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Is Israel’s Political Drama Coming to an End?

Benny Gantz Elected Speaker, Joins Netanyahu. Blue and White Party Disintegrates
Former Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz has joined with Likud and has been elected Speaker of the Knesset. This paved the way for the unity government. He was supported by the right wing bloc. Yesh Atid, Labor and Yisrael Beytenu MKs boycotted the vote which was 74-18 in favor of Gantz. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will initially serve as Prime Minister in rotation with Gantz.

The factions of Yair Lapid and Moshe Ya’alon submitted their requests to break away from the Blue and White party today in response to party chairman Gantz’s candidacy for the Knesset Speaker position. This broke up Blue and White.

The purpose of the move Gantz initiated in coordination with senior Likud officials was to prevent the disintegration of negotiations to form a unity government. AFSI applauds the formation of a Unity Government. We are regaining hope in the formation of a solid government in Israel that can deal with the pressing issues of the day.

Yuli Edelstein Resigns
ICYMI (In case you missed it): In a bombshell yesterday, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein announced that he was resigning. He chose to quit rather than calling a vote on his own replacement, as ordered by the Israeli Supreme Court in total disregard of the Knesset. This delayed the vote on his position until Monday, allowing time for the Unity negotiations to continue. The Supreme Court was issuing orders to the Knesset on how to govern. This overreaching by the Court was a source of great consternation in Israel and could have been extremely destructive.

Former Speaker of the House, Yuli Edelstein, had this to say: “As someone who has paid a personal price of years in a labor camp for the right to live in the State of Israel, as a Zionist and as the speaker of this house, I won’t allow Israel to descend into anarchy, I won’t lend a hand to civil war.” (Edelstein spent three years in a Soviet gulag.)

Sources:
Blue and White splitting after Benny Gantz elected Knesset Speaker by Gil Hoffman. Jerusalem Post – March 26, 2020

In bombshell, Yuli Edelstein resigns to avoid calling vote on new speaker by Raoul Wootliff.
Times of Israel – March 25, 2020

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New Threat Made: Hold Israel Responsible

While Hamas is making significant efforts to prevent a full-scale outbreak of the coronavirus, they couldn’t resist an opportunity to threaten Israel. They plan to hold Israel “responsible” if the virus begins to spread. The Hamas threat implies rocket fire on Israeli cities if Hamas officials begin losing control of the situation.

For now, Hamas appears to have the situation under control but it could change quickly due to Gaza’s poor living conditions and insufficient health-care system. Cautioned Dr. Col. (ret.) Reuven Erlich, director of the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, “The density of the population, the difficult conditions, the refugee camps, the sanitation—it means there is a danger of the virus spreading. The Hamas regime could lose control.”

Source:
Hamas seeks to prevent spread of virus in Gaza, while threatening to hold Israel responsible if it fails by Yaakov Lappin. JNS – March 25, 2020

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New Committee Chairman TBA is Cause for Concern

The Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee deals with many issues related to the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the rehabilitation of disabled IDF veterans and families of victims of war and terror. It also controls the IDF soldiers’ pay regulations. As of this week, chairmanship of the committee has been awarded to the Joint Arab List.

The committee is expected to include four Blue and White members, four Likud, two from the Joint Arab List including the committee chairman, and one representative each from all the other Knesset factions. The Arab list has yet to make a decision on which of its MKs will chair the committee.

This committee has been a home to the victims of terrorism. The legislation that helped the children whose two parents were murdered was made there, and many more bills and amendments.” ~Meir Indor, Almagor Terror Victims Association.

We can only hope that with the formation of the Unity government and the collapse of Blue and White, the make-up and leadership of these committees will be reconsidered.

Sources:
Joint Arab List Gets Chairmanship of Committee Dealing with Compensating Terror Victims by David Israel. The Jewish Press – March 24, 2020

Joint List MK sends Arab Mother’s Day greetings to terror moms by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – March 25, 2020

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World Zionist Congress Voting Results – WE WON!!!

The American Zionist Movement, which administered the US Election for the 38th World Zionist Congress, published a statement today on results from the recent election.

The seven-week US election for the World Zionist Congress garnered almost 124,000 votes, more than double the turnout of the last election in 2015 and the highest number of votes since the election began for the entire American Jewish community 30 years ago.

AFSI members are thrilled that the the right-wing coalitions came in ahead of the left-wing. This means we now have GREAT SUPPORT for issues dealing with Judea and Samaria, along with everything else we care and love about Israel!!

Preliminary results:
Vote Reform: 31,500
Orthodox Israel Coalition – Mizrachi: 21,698
Eretz Hakodesh: 20,023
MERCAZ USA: 14,666
ZOA Coalition: 10,313
American Forum for Israel: 8,132
Hatikvah: 7,932
Shas Olami: 2,046
Kol Yisrael: 1,752
Dorshei Torah V’Tziyon: 1,373
Herut Zionists: 1,157
Vision: 1,036
Americans4Israel: 857
Israel Shelanu: 769
Ohavei Zion: 375
2020 TOTAL AS OF THIS WRITING: 123,629

Source:
American Zionist Movement preliminary results by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – March 23, 2020

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Israel’s Generous Gesture to Aid in Battling Coronavirus

Israeli generic drug giant Teva announced Friday that it will provide ten million doses of its anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. This drug could potentially prove effective in fighting the coronavirus pandemic will be sent to US hospitals free of charge.

The company said six million doses will be delivered to US hospitals by March 31, and more than ten million in a month.

“We are committed to helping to supply as many tablets as possible as demand for this treatment accelerates at no cost,” Teva executive vice president Brendan O’Grady said.

Source:
Teva to send US millions of malaria pills with potential to help COVID-19 by AFP and TOI Staff – March 20, 2020

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Refuah Shlema – Your Prayers Are Needed For Our Friends in Israel

Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi on Saturday night said that there are 23 members in the Efrat community who tested positive for the coronavirus. All of them live in the Tamar neighborhood.

“I need you to keep davening and keep doing mitzvahs,” Eli Beer said in a video before being put under sedation. We ask our readers to have AFSI friend and colleague, Eli Beer – Eliezer Yehuda ben Chaya, in mind for a refuah shlema. He is on a respirator and though listed in serious condition, he is stable.

Americans For A Safe Israel prays that everyone in Israel, and worldwide, who has been diagnosed by the coronavirus, have a complete and speedy recovery. AMEN, AMEN.

Sources:
Efrat mayor: 23 confirmed coronavirus patients by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – March 21, 2020

Coronavirus: United Hatzalah’s Eli Beer intubated in Miami hospital by Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman. Jerusalem Post – March 22, 2020

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Formation of Israel’s Gov’t Making Progress

In breaking news just moments ago, Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz has agreed to a unity government in which Benjamin Netanyahu will serve as prime minister first.

Former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi reportedly supports the compromise, but party leaders Yair Lapid and Moshe Ya’alon are opposed to any deal which would allow Netanyahu to remain in office. The dispute could lead to the breakup of the Blue and White party.

Source:
Gantz agrees: Netanyahu to be PM first by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – March 19, 2020

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If Gantz Formed A Government…..

Don’t recognize the photo shown here? It’s MK Heba Yazbak of the Joint Arab List. Here’s what we know about her:

Past Arabic interviews given by Yazbak reveal her battle against Zionism and ambition to eliminate Zionism and the State of Israel’s Jewish and Zionist character.

Said Yazbak about the Joint Arab List, “This plan opposes and fights the country’s Zionism and prides itself of divesting the country of its Jewish and Zionist existence, and at the same time preserves our national identity, without sacrificing full citizenship…”

Yazbak has praised terrorists who murdered Israelis, including expressing regret over the elimination of terrorist Samir Kuntar, who smashed the skull of 4 year-old Einat Haran in the 1979 Nahariya terror attack, and whom she called a “hero.”

WAKE UP! Unfamiliar photos and names along with exposing their documented hatred of Israel could be the norm in AFSI newsletters if Gantz formed a government. Unfortunately, a small segment of the Israeli people, and IDF leaders who fought vigorously to defend Israel and the right for Jews to live in freedom and security, sided with Gantz. We pray that this segment of Israelis will come to their senses and understand the real danger that lies ahead if Gantz were to succeed.

Source:
Heba Yazbak: ‘We’ll divest Israel of its Jewishness and Zionism’ by Dalit halevi. Arutz Sheva – March 18, 2020

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A Promise Kept in Judea and Samaria

The young community of Nofei Nehemiah was connected to the national electricity grid on Sunday. This good news comes three weeks after Prime Minister Netanyahu approved attaching the outposts to electricity and water infrastructure.

Nofei Nehemiah chairman Barak Farkash said: “We are very excited, beyond the individual delight of Nofei Nehemiah, there is a general elation of the young community here. This is an important and groundbreaking move that hasn’t taken place for a while in Judea and Samaria. We are happy to be the first groundbreakers.”

Source:
Netanyahu makes good on promise to Judea and Samaria communities by Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva – March 19, 2020

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Top Priority: What Cooperation Looks Like

Israel and the PA have set up a joint operations room to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Revealed by PA government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem, this was also confirmed by a Defense Ministry official.

“Our shared borders and relations do not leave room for hesitation to take severe measures and cooperate on the highest levels to prevent the spread of the virus,” Milhem said Tuesday.

After the cornonavirus pandemic dies down, what does the future hold for continued cooperation on the part of the Arabs respecting Israel’s legal right to exist as a safe and Sovereign nation? It remains to be seen what this major health crisis teach the detractors of Israel.

Source:
Israel, Palestinians set up joint operations room to combat coronavirus by Khaled Abu Toameh. Jerusalem Post – March 18, 2020

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