and Palestinian families will now be able to apply for family reunification after 17 years. The renewal of the Citizenship and Entry Into Israel Law did not get a majority in the Knesset, even after many attempts by the Minister of the Interior to make changes that would enable even the Arab members of the coalition to support the law. The vote reflected the challenges that the new coalition is facing, especially on issues of values and ideology. Thousands of families, where one spouse is an Israeli citizen and the other is a Palestinian from the West Bank or Gaza, will now be able to apply for permanent residence status in Israel. The law was first applied 17 years ago, based on security requirements, at a time of multiple violent suicide attacks by Palestinians against Israelis. The law was meant to close the door to Palestinians obtaining permanent civil status in Israel based on marriage to Israeli citizens, and then, exploiting that status to commit terrorist actions. Later it also reflected the wishes of the Jews to preserve the Jewish majority in Israel. The opposition, led by Netanyahu and the Likud party voted against the law although they presented it and supported it for the last 17 years. They support both the demographic elements and the security basis of the law. They explained that they opposed the law because they wanted to show the fragility and the absurdity of the new coalition.
The Minister of the Treasury announced that he will halt subsidies for Haredi daycare, to encourage husbands to join the work market and provide for their families. The state gives subsidies to Haredi families in which the husband is a Yeshiva student and doesn’t work. The arrangement was part of the demands of the Haredi parties for joining the previous coalition. It is intended to help keep their traditions and community culture alive, by enabling the men to study scripture all day, because this is an essential part of the Jewish tradition. But many claim that these subsidies encourage the men in the Haredi community not to work, and therefore sentences their families to poverty, and to become dependent on tax payer money. The practice has its roots in the very first coalition where, at the time, 400 Haredi men constituted the sum total of full time scholars. Minister of Treasury Liberman is known for his stern approach towards the Haredi. He expressed his views against this community, which is, in his opinion, using their political power to be dependent on the secular majority to support them. Analysts claim that this announcement was meant, among other things, to pressure the Haredi political leaders into joining the coalition.
After Years of Cold Israel-Jordan relations, PM Bennet and King Abdullah II of Jordan Meet: according to a breaking report by an Israeli news website, PM Bennet and King Abdullah II held a secret meeting last week in the royal palace in Amann. The meeting came after five years of disconnect between the leaders of the two countries, and was “very positive”, according to a former senior Israeli official. The exclusive news report was released after Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with his Jordanian counterpart earlier this week. Following the meetings, Israel has agreed to sell Jordan 50 million cubic metes of water and allow a considerable increase in Jordanian export potential to the West Bank, in accordance with the framework of the Paris Protocol, the economic framework for commerce between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
COVID-19: With a Spike in New Cases, Health Officials Warn of a Lockdown During the High Holidays: this week saw a rise in new cases, and a moderate increase in the number of severe cases. Health officials say that by next week Israel will reach 1000 new daily cases. The Corona Cabinet, comprised of 12 ministers, convened this week to discuss the measures to be taken to curb the spread of the virus, especially the Delta variant. While senior health officials recommend re-imposing certain restrictions, the cabinet emphasized that the focus should be on the number of severe cases, rather than overall infection rates. Yet, the cabinet agreed to impose some measures, such as rapid testing in geriatric centers and summer camps, as well as mandatory quarantine for those returning from abroad, until they show a negative COVID-19 test result. The cabinet did not however, stipulate when this measure will take effect. An inoculation drive for children and youth aged 12 to 15 years continues. Israeli officials are considering the administration of the Pfizer third booster shot, once approved by the FDA.
Isaac Herzog, Israel’s 11th President, Was Sworn in Earlier This Week, in a Ceremonial Session in The Knesset. In his presidential acceptance speech, Herzog expressed his commitment “to be president for all” and fulfil the mission of addressing political divisions and polarization that pose a threat to the country’s resilience. While many commended the incoming president for his speech and his public stance regarding the need to reconnect to a shared ethos and values, others criticized him for his decision to hire Naor Ihia, former spokesman for PM Netanyahu, as his spokesman. For the tens of thousands involved in the Balfur protests, Ihia is perceived as responsible for the toxic and inflammatory messages that came out of the former PM residence, calling the protestors anarchists, traitors, and spreaders of COVID-19. Activists protested Herzog’s decision outside the Knesset during the inauguration ceremony, and later near the presidential residence in Jerusalem, claiming that his choice of a spokesman was contrary to his public statements regarding the need to “lower the flames, and calm things down”. Neither president Herzog nor his new spokesman expressed any regrets regarding the inciteful messaging towards the protest movement. Herzog’s attempt to arrange a meeting with what he referred to as “the protest leaders” was turned down by the activists, who claimed that a grassroots protest movement has no appointed leaders.
For further reading:
President Herzog: Here, here, here