YAIR LAPID

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel’s fragile governing coalition faced a crisis on Wednesday after Bedouins staged protests against tree-planting by nationalists on disputed land in the Negev desert. Some protesters on Tuesday evening hurled stones at vehicles on a highway near Beersheba, blocked the railway line and torched a vehicle. The conflict over planting trees in the Negev in southern Israel - home to Bedouin villages unrecognized by the state - has divided the government. Ra’am, the Islamist party, secured four seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in last year’s elections, with strong support among Bedouin citizens of Israel. They range from the small Islamist and liberal parties to ultranationalists, and were united only in their opposition to longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel’s fragile governing coalition has moved to resolve a crisis over tree-planting on disputed land in the Negev desert.

Iran Nuclear FILE - Palais Coburg, where closed-door nuclear talks take place in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 17, 2021. Iran is insisting that the United States and its allies promise to allow Tehran to export its crude as negotiations on restoring the tattered nuclear deal are to resume in Vienna. Iran's foreign minister said on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, that Tehran wants the upcoming round of talks to focus on achieving unfettered access to oil revenue. Speaking in Tehran ahead of the talks' resumption, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Iran wants the upcoming round of talks to focus on its sanctions-hit oil industry. The aim is to get to the “point where Iranian oil is being sold easily and without any barriers and its money arrives in Iran’s bank accounts,” he said.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — The Israeli government on Wednesday said it was donating 1 million coronavirus vaccines to the U.N.-backed COVAX program. The Foreign Ministry said the AstraZeneca vaccines would be transferred in the coming weeks, a decision that was part of Israel's strengthening ties with the African countries. The announcement said the vaccines would reach close to a quarter of African countries, though it did not provide a list. Israel has close ties with a number of African nations, including Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. COVAX is a global initiative that aims to provide coronavirus vaccines to poorer nations.

The Foreign Ministry said the AstraZenica vaccines would be transferred in the coming weeks, a decision that was part of Israel's strengthening ties with the African countries. The announcement said the vaccines would reach close to a quarter of African countries, though it did not provide a list. Israel has close ties with a number of African nations, including Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. COVAX is a global initiative that aims to provide coronavirus vaccines to poorer nations. Since then, Israel has vaccinated tens of thousands of Palestinians who work in Israel and its settlements, and the Palestinians have procured vaccines from COVAX and other sources.

Israel’s prime minister in waiting wants zero tolerance toward Jewish terrorism. Whether he can bring his own coalition on board with that stance is an open question.

The long-delayed resumption of nuclear talks with Iran has gotten off to a rough start.

An Israeli couple held by Turkey on suspicion of espionage has returned home after they were released from a weeklong detention.

ISTANBUL — (AP) — An Israeli married couple were arrested for espionage late Friday after taking photographs of the Turkish president’s residence in Istanbul, Turkey’s official news agency said. The employee claimed they were taking photographs of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s nearby home from the tower’s restaurant earlier this week. They were formally arrested pending trial for “political and military espionage” by an Istanbul court. In a statement issued late Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid denied the couple work for an “Israeli agency.” He said his department has been in regular contact with the pair and is trying to organize their release. Citing their lawyer, it said they were taking photographs of the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce Palace while taking a ferry.

An Israeli married couple were arrested for espionage late Friday after taking photographs of the Turkish president’s residence in Istanbul, Turkey’s official news agency said. Anadolu Agency said a Turkish national was also arrested. Police detained them after a tip off from an employee working in the Camlica radio and television tower on the Asian side of Istanbul.

A Palestinian doctor living in Canada is back in Israel, seeking justice for his three daughters and a niece killed in 2009 by a direct Israeli strike on his house in Gaza.

JERUSALEM — (AP) — Top Israeli defense officials say the country is preparing for the possibility of an armed conflict with regional arch-rival Iran and its proxies. Israeli army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi said Tuesday that the Israeli military was “speeding up the operational plans and readiness for dealing with Iran and the nuclear military threat.”Israel considers Iran an existential threat, and has warned that it would act with military force if needed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. His remarks came following a string of reported Israeli airstrikes in Syria. Israel has staged hundreds of strikes on Iran-linked military targets in neighboring Syria in the past decade, but rarely acknowledges its operations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Top Israeli defense officials say the country is preparing for the possibility of an armed conflict with regional arch-rival Iran and its proxies. Israeli army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi said Tuesday that the Israeli military was “speeding up the operational plans and readiness for dealing with Iran and the nuclear military threat.” Israel considers Iran an existential threat, and has warned that it would act with military force if needed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The Palestinians have slammed Israel for rejecting the promised reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has watched from the sidelines as the government that toppled him after 12 years in power passed a national budget, dealing a major blow to his hopes of a swift comeback.

Israel’s energy minister has been able to attend the global climate summit after police initially prevented her from reaching the venue.

Sweden’s foreign minister is visiting Israel in an effort to mend ties after years in which the two countries have been at odds over the conflict with the Palestinians.

Iran has hinted it’s ready to return to indirect negotiations with the U.S. but has not yet committed to a date. This has alarmed U.S. officials who fear that if such activity continues, a return to the 2015 deal may be pointless. But he said enough time had already passed for Raisi and his team, which took office in August, to prepare. “I think we need to focus on a quick resumption of talks (and) suspension of these activities by Iran." “We are prepared to turn to other options if Iran doesn’t change course, and these consultations with our allies and partners are part of it.

The United States and its closest partners are stepping up pressure on Iran to return to stalled nuclear negotiations, warning that it will face greater international isolation, new economic penalties and possibly military action if does not.

The Biden administration tries to build on accords between Israel and a few Arab or Muslim nations as Blinken hosts officials from Israel and the UAE.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — The United States and Israel said Wednesday they are exploring a “Plan B” for dealing with Iran if the Islamic Republic does not return in good faith to negotiations to salvage the languishing landmark 2015 nuclear deal. The remarks were a rare acknowledgment by the U.S. that it is looking at what to do in the event diplomacy with Iran fails. Iran has also continued to blow through limits on it nuclear activities that had been constrained by the deal. But, it takes two to engage in diplomacy, and we have not seen from Iran a willingness to do that at this point." Lapid was more blunt, raising anew Israel's warnings that it will act, with military force if necessary, to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The United States and Israel say they are exploring a “Plan B” for dealing with Iran if the Islamic Republic does not return in good faith to negotiations to salvage the languishing landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Israel Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, left, and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speak at a cabinet meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Jerusalem on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP) (Abir Sultan)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israel's foreign minister headed to Bahrain on Thursday, the first high-level visit to the small Gulf state by a senior Israeli official since the signing last year of a landmark agreement to establish diplomatic ties. It will be the first official visit by an Israeli Cabinet member. After Lapid lands, Bahrain carrier Gulf Air will launch its first direct flight between Manama and Tel Aviv. The Israeli diplomatic delegation was to meet with its Bahraini counterparts and sign a raft of agreements to further cement bilateral ties.

Israel and Bahrain have cemented their year-old agreement to establish diplomatic ties.

As Europe’s economic powerhouse Germany embarks on the task of piecing together a new ruling coalition after Sunday’s knife-edge election, observers need only look to its neighbors, Belgium and the Netherlands, to see how tricky the process can be.

Israel says it carried out the strikes in response to three separate rockets launched toward it.

Israeli aircraft struck a series of targets in the Gaza Strip while Palestinian militants launched rockets into Israel in the third consecutive night of fighting between the sides.

Speaking to foreign journalists, Yair Lapid said the government has only limited control over how defense exports are used by customers. Yet he said that Israel is committed to enforcing and strengthening safeguards to prevent abuse of all types of weapons. In late July, the ministry said it had sent a team to meet with NSO representatives after France said it was looking into suspicions that President Emmanuel Macron may have been targeted by Moroccan security agents using Pegasus spyware. Morocco has denied the allegations, and NSO has said Macron’s phone was not targeted. Lapid, saying he was aware of the “rumors” about NSO, compared cyber exports to traditional arms sales.

Algeria has formally broken off diplomatic relations with neighboring Morocco, with the foreign minister citing a series of alleged hostile acts.

The White House says Israel's new prime minister is coming to Washington next week, with Iran and Israel's relationship with the Palestinians on the agenda.

APTOPIX Israel Wildfires A man films wildfires burning for the second day near Shoresh, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Israel Fire and Rescue service said in a statement that 45 firefighting teams accompanied by eight planes were working to contain five fires in the forested hills west of the city. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) (Maya Alleruzzo)JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israeli firefighters worked for a third consecutive day on Tuesday to contain a wildfire that has consumed a large swath of forest west of Jerusalem and threatened several communities. Hot, dry weather and short winters in recent years have left the wooded hills near Jerusalem especially prone to wildfires. The blaze that began Sunday has cloaked Jerusalem in a pall of thick black smoke.

Israel’s national fire chief says a massive wildfire that has consumed a large swath of forest west of Jerusalem has been brought under control.

WARSAW, Poland — (AP) — Poland's government said Monday that its ambassador to Israel will remain in Poland until further notice after Israel downgraded diplomatic ties with Warsaw and strongly criticized a new Polish law that restricts the rights of Holocaust survivors to reclaim property seized by the country’s former communist regime. Israel also suggested that the Polish ambassador, who was on vacation in Poland, not return to Israel. An earlier crisis broke out in 2018 over a Polish law that would have criminalized false claims of Poland collaborating with Nazi Germany. Israel saw it as an attempt to whitewash Polish crimes against Jews during the Holocaust. Israel says Poles today are profiting from the homes and business which were taken first by Nazis and then by the Polish communist regime.

Poland’s government says its ambassador to Israel will remain in Poland until further notice.

Israel has appealed to its international allies for help in fighting wildfires raging outside of Jerusalem.

Israeli leaders on Monday appealed to their international allies as firefighters battled wildfires near Jerusalem for a second day after the blaze forced hundreds of residents from their homes. Israel Fire and Rescue service said that 75 firefighting teams accompanied by 12 planes were working to contain a series of fires in the forested hills west of the city. At least 17 square kilometers (6.5 square miles) of forest have already burned, according to official tallies, making it one of the largest wildfires in the country's history.

Poland Restitution Law FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2016, file photo is Prozna Street, in the heart of what was Warsaw's Jewish quarter before World War II, in Warsaw, Poland. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File) (Czarek Sokolowski)WARSAW, Poland — (AP) — Israel recalled its top diplomat from Poland on Saturday after the Polish president signed a law that restricts the rights of former Polish property owners, including Holocaust survivors and their descendants, to regain property seized by the country’s communist regime. He said the new Israeli ambassador to Poland, who was scheduled to leave for Warsaw, will remain in Israel. “Poland today approved — not for the first time — an immoral, antisemitic law,” Lapid said. The Israel Foreign Ministry also said it was recommending that the Polish ambassador, who is on vacation, not return to Israel.

Israel is condemning Poland’s approval of a law that restricts the rights of former Polish property owners, including Holocaust survivors and their descendants, to reclaim property seized by the country’s former communist regime.

Poland is facing a more difficult relationship with two of its key allies after lawmakers passed two bills which the government had been warned to drop.

Israel’s foreign minister has arrived in Morocco on a mission to strengthen ties with the North African country less than a year after they signed a deal to normalize relations

Artem Dolgopyat fulfilled a lifelong dream of winning a gold medal for Israel, but trading gold wedding bands in Israel seems to be an impossible dream.

A Briton and Romanian were killed in the attack on the Israeli-linked oil tanker Mercer Street in the Gulf, off the coast of Oman.

The draft regulations have drawn strong criticism from Israel and from Jewish organizations who say the new administrative law would prevent Jewish claims for compensation or property seized during the Holocaust and communist times. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the legislation will “severely damage our relations with Poland.” If adopted, the changes would prevent property ownership and other administrative decisions from being declared void after 30 years.

Israel Politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, chairs the weekly cabinet meeting as Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, looks on, at the Knesset in Jerusalem Monday, July 19, 2021. Most of the new coronavirus cases are of the delta variant, which has spread even among those vaccinated. The vast majority of the new cases in the past month have shown only mild symptoms, but at least 73 people have had serious cases of COVID-19. That is well below the more than 1,000 serious cases treated each day at the height of the pandemic, but up from 19 in mid-June. “Our challenge is clear: all Israelis who can get vaccinated, should go get vaccinated,” Bennett said.

Israel’s prime minister is calling upon hundreds of thousands of citizens who have not yet been vaccinated against the coronavirus to get the shot.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the head of Unilever on Tuesday that Israel will “act aggressively” against Ben & Jerry’s over the subsidiary's decision to stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem.

Ben & Jerry’s said Monday it was going to stop selling its ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem, saying the sales in the territories sought by the Palestinians are “inconsistent with our values.” The announcement was one of the strongest and highest-profile rebukes by a well-known company of Israel’s policy of settling its citizens on war-won lands. In a statement posted on the company’s website, the Vermont-based ice cream maker says it recognizes “the concerns shared with us by our fans and trusted partners.”

Israel's foreign minister announced Monday he will soon visit Morocco on a trip aimed at cementing the budding diplomatic ties between the two countries. The trip by Yair Lapid, expected in mid-August, will mark the first visit to Morocco by an Israeli foreign minister since the two countries re-established ties last year. “This visit will be the starting point for tourism and trade agreements, and for comprehensive economic and political cooperation between the two countries,” Lapid told members of his Yesh Atid party.

Israeli's foreign minister acknowledged Wednesday during his first state visit to the United Arab Emirates that when tensions flare in Jerusalem, it reverberates across the region. “Nobody is denying the fact that tensions in Jerusalem endanger the entire area,” Yair Lapid told reporters in Dubai. It was the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the UAE since the two countries agreed to establish full ties nine months ago.

Search and rescue teams from Miami-Dade are considered among the best and most experienced in the world. The rescuers are searching urgently for the scores of souls buried beneath the fallen 12-story wing of the Champlain Towers condo building. (June 29)

Israel Emirates FILE - In this June 27, 2021, file photo, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid meets with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's expected meeting in Abu Dhabi with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan is likely to include discussion about Iran, which both countries view as a top regional threat. On Sunday, Lapid met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome and later with Bahrain's foreign minister, among others. The Israeli foreign ministry says he is also attending a trade expo where Israeli companies are exhibiting technology. More than 200,000 Israeli tourists have traveled to the UAE, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has said.

Israel’s new foreign minister is in the United Arab Emirates on the first high-level trip by an Israeli official to the Gulf Arab state since the two countries normalized relations last year.

Israel’s new foreign minister took off on Tuesday for a state visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first high-level trip by an Israeli official since the two countries signed an agreement to normalize relations last year. According to the Israeli foreign ministry, Yair Lapid will be inaugurating Israel’s Embassy in Abu Dhabi, meeting with senior Emirati officials — including Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan — and attending a trade expo where Israeli companies are exhibiting technology.

President Joe Biden sought to assure Israel that he would not tolerate a nuclear Iran as he met with outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the White House.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. resigned on Sunday, hours after welcoming Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to D.C., where he will meet on Monday with President Biden at the White House.Why it matters: Gilad Erdan's decision comes as the Biden administration and new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett feel each other out, particularly on the most contentious issues like Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Su

A major push to revive the long-dormant peace process between Israel and the Palestinians could unsettle the delicate balance. So if even one party bolts, Israel's government would be at serious risk of collapse, with Netanyahu waiting just offstage. There's even talk of Lapid and Bennett traveling to Washington later in the summer, separately or together, the officials said. Bennett will serve as prime minister for the first two years, followed by Lapid, the architect of the coalition. "They are angry,” Lapid said as he took the helm of Israel’s foreign ministry.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid are meeting in Rome as their governments look to turn a page on their relationship.

Germany US US Secretary of State Antony Blinken takes part in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday June 23, 2021. (Clemens Bilan/Pool via AP) (Clemens Bilan)BERLIN — (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Israel’s new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Italy over the weekend, a senior State Department official and Israel’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. They said the meeting would take place on Sunday in Rome but neither side offered any details about the agenda, which is likely to focus on Israel's concerns about a possible U.S. return to the Iran nuclear deal and Israel's security more broadly. It will be their first meeting since Lapid assumed his position after longtime Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ousted. The discussion comes as Israel’s new government led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett seeks to mend relations with U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Israel's new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Italy over the weekend.

Palestinians and Jewish settlers have hurled stones, chairs and fireworks at each other overnight in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood where settler groups are trying to evict several Palestinian families.

President Joe Biden and Israel's new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, are at a crossroads.

Israeli airstrikes hit militant sites in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinians responded by sending a series of fire-carrying balloons back across the border for a second straight day.

A young woman who was snatched off the street in Peru, Illinois, was found safe Tuesday, police said. A suspect in her kidnapping remains at large.

Israel Politics Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, seated left, President Reuven Rivlin, seated center, and Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid seated right, pose for a group photo with the ministers of the new government at the President's residence in Jerusalem, Monday, June 14, 2021. As thousands of Jewish activists began the procession, police ordered a change in the route to avoid the Damascus Gate. Hamas militants in Gaza then fired a barrage of rockets toward Jerusalem, igniting the war that took over 250 Palestinian lives and killed 13 people in Israel. But Israeli media said the crowd would walk past the Damascus Gate but not enter the Muslim Quarter. Israel annexed east Jerusalem after the 1967 war and considers the area, home to the city's most sensitive religious sites, to be part of its capital.

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, narrowly approved the new Bennett-led coalition government on Sunday, ending Netanyahu's historic 12-year rule. Although they share Netanyahu's hardline ideology on many issues, the three leaders clashed with the divisive former prime minister over his personality and leadership style. The new government was sworn in late on Sunday and went to work on Monday morning. At a handover ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, Lapid told diplomats that Israel's foreign relations had suffered from “disgraceful neglect” in recent years. Bennett faces a challenge of holding the tenuous coalition together and said he is prioritizing mending the many rifts dividing Israeli society.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a ceremony on his first day in office on Monday that the new government must repair Israel's relationship with the Democratic Party, which he said had badly deteriorated during Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure as prime minister.What he's saying: "The previous government took a bad and lightheaded bet to focus only on the Republican Party and abandon Israel’s bipartisan status in America," said Lapid, who is also the alternate prime minister and heads the bi

A broad coalition that ousted a divisive prime minister puts gratitude, generosity first.

Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer Israel's prime minister. Now, the coalition that ousted him faces a hard challenge ahead: leading together.

Israel's parliament has voted in favor of a new coalition government, formally ending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's historic 12-year rule. Naftali Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu became the new prime minister. The divisive former prime minister, the longest to hold office, will now serve as the opposition leader. Topaz Luk, a Netanyahu aide, told Army Radio that the former prime minister will “fight this dangerous and horrible government" as opposition leader. Bennett, 49, a former ally of Netanyahu turned rival, became prime minister after the 60-59 vote in Knesset on Sunday.

Israel’s new government has granted approval for a contentious parade by Israeli nationalists through Palestinian areas around Jerusalem’s Old City.

Israeli's Netanyahu will not attend successor Naftali Bennett's inauguration ceremony

Israel Politics An Israeli protester holds a sign during a demonstration in support of the new government, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 13, 2021. ___5:20 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to lead his Likud Party back to power. In a speech to parliament, Bennett said that Israel remains ready to act against Iran. “Israel will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” Bennett said. Bennett, whose parents immigrated to Israel from the United States, is expected to stress the need for close relations with the U.S.

Israel Politics An Israeli protester holds a sign during a demonstration in support of the new government, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 13, 2021. The head of an Islamist party in Israel’s parliament says his faction will advance the interests of Palestinian citizens of Israel from within the new government. ___5:20 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to lead his Likud Party back to power. In a speech to parliament, Bennett said that Israel remains ready to act against Iran. ___4:05 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israel’s Knesset, or parliament, has convened for a vote that is expected to end the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Naftali Bennett, Israel’s new prime minister, embodies many of the contradictions that define the 73-year-old nation.

Israel Politics An Israeli protester holds a sign during a demonstration in support of the new government, outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 13, 2021. The head of an Islamist party in Israel’s parliament says his faction will advance the interests of Palestinian citizens of Israel from within the new government. 5:20 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to lead his Likud Party back to power. ___4:05 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israel’s Knesset, or parliament, has convened for a vote that is expected to end the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett, whose parents immigrated to Israel from the United States, is expected to stress the need for close relations with the U.S.

Israeli parliament approves coalition, Netanyahu out

The Israeli Knesset has voted to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years is power. Israel's longest-serving prime minister will be succeeded by Naftali Bennett, a former aide turned political rival.

Israeli parliament’s vote of confidence in the new government pushes Netanyahu aside, installing another right-wing leader, Naftali Bennett, in his place.

Israeli parliament's vote of confidence in the new government pushes Netanyahu aside, installing another right-wing leader, Naftali Bennett, in his place.

Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via GettyJERUSALEM—Benjamin Netanyahu’s long and boisterous rule came to an end on Sunday with one final broadside against the world. The embittered ex-prime minister channeled his inner Trump to claim the Israeli election was fraudulent and label his opponents fascists and turncoats, and compare them to the regimes in Iran and North Korea. He lashed out at President Biden, claiming the state of Israel faced an existential threat if its government was not powerful enough to s

The move set the stage for a confidence vote to approve a new coalition government later Sunday. Abbas spoke ahead of a parliamentary vote that was expected to approve the new coalition government. 5:20 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vowing to lead his Likud Party back to power. ___4:05 p.m.JERUSALEM — Israel’s Knesset, or parliament, has convened for a vote that is expected to end the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If the coalition is approved, Naftali Bennett, a former ally turned rival of Netanyahu, would become prime minister over a disparate coalition of parties from the political right, left and center.

Palestinian Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office has little to say about Israel’s new government headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, calling it an “internal Israeli affair.”.

Israel’s parliament has narrowly approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarizing leader into the opposition.

If all goes according to plan, Israel will swear in a new government on Sunday, putting an end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s record 12-year rule and a political crisis that led to four elections in less than two years.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents are pushing for a quick parliament vote to formally end his lengthy rule.

Naftali Bennett rose in Israeli politics as a protege of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents announced they have reached a deal to form a new governing coalition, paving the way for the ouster of the longtime Israeli leader.

A constellation of Israeli political parties seeking to unseat longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are negotiating coalition agreements two days before a deadline.

A former ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will seek to form a coalition government with the Israeli leader’s opponents.

Just over a week ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political career seemed all but over.

Israel’s opposition leader has called for a unity government and vowed to find common ground among the ideologically diverse parties seeking to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for the past 12 years.

Israel’s president has handed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of trying to form a new government.

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2021 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Leumit Health Care Services vaccination facility in Jerusalem. (Alex Kolomoisky/Pool via AP, File)JERUSALEM – Israel is holding its fourth election in two years on Tuesday, with nearly 6.6 million citizens eligible to vote for the 24th Knesset, or parliament. Here is a closer look at what to expect:GOING FOURTHThe March 23 vote is Israel’s fourth parliamentary election in two years. After the election, Israel’s president will meet with party heads and select the party he deems most capable of forming a coalition. A new government will be given a four-year term, but disagreements between coalition parties often result in early elections.

“We must not under any circumstances drag the state of Israel to new elections, to a fifth election,” he said. The third station gave Netanyahu's opponents a one-seat advantage. But Bennett has not ruled out joining forces with Netanyahu’s opponents. Netanyahu’s opponents included a diverse array of parties that had little in common beyond their shared animosity toward him. Netanyahu’s opponents have accused him of fomenting deadlock in hopes of bringing about a friendlier parliament that will grant him immunity from prosecution.

Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday for what will be the fourth parliamentary election in just two years. Once again, the race boils down to a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Election polls project that his Likud party and its presumed allies may come up short of a 61-seat majority needed to form a governing coalition. The hardline nationalist politician, formerly Netanyahu's education and defense minister, has not unequivocally ruled out joining a coalition with the embattled prime minister. But if an anti-Netanyahu alliance has an edge, he could provide them with enough seats to form a government without the Likud party.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, waves to supporters as he tours the Mahane Yehuda market while campaigning a day before national elections, in Jerusalem, Monday, March 22, 2021. Once again, the race boils down to a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Over the years, Netanyahu has developed a reputation as a political magician and master manipulator capable of surviving any crisis. AdOpinion polls forecast an extremely tight race, raising the possibility of continued deadlock and even an unprecedented fifth consecutive election. This may explain that while polls show a majority of Israelis want Netanyahu replaced, he also is seen as best-suited to be prime minister.

(AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)JERUSALEM – A final batch of polls by Israeli media outlets on Friday showed a razor-thin election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fate likely turning on the performance of small parties and a former ally who has criticized him but has not ruled out joining his coalition. The polls show Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party in the lead, projecting that it will win around 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament. But an alliance with his natural allies, the ultra-Orthodox parties and a small far-right party, would only yield around 50 seats. Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party, the largest in the anti-Netanyahu bloc, is projected to win around 20 seats. The forecasts Friday were based on several polls with similar results, which also track closely to recent polls by other media outlets.

Candidates hoping to topple Benjamin Netanyahu in next months election are looking to the U.S. experience of 2020 for lessons about campaigning during a pandemic. In Israel, the field is divided between those who are for or against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AdThe prime minister also has brought back longtime American adviser John McLaughlin, whose banner photo atop his Twitter feed features him shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump. Saar, a onetime ally of Netanyahu, is challenging the prime minister now from the right. “We can have a prime minister with integrity."

Ultra-Orthodox Jews argue with Israeli border police officers during a protest over the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, in Ashdod, Israel, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. Netanyahu has watched his political partners undermine the country’s war against the virus and spark a public backlash that threatens him at the ballot box. But political leaders have rarely been willing to challenge the system. Ultra-Orthodox support is critical as Netanyahu tries to form a majority coalition in favor of granting him immunity from corruption charges. Ultra-Orthodox leaders say their communities are being unfairly singled out and that a small minority is responsible for the troubles.