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Uploaded. This week’s update is 36 minutes.
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
On March 2, Netanyahu was granted a two week extension to form a government. His deadline to form a government was March 16. An agreement to establish a government was made on March 15.
Initially, the centrist secular party, Yesh Atid, headed by Yair Lapid wanted to head the office of Foreign ministry. The current Israel Foreign Minister is Avigdor Lieberman. In December, Lieberman was accused of illegal activities. He has not been criminally charged. In the January 22 Israeli elections, Likud ran on a joint-party list with Israel Beitenu. As part of their agreement, Netanyahu promised Lieberman that if he was cleared of the charges against him that he would remain as Foreign Minister. Netanyahu promised Lieberman to hold the cabinet position pending the outcome of the investigation. Therefore, Netanyahu refused to offer this position to Yesh Atid.
At the beginning of this week’s negotiations, there was a deadlock between Likud negotiators, the party of Benjamin Netanyahu, and the centrist secular party of Yesh Atid (There is a Future) headed by Yair Lapid and the modern Orthodox nationalistic party of Jewish Home headed by Naftali Bennett over the issue of who would be in control of the Interior, Finance and Education ministries. Initially, Yesh Atid wanted to head the Interior and Education ministries. Jewish Home wanted the Finance ministry. However, Netanyahu wanted to retain both the Interior and Education Ministry for his Likud party.
In response to the high demands of Yesh Atid to be included in the government, Benjamin Netanyahu responded by saying that he would conduct negotiations with the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, to have them join the government instead. However, even if the ultra-Orthodox parties did decide to join the government, Netanyahu would still need the Labor party of Shelly Yacimovich to join the coalition if Netanyahu wanted to form a government. In the past several weeks, the Labor party has been adamant that they will not join Netanyahu’s government. Responding to Likud’s threat to negotiate with the ultra-Orthodox parties, Jewish Home leader, Naftali Bennett wrote on his Facebook page: “My friends from Likud. Forget about it. It won’t work like this. There are gaps. We have to talk and compromise. All of us. Until a government is established. There is a country we need to worry about.”
In further negotiations between the parties, a compromise was reached whereby if Yesh Atid leader, Yair Lapid, would give up the Interior ministry that Likud would agree that they could have the Education ministry. Rabbi Shay Piron of Yesh Atid would head the Education ministry. Yair Lapid will become the Finance minister. One of the major campaign issues for both Yesh Atid and Jewish Home was the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students into the Israeli military. A formula was found to resolve the matter. During the elections, Yesh Atid called for the number of government officials serving in the Israeli cabinet to be reduced from 30 to 18. Yesh Atid agreed with the final number being 21 or 22. The parties also agreed to raise the threshold for Knesset representation from the current 2% to 4% for the next election. The new threshold would mean that in the next elections, no party with have fewer than 5 Knesset members. Of the current parties, three Arab parties – Hadash, Ra’am Ta’al, Balad would not meet the minimum requirement along with the Jewish party, Kadima headed by Shaul Mofaz. Further reforms in the government include needing a majority of 65 Knesset member in the next election to topple the government instead of the present majority of 61.
The new government coalition agreement was signed by Yesh Atid and Jewish Home on March 15. In forming the new government, Netanyahu made the following statement: “The new government will work together in full cooperation for the benefit of the entire Israeli public. We will act to strengthen the state of Israel’s security and to improve the quality of life of its citizens.”
Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett released his own statement regarding the new government agreement saying: “With God’s help, we signed it. The 33rd Israeli government is ready to go! I encourage Prime Minister Netanyahu and all of us Cabinet ministers to remember that we are representatives of the entire Israeli public. We promised during elections to take care of the cost of living, to increase competition in the marketplace and to restore to the state its Jewish soul, and now we’ve got the tools to do it.”
One of the major issues for Netanyahu to be able to form a government was the drafting of ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students into the Israel military. The ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, wanted to maintain the status quo. Because of the differences in opinion over the matter, it was not possible for Yesh Atid and Jewish Home to be in the same government with the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. In their election campaign’s, Yesh Atid and Jewish Home insisted that ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students serve in the Israeli military. Yesh Atid wanted to place more stricter requirements upon the ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students than Jewish Home. A compromise was worked out between Yesh Atid and Jewish Home on the issue. A ministerial committee headed by Yesh Atid will submit a bill within 45 days that will ultimately draft ultra-Orthoodox Yeshiva students into the Israel military. As a result, the outline of the coalition agreement is as follows:
The drafting of ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students into the Israeli military will begin at age 21, instead of age 18 – giving students an automatic deferment of three years. At that point, they will have to serve two years. Those who do not enlist will not face criminal charges but will be prohibited from leaving the country and won’t be eligible for welfare and tax benefits (including social security payments for large families), among other penalties. In addition, religious educational institutions that encourage their students to dodge the draft, like some ultra-Orthodox yeshivas, will face a “significant” reduction in funding from the state. The number of students who will be exempted for Torah study will be 1,800, far more than the 400 Lapid had suggested. The plan will take effect only in 2017 and students who are beyond enlistment age up until that time will not be “grandfathered” into the arrangement. The new government will also implement economic measures aimed at encouraging the ultra-Orthodox to join the workforce.
The ultra-Orthodox parties claimed that the new proposed laws to draft ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva students into the Israeli military were meant to be an attack against Torah and Judaism. As a result, the new government coalition agreement will read “the State of Israel recognizes the importance and centrality of Torah study as a central value of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”
The coalition agreement will also require that the so-called “core subjects,” including math, science and English, will be taught in all Israeli schools within two-and-a-half years. Finally, the coalition agreement will call for the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians and increasing financial support to Holocaust survivors.
Some of the key government position agreed upon by the parties include the following:
Avigdor Lieberman – Foreign Minister
Yair Lapid – Finance Minister
Rabbi Shai Piron – Minister of Education
Naftali Bennett – Minister of Economics and Trade, the Diaspora and Jerusalem
Uri Ariel – Housing and Construction Minister along with Israel Lands Administration
Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan – Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs
Tzipi Livni – Justice Minister in charge of peace talks with the Palestinians.
The ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, have had a monopoly over Jewish religious affairs in Israel in the history of the modern nation. By not being in the government and by not being able to control the ministries which operate and control religious issues, this is a HUGE event that will shape the future course of the country and its prophetic future.
The coalition will comprise four parties: Likud-Beytenu (31 seats), Yesh Atid (19), Jewish Home (12) and Hatnua (6), for a total of 68 members in the 120-seat Knesset.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Yesh Atid threatens Netanyahu: Education Ministry or no deal
2) Negotiating Teams Meet to Finalize Coalition Agreement
3) Lapid, Bennett’s Vice Premier titles stall coalition
4) Yesh Atid, Likud reach possible compromise
5) Compromise reached toward final coalition deal
6) Israel’s next government agreed: 4 parties, 68 members
7) Likud signs deals with Lapid, Bennett
8.) Jewish Home, Yesh Atid ink coalition deal with Likud-Beytenu
9) Bayit Yehudi Presents: The ‘New Deal’ on Yeshiva Student Drafts
10) Coalition deal: Fewer benefits for haredim, draft reform
11) Coalition Agreement: Up Knesset Threshold to 4%
12) Report: Uri Ariel to Receive Israel Lands Administration
13) Coalition Deal Seen as Great Achievement for Religious Zionism
Speaking at the 13th annual, Herzliya Conference in Israel, Tzipi Livni said that it is “critical for us to reach a final status agreement” with the Palestinians. She went on to say: “Having two states for two nations is the most basic interest of the Jewish people” as this solution can be the “only way we can preserve the existence of a democratic Jewish state.”
Meanwhile, Palestinians officials are trying to lower the expectation for US President Barack Obama’s visit to the region in the coming week. The Obama administration has stated that Obama is not coming to the Middle East to present a new peace initiative but instead is just coming “to listen’ to both sides.
In response to this, a Palestinian source said: “We don’t know what the Americans still haven’t heard about this issue since things have been laid on the table time after time. If there’s real intent to resolve things, the Americans don’t need any more information from the Palestinians.”
The US is also seeking to prevent the Palestinians from taking further unilateral moves through international bodies including taking their case against Israel to the International Court of Justice. Reportedly, the Palestinians have agreed on the condition that the Obama administration offers an acceptable formula to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders.
In the days leading up to Obama’s visit, the Palestinians plan to hold intensive meetings with foreign ambassadors and consuls-general to present the Palestinian position on the conditions for resuming peace talks with Israel with primary emphasis on the need for a freeze in building Jewish homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The European Parliament passed a resolution demanding the trial or prompt release of Palestinians held in Israel without charge. It called on the Israeli authorities to investigate this case and raised concerns about the Palestinians held in administrative detention without charge, demanding that they be charged and tried or promptly released. The European Parliament repeated its call for the immediate release of all imprisoned members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including Marwan Barghouti. Members of the European Parliament called on EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the member states to monitor the fate of Palestinian prisoners and detainees closely and to raise the issue at all levels of political dialogue with Israel.
Finally, General Ban Ki-Moon has announced that in future, the ‘State of Palestine’ will be the official alternative name for the ‘Palestinian Authority’ within all UN institutions, but not in Palestinian-Israeli institutions. The Secretary-General of the UN announced a report prepared to clarify the new changes in the status of the Palestinian Authority, now ‘the State of Palestine,’ within the UN. However, they can nominate representatives in the International Criminal Court who share decision making on certain issues. This is a cause of concern for Israel because based upon this right, the Palestinians could call for the formation of an international trial to investigate the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
So, what does the new Netanyahu government mean for the peace process ?
The modern Orthodox nationalistic party of Jewish Home is a member of the Netanyahu government. One of their positions within the government is over Housing, Construction and Israel land administration. They are opposed to a settlement freeze in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As a result, Jewish Home is not likely to agree to a settlement/construction freeze. The Palestinian position has long been that they will NOT restart negotiations unless there is first a building freeze in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This situation will likely cause the talks to remain in stalemate as it is unlikely that a common formula can be found to restart peace talks.
In Sept of 2011, the Palestinians requested to be recognized through the UN Security Council as a Palestinian state with 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as the capitol. Since that time, the US has blocked this request from being voted upon as they have threatened to veto the proposal.
The Palestinians had their status upgraded at the UN to become a non-member state on November 29, 2012. If Israel and the Palestinians continue to not find common ground for restarting peace talks, the Palestinians will likely say to Obama, “Cancel your veto threat for our request to be a full member state of the United Nations based upon 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital or we will take our case to the UN International Criminal Court. This showdown is likely to take place in the next couple months.
An agreement to divide Jerusalem and establish a PLO state is a tribulation event.
The link to these articles are as follows:
1) Livni: Final status agreement with PA ‘critical’
2) Palestinian Authority officials lower expectations of Obama visit
3) EP calls for release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails
4) UN will refer to ‘State of Palestine’ in official communications: Ban
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