You may view the 5 minute update this week via audio:
In this week’s 5 minute update, we focused on:
1) The current status of Netanyahu’s efforts to form a new government coalition
2) The current status of the Israel / PLO peace process
3) The current status of the situation with Syria
4) The current status of the situation with Iran
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to form as broad a government coalition as possible. Ultimately, he would prefer to see the following parties in his government:
1) The Tzipi Livni Part (Hatnua) (“The Movement”). Her primary objective is to see a peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israel. As a result, she would like to be in Netanyahu’s government and oversee peace negotiations.
2) Yesh Atid (There is a Future). The party leader is former Israeli journalist, Yair Lapid. This is a secular centrist party. They would like to see ultra-Orthodox Jews drafted into the Israeli military, restart of peace talks with the Palestinians, a reduction in the size of the Israeli government and economic policies that help the middle class.
3) Jewish Home. This is a religious Zionist party. Many are modern Orthodox Jews who serve in the Israeli army and have daily jobs. They are against a PLO state.
4) Shas. This is a Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party. They don’t want to see their Yeshiva students be drafted into the Israeli army. Their Yeshiva students study Talmud all day and most don’t have a daily job.
5) United Torah Judaism. This is an Askenazi ultra-Orthodox party. They don’t want to see their Yeshiva students be drafted into the Israeli army. There Yeshiva students study Talmud all day and most don’t have a daily job.
6) Kadima. The party leader is Shaul Mofaz. He would like to be Defense Minister and he supports a PLO state.
Two other political parties, Labor and Meretz, said that they would not join Netanyahu’s coalition.
Tzipi Livni has made an agreement with Benjamin Netanyahu to join his government. Her position in the government will be the Justice Minister. She will also be the leader of the negotiating team over the peace process with the Palestinians. Should Livni make an agreement be made with the Palestinians, Netanyahu’s insisted that any agreement must be voted on and approved both by the Knesset and the cabinet.
“Livni and I,” Netanyahu said, “need to put aside disagreements in order to address various problems which confront Israel,” which he listed as the Iranian threat, the Palestinian issue, the high cost of living, and the need to institute a universal draft. Besides being Justice Minister, Livni “will be a senior partner in the efforts to restart negotiations with the Palestinians, with the aim of achieving a just peace between our two nations. We will achieve this under the guides of my 2009 Bar Ilan University speech which called for a demiliterized PLO state, recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and making sure that any peace agreement ensures Israel’s security. We will establish a ministerial committee that will deal with the peace process based on these principles I have laid down. I will authorize Livni to negotiate with the Palestinians.”
Tzipi Livni said that her motivation for joining the Netanyahu government is that by “entering the coalition, it will allow us to promote my views regarding the promotion of the peace process.”
As part of the coalition agreement, Livni will be a member of the security cabinet, and will work with the Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and Foreign Minister on achieving a peace agreement with the Palestinians. The coalition agreement with Livni also includes pledges to attempt to increase equality in the burden of IDF service, institute electoral reform, lower the cost of living and fight racism.
Likud representatives met with the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party, Shas, and its three leaders, MKs Aryeh Deri, Eli Yishai, and Ariel Atias to establish a united front on their demands for the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students into the Israeli military. Shas is deciding whether to accept a proposal drawn up by National Economic Council chairman Prof. Eugene Kandel to draft ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students. This plans calls for the Israeli military to draft upwards of 60% of ultra-Orthodox Israelis aged 18-24 within five years, and the government would provide monetary incentives to those who comply while penalizing the yeshivas schools of those who don’t. Shas will reportedly announce whether it would accept Prof. Kandel’s proposal in the next few days. Top Likud officials say they believe that Shas will join the government coalition.
Meanwhile, the Askenazi ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism is preparing an outline of principles detailing what political concessions they would be willing to make to join the new government coalition. This would include agreeing to the evacuation of isolated settlements in the West Bank, freezing Jewish construction in areas outside the main settlement blocs, and voting to not expand building in the large settlement blocs and even cease further settlement funding in exchange for a continuation of the funding of yeshivas and religious schools and keeping the status quo regarding drafting ultra-Orthodox student into the Israeli military.
Likud representatives have offered Labor leader, Shelly Yechimovich, to head the Finance Ministry if she would join the government coalition. However, she refused the offer saying, “Labor served in Netanyahu’s government in the past and you all know the damage that it did to the party. We will not be Netanyahu’s contractors – not in the social field, not in the political field and not in the civil field. The gaps between Labor’s world view and that of Netanyahu are enormous.”
The modern Orthodox, religious Zionists party, Jewish Home, headed by Naftali Bennett and centrist secular party, Yesh Atid, headed by Yair Lapid have entered into a strategic alliance and notified Likud-Beytenu coalition negotiators that the two parties will either enter the government together or be excluded together. Both parties are intent on legislating ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students to serve in the Israeli military. However, this position is being rejected by the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, which is making efforts by Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government coalition very difficult.
Likud sources said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is furious at what he believes is a conspiracy by Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett to try to prevent Shas and United Torah Judaism from joining the coalition. Netanyahu spoke with contempt for Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett complaining that “their strategy is not to reach solutions on key issues, only to push out the ultra-Orthodox parties.”
Lapid went on to joke about what has become the major stumbling block for Likud-Beytenu in closing a coalition deal — that Yesh Atid and Jewish Home insist on sticking to their pre-election platforms.
“I understand that they say about us now — that we have no experience and we don’t understand politics,” Lapid said. “I just want to say that it is quite true: We don’t have any experience and we don’t understand politics and that’s the reason that we have no choice but to stick to our values and principles.”
Lapid reiterated his demand, seconded by Bennett, that Netanyahu lay down clear guidelines for the next government’s policies and principles.
“It is worthwhile to recall that the question facing Netanyahu is not which [cabinet] portfolio he wants to give to which partner,” Lapid said. “Rather, it is in which direction he wants to take the State of Israel, and which principles he wants the next government to have. I want him to work according to that method, because if he does, the question of which government to form will be very clear and simple.”
A week ago, Likud representatives offered Jewish Home government positions to join the government but Jewish Home refused the offer because a coalition agreement to define the policies of the government was not defined. Since then, Netanyahu did not have meetings with either Jewish Home or Yesh Atid for about a week.
Jewish Home leader, Naftali Bennett repeated similar words of Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid, by saying, “Once the Likud representatives decide to negotiate a coalition agreement which outlines the terms and principles of the next government then a government can be established within 24 hours.”
Regarding the agreement between Netanyahu and Tzipi Livni to join the government and lead peace negotiations with the Palestinians, Jewish Home officials said: “The role given to Tzipi Livni to lead the negotiations with the Palestinians is not and will be not acceptable to us because in the past, she was willing to divide Jerusalm and agreed to give large portians of the West Bank to the Palistinians for a PLO state. If Likud wants to have a government with nationalist values, it cannot take a person from the extreme left and allow her to place her hands on the diplomatic steering wheel,” they said.
Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid said there was no longer a reason for his party to join the government and to possibly become foreign minister because Tzipi Livni has already been given authority to lead peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
In an attempt to reach various sects of the religious public, Jewish Home leader, Naftali Bennet, met with rabbis and Jerusalem yeshiva students to discuss both religion and Zionism. Bennett said to them, “Studying Torah serves Israel interests, as much as settling in the Negev and the Galilee does but serving in the Israeli military needs to be incorporated into the lives of Orthodox Jews. Things have changed in Israel so the government needs to find a way to implement these things.”
In advancing their call that all Israeli’s study Torah that is not dictated by the ultra-Orthodox, Yesh Atid Knesset member Dr Ruth Calderon has initiated weekly Torah Bible studies led by Yesh Atid Knesset Rabbi’s Shai Piron and Dov Lipman. More than 30 Knesset members attended the initial meeting. There is a growing sense in Israel that the Bible needs to form the basis of the state’s culture and policies, but that the ultra-Orthodox must not have a monopoly on the biblical interpretation of what it means to be Jewish.
After not talking for about a week, Likud representatives met again with Jewish Home. They mainly discussed the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox students into the Isaeli military. No agreement was made.
Likud representatives are planning on having meetings again with Jewish Home and Shas next week.
Senior Likud officials said that Netanyahu is not willing to give into the demands of Jewish Home and Yesh Atid but would rather instead call for another round of elections. However, new poll results show that if Israel had new elections that Yesh Atid and Jewish Home would be the big winners. Yesh Atid would increase their seats from 19 and become Israel’s largest party with 30 seats. If this happened, Yair Lapid would replace Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister. Likud-Beitenu would drop from 31 to 24 seats. Jewish Home would increase from 12 to 15.
Given these poll results, Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid said, “Yesh Atid will be guided by principles which it will not compromise. We will have patience even if it means not joining Netanyahu’s government.”
In addition to Tzipi Livni, it is expected that Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to get Kadima and the ultra-Orthoodox parties to join his government coalition. If so, he would have a coalition of 57. He needs 61 to make a government. Therefore, he would have to convince Jewish Home, Yesh Atid or Labor to join the government. If he would be unsuccessful, Netanyahu would have to call for new elections where he may not remain as Prime Minister. Initially, Netanyahu has until March 1 to form a government. However, he may ask for an extension through March 15.
So, what government coalition will Netanyahu form? Only time will tell.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Livni to join coalition, ‘run talks with Palestinians’
2) Livni becomes 1st member of Netanyahu-led gov’t
3) Report: Livni Will be Justice Minister
4) Netanyahu echoes Livni, extends hand toward Palestinians
5) Setting aside rivalry, Netanyahu and Livni announce deal
6) PM: Livni to Negotiate with PA for Me
7) Livni: My criticism of Netanyahu hasn’t changed
8.) Livni: Coalition Deal will Let Us Push Our Views
9) Likud: Shas will join coalition
10) UTJ weighs backing aggressive peace agenda
11) Yechimovich: We Won’t be Netanyahu’s Contractors
12) Parties mum on Finance Min. offer to Yacimovich
13) Jewish Home and Yesh Atid form united front
14) Lapid and Bennett say coalition talks languishing
15) ‘No Coalition Talks between Likud, Jewish Home’
16) Bennett Expresses Frustration Over Stalled Coalition Talks
17) Lapid extends an olive branch to Netanyahu
18) Bayit Yehudi: Netanyahu-Livni Agreement Unacceptable
19) Bennett visits yeshivas, urges integrating Torah, IDF service
20) Bayit Yehudi, Likud Beytenu discuss national service
21) ‘PM livid at Lapid-Bennett conspiracy to push haredim out’
22) Likud Officials: Hareidim in Coalition or New Elections
23) New Knesset Bible study group off to strong start
24) No breakthrough in Likud-Habayit Hayehudi talks
25) More Likud talks set for next week with Jewish Home, Shas
26) Likud Warns: New Elections are Possible
27) Poll: Yesh Atid would crush Likud in new election
28) Lapid: ‘We have patience’ to bide time in opposition
Last week, Israel sent its historical primary negotiator with the Palestinians, Yitzhak Molcho, to discuss with the US issues related to Obama’s visit to Israel in late March. Molcho came back to Israel with the message that it did not seem at this point that Obama was going to bring any new concrete plan for the diplomatic process during his visit but that Obama wanted to see real progress in moving the peace process forward. Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Yaacov Amidror, said Obama’s visit will go a long way toward setting the “foundations” for Israeli-US relations for the next four years.
This week, the Palestinians sent chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Muhammad Shtayyeh to the US to discuss Obama’s March visit to the Middle East. The Palestinians requested that Obama get personally involved in the peace process and offer his own initiative that will contain a formula that will allow both Israel and the Palestinians to resume direct peace talks. The Palestinians want clear terms of reference to restart direct peace talks that would guarantee a Palestinian state based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. They want negotiations with Israel to resume from the point where they were halted during the term of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2008. Finally, Palestinians reiterated their demand that Israel introduce a full freeze on building Jewish homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as a precondition for resuming peace talks.
Netanyahu reiterated his position for a two-state solution that consists of a demiliterized PLO state and necessary security arrangements for Israel.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Israel, PA lobbying US before Obama’s visit
2) PM: Unarmed Palestinian state critical to peace
3) Palestinians to ask that Obama personally kickstart peace process
Syrian President Bashar Assad has evacuated most of the troops of his 5th Army Division from their permanent bases on the Golan Heights opposite Israeli forces and transferred the unit along with its artillery to Damascus. This has three major objectives:
1. To reinforce his Damascus defenses;
2. To carve out a buffer zone along the Israeli border and leave it under rebel control.
3. To provide the jihadists fighting in rebel ranks with access to the Israeli border fence.
Senior officers in the IDF’s northern command believe it is just a matter of time before these al Qaeda-associated fighters hurl themselves at the border fence to break through, or target Israeli military targets from across the Syrian border.
A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17) is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Assad’s troops retreat from Golan, leaving Islamist rebels to confront Israel
Iran will hold talks regarding its nuclear program with the P5 + 1 powers (US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany) on February 26. The P5 + 1 are expected to demand the closure of the Fordow uranium enrichment plant in return for an easing of sanctions on Tehran’s trade in gold and other precious metals. If so, Iran is rejecting this proposal. Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a report that Iran has begun installing advanced centrifuges at its Natanz uranium enrichment plant. However, they are not yet operating. If launched successfully, such machines could enable Iran to enrich uranium 3 to 5 times faster than it does now which could enable it to be able to produce a nuclear bomb much quicker. It is being estimated that when the decision is made to use the enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb that it would take between 4 – 6 months to complete the task. US State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, called the Iranian news as “yet another provocative step,” in its nuclear weapons program.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Iran dismisses world powers’ offer to ease sanctions
2) Iran tries to speed up nuclear work
From a Biblical prophetic perspective, the reason why the God of Israel would allow these events to happen is because it will result in the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Judah).
We will to be “watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem” and we will not rest until the God of Israel makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth (Isaiah 62).
Shalom in Yeshua the Messiah,
Eddie Chumney
Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int’l