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.
In a recent poll, 80% of Israeli’s want a civil government (a government without the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism). They want a greater freedom of religion from the rules imposed upon them by the ultra-Orthodox and also want the ultra-Orthodox to serve in the military.
Secular Jews despise the fact that ultra-Orthodox Jews don’t serve in the Israeli army, most don’t have daily job and they don’t celebrate Israel Independence day. Furthermore, their voice dictates Jewish religious life in Israel. Their Yeshiva’s (schools where the Talmud is studied) are well funded by the state. They also get a per child allowance for how many children they have. These things are the core reasons why the secular Jews despise the ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel. Yesh Atid (There is a future) is the party that primarily represents the secular Jewish voice.
Benjamin Netanyahu has several meetings this past week with Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid. Lapid said that he was genuinely prepared to stay out of the coalition if it became clear to him that Netanyahu was not intent on passing legislation to ensure that the ultra-Orthodox serve in the Israeli army. This position raised concern for the two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, who viewed that if Netanyahu accepted the position of Yesh Atid that the ultra-Orthodox parties would not be able to members of Netanyahu’s coalition.
Wanting a broad government coalition to try to make his government more stable, Netanyahu tried to convince Yesh Atid to ease his demands on drafting ultra-Orthodox parties into the Israeli army and be agreeable to some type of compromise with the ultra-Orthodox parties so both Yesh Atid and the ultra-Orthodox parties could be in Netanyahu’s government together. Even so, Netanyahu is in agreement that policies need to be agreed upon so that the ultra-Orthodox are more integrated into Israeli society.
Yair Lapid also said that if his party stayed out the government coalition that he could become Prime Minister in the next Israeli election. This comment caused great concern for Netanyahu and his Likud political party. Some within Likud question whether Netanyahu could trust Yesh Atid in his government with this attitude.
The secular centrist party, Yesh Atid, (There is a future) are in agreement with Jewish Home, the nationalist religious Zionist party, that ultra-Orthodox Jews need to serve in the Israeli military. Jewish Home would like to have the religious affairs portfolio and be in charge of making the decisions regarding Jewish religious issues. This place in Israeli society has historically been governed by the ultra-Orthodox parties. Yesh Atid and Jewish Home also have common views of Israeli economic issues. However, Jewish Home does not support a PLO state and Yesh Atid is in favor of having a PLO state.
In the past week, Jewish Home leader, Naftali Bennett said the following: “The current situation in which thousands of ultra-Orthodox do not study, serve or work cannot continue.” The leader of Yesh Atid, the former Israeli journalist, Yair Lapid has a good working relationship with the leader of Jewish Home, Naftali Bennett. As a result, Yesh Atid and Jewish Home are working on creating an outline that they could agree upon for the ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students to serve in the Israeli military. Once done, they plan to present their plan within the framework of a Netanyahu coalition agreement. Because of the close friendship between the leader of Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid, and Jewish Home, Naftali Bennett some have concluded that Yesh Atid and Jewish Home have made an agreement that both will be in the government together or both will be left out of the government coalition. However, neither Yesh Atid nor Jewish Home has confirmed that this is true.
Many supporters of Jewish Home are religious Zionists. They believe in supporting the return of Jews (both secular and religious) to the land of Israel and believe in supporting the state of Israel. Most religious Zionists are Orthodox but not ultra-Orthodox. On the other hand, ultra-Orthodox Jews are more concerned with studying Talmud than supporting the state of Israel. For this reason, they don’t view a need to serve in the Israeli military or even have daily jobs.
While both seeing themselves as being Orthodox, historically, ultra-Orthodox Jews view religious Zionist Jews less favorably than themselves. In the recent Israeli election campaigns, the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox party referred to the Jewish Home party as being ‘Gentiles’ and that whoever votes for Jewish Home commits heresy against the Torah. In reply, religious Zionist Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu told Israel radio, “I have a problem with Shas. I have a problem with the statements made before the elections. I really feel hurt. We will not move one foot unless one of them finds the opportunity to apologize. One cannot talk about any kind of brotherly love and unity of a single bloc, when these are the words.” Jewish Home Knesset Member, Uri Ariel said, “I told the heads of Shas that they have to find a way to apologize before the public and before our rabbis.” Jewish Home also criticized Shas saying that Shas “self-professed monopoly on religion is the reason for the secular public’s disdain of the Torah. It’s high time Shas understands that they don’t have a monopoly on the Torah. We’re just as committed to Jewish law as they are and we can protect the religious sector just as well.”
Since the founding of the state of Israel, this election result gives the religious Zionists the greatest political voice within the Israeli government that they have ever had. While enjoying their new rise to political power, Jewish Home is facing a conflict between having sympathetic views with the secular centrist party of Yesh Atid while also feeling a brotherhood with the ultra-Orthodox because of their common love for the Torah and Talmud.
In reaching out to the ultra-Orthodox world, Jewish Home leader, Naftali Bennett said, ” Jewish Home is committed to ensuring that there was plenty of money for Torah institutions of all streams. “If Torah study is important to the Jewish people, it must be a part of the regular state budget. Torah learning is important to the entire Jewish people, not just the ultra-Orthodox.” He also said, “”The ultra-Orthodox are our brothers not our enemies. I love them. I want them integrated into Israeli society through a process that is well thought-out, Those who are truly learning Torah will continue to learn, while the others will serve the country and join Israeli society.”
Religious Zionist Rabbis are members of the Jewish Home political party. Concerned with alienating ultra-Orthodox Rabbis associated with Shas and United Torah Judaism over the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students into the Israeli military, the religious Zionist Rabbis are having meetings with ultra-Orthodox Rabbis to come up with a compromise solution over the issue that won’t split the “Torah World”. The leader of Jewish Home, Naftali Bennett, served in the Israeli army and is a high-tech entrepreneur. While Naphtali Bennett is a religious Zionist and follows Orthodox Judaism, his personal background makes him more comfortable with Yesh Atid’s domestic political goals than the views of the ultra-Orthodox political parties of Shas and United Torah Judaism. However, if Naftali Bennett makes political decisions that alienate the religious Zionist Rabbis within his party, their may be a push to remove him as leader of the party.
Askenazi ultra-Orthodox rabbis representing United Torah Judaism has an emergency meeting regarding the issue of drafting of ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students. At the end of the emergency meetings during which Torah studies were praised and IDF enlistment was cursed, the Council issued a joint statement: “(The Council) is shaken, scared and deeply depressed by the wave of incitement by the residents of Israel against the ultra-Orthodox. This is a special request for the heads of the government: Do not deviate, not even a bit, from the traditional treatment of Torah students or anything pertaining to the Jewish character of the country,” the statement read.
Members of Jewish Home met with members of Netanyahu’s negotiating team regarding what Jewish Home desires in being in a government coalition with Netanyahu. Jewish Home embraced the following ideals: Opposition to a Palestinian state, the strengthening of Jerusalem and its removal from the diplomatic negotiations agenda, the appointment of a Zionist Chief Rabbi, the idea of making Sunday a rest day a strengthening the status of the Sabbath, increasing competitiveness in the market, decreasing market “centralization,” lowering prices and dismantling of monopolies.
The first formal meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and Jewish Home will take place next week. Jewish Home representatives are concerned that Netanyahu will exclude him as a gesture to United States President Barack Obama, because Jewish Home opposes a Palestinian state or issue terms for joining Netanyahu’s coalition that Jewish Home cannot accept.
Representatives from Tzipi Livni’s party (The Movement) said they would consider joining the coalition if it was “promised that negotiations for a political settlement with the Palestinians would occur.” A senior member of Netanyahu’s Likud party who is involved in the coalition talks said that Netanyahu is considering appointing Tzipi Livni to be the head of peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
So, what government coalition will Netanyahu form? Only time will tell.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) 80% of Israelis favor civil government
2) PM considers cancelling Likud primaries
3) Coalition talks heat up as Netanyahu slams Lapid, woos Livni
4) Not your suckers anymore
5) Yesh Atid deal hinges on PM’s approach to Haredi conscription
6) Lapid: I could replace Netanyahu as PM in 18 months
7) Likud: Lapid is ‘Condescending’
8.) PM Expected to Try to ‘Sell’ Lapid on a Hareidi Govt
9) Netanyahu to Lapid: Haredim needed in gov’t
10) Who is in the Jewish home?
11) Bayit Yehudi Torn between Lapid, Hareidim
12) Bennett: Haredim not serving is ‘unethical’
13) Habayit Hayehudi: Shas gives Torah a bad name
14) Bayit Yehudi in Fierce Attack on Shas
15) Bayit Yehudi to Shas: Apologize!
16) Jewish Home MK: I Spent More Years Learning Torah Than Shas MK’s
17) Yishai Appeals to Jewish Home for Help on Hareidi Draft
18) Yishai to Zionist Rabbis: Save the Torah World
19) Bennett: Hareidim Are Our Brothers, Not Our Enemies
20) War of the rabbis as pressure mounts on Bennett to dump Lapid
21) Jewish Home MK: We Can Find a Way to Build Bridges With Shas
22) Haredi leaders at emergency meeting: No to IDF enlistment
23) Bayit Yehudi, Likud Talks ‘Friendly’
24) Tensions grow ahead of Netanyahu-Bennett meet
25) Netanyahu in a jam: Haredim or Lapid and Bennett?
26) MKs weigh in on joining coalition as talks begin
27) Likud official: Livni will be appointed as minister in charge of peace process
Chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, repeated the long held position of the Palestinians that they will not agree to direct talks with Israel unless Israel stops building Jewish homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and release Palestinian prisoners. He called upon US President Barack Obama to “stop treating Israel as if it were a country above international law.” He also said that there would be no EU initiative to restart direct peace talks without the involvement of the Obama administration. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will not agree to a settlement freeze in the West Bank as a precondition to restart direct talks with the Palestinians.
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, is planning to visit Israel and the Palestinians this month to initiate efforts to restart the direct peace talks. US President Barack Obama is planning a trip to the Middle East in March with a stop in Israel. Details for Obama visiting Israel was agreed upon in a January 28 phone call between Obama and Netanyahu. Israel’s Channel 10 TV station reported that Obama’s visit indicates that Obama believes Netanyahu is ready to try to make substantive progress in negotiations with the Palestinians as it was likely that areas of agreement on key issues had already been reached between the American and Israeli leaderships, since Obama had indicated in the past that he would come to Israel only when he truly believed it would enable a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian relations. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that Obama wants to host a summit between Netanyahu and Abbas during his visit. In an interview on Israeli Army Radio, Ayalon said that Obama plainly would not be visiting Israel unless it was already clear that the visit would mark some kind of substantive agreement between the US, Israel and the Palestinians.
In commenting about Obama’s visit in late March, Palestinian spokesman Nabil Rdeneh said that the Palestinians hope that Obama’s visit to the region will “mark the beginning of a new US policy in the Middle East.” He also said: “We hope that President Obama’s visit to the region is the beginning of a new US policy that leads to the realization of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the territory of the State of Palestine occupied since 1967, in accordance with international resolutions.” Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub said that “the Americans are the only ones who can build a bridge to peace and the only person who can convince the Israelis to change their tune is the US president.” Asked about leaving blocs of Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of the framework of the two-state solution, Rajoub rejected the idea out of hand. “Absolutely not. There is not room for even one settler” beyond the pre-1967 lines, he said.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Erekat: PA refuses to ‘repeat lunacy of returning to talks’
2) Netanyahu: Building Freeze? No Way
3) Secretary of State Kerry to visit Israel, PA
4) Obama to visit Israel within weeks
5) Obama ‘wants to host Netanyahu-Abbas meeting during visit’
6) Senior PA official: Only Americans can bring peace
In response to the Israeli airstrike last week which targeted a convoy of trucks carrying Russian-made SA-17 missiles to the anti-Israel Shiite militant group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, Syrian President Bashar Assad has deployed four scud-type missiles which are aimed at Tel Aviv which is Israel’s largest city.
A war with Syria where Damascus is destroyed (Isaiah 17) is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Israel-Syria Standoff: Assad ‘Deploys’ Scud Missiles Targeting Tel Aviv
The head of the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, Amos Yadlin, said that Iran has enriched more than seven tons of uranium to a low grade of five per cent, pure enough for a nuclear reactor, which with further enrichment could create five atom bombs. Yadlin further said that Iran has completed in the last two years two components that… give it all of the necessary means to manufacture a nuclear weapon as soon as it chooses to do so. Once Iran decides to build a nuclear bomb, they would only need four to six months to do it. Yadlin concludes that Iran is not presently willing to take the risk to actually make the decision to build a bomb with international eyes so closely watching them. However, he believes that Iran is waiting for some distraction involving some type of major international crisis which would shift the focus away from Iran’s nuclear activity. At that time, they could try to build the bomb. As a result, Yadlin sees that the main challenge for Israel is how long do they wait this year in order to do something about it.
Talks between Iran and the P5 + 1 powers which represent the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, France, Russia, China and the US) plus Germany will take place in Kazakhstan, on Feb. 26. The talks will be the first high-level negotiations since Iran met in Moscow in June 2012 with the P5+1 group. The goal of the talks will be to try to get Iran to agree to stop its nuclear program. US Secretary of State, John Kerry, said that the international community is ready to respond if Iran comes prepared to talk real substance and to address the concerns about their nuclear program.
On February 2, US Vice-President Joe Biden suggested direct talks between the US and Iran which would be separate from the wider international discussions scheduled for Feb. 26 in Kazakhstan between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. Biden said that the US was prepared for direct talks with Iran “when the Iranian leadership, supreme leader, is serious”. “That offer stands,” he said later, “but it must be real and tangible and there has to be an agenda that they are prepared to speak to. We are not just prepared to do it for the exercise,” he said.
On February 7, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned down the US offer of one-on-one talks on its nuclear program saying such negotiations “would solve nothing.” He added: “You are holding a gun against Iran saying you want to talk. The Iranian nation will not be frightened by threats.”
The link to these articles is as follows:
1) Iran has ‘all the ingredients necessary’ to make a nuclear weapon
2) Iran could build nuclear bomb in 4-6 months, expert says
3) Iran Nuclear Talks Set for Feb 26
4) Kerry urges Iran to offer ‘real substance’ on nuke program
5) Ali Khamenei shuts door on direct nuclear talks with US
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