A7News: Date set for new elections - if coalition talks fail

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Monday, May. 27 '19, כ"ב באייר תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. DATE SET FOR NEW ELECTIONS - IF COALITION TALKS FAIL
2. HAREDI PARTIES WON'T SUPPORT SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS
3. NEW RIGHT OFFICIALS: WE'LL RUN IF NEW ELECTIONS HELD
4. MASSIVE BLAZE IN JERUSALEM SCHOOL
5. POLL: RIGHT-WING BLOC WOULD WIN AGAIN IF NEW ELECTIONS HELD
6. TOMORROW: VOTE TO DISMISS THE KNESSET
7. WILL NEW KNESSET BE DISSOLVED THIS WEEK?
8. YESHIVAH STUDENTS SAVE THE LIFE OF MAN WITH A SWASTIKA


1. DATE SET FOR NEW ELECTIONS - IF COALITION TALKS FAIL
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The elections for the 22nd Knesset will be held on September 3rd of this year – if coalition talks fail and the Knesset votes to dissolve itself, paving the way for snap elections.

Likud MK Miki Zohar submitted a bill Monday morning which would dissolve the 21st Knesset and call for new elections to be held less than five months after the last vote, held on April 9th.

The bill was submitted in keeping with a decision made by Likud leaders Sunday to prepare for the dissolution of the Knesset by Wednesday.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu must form a new governing coalition by Wednesday – or risk losing the mandate to form the next government.

Unless the Likud can broker a deal between the secular rightist Yisrael Beytenu and haredi lawmakers over the future of the IDF draft deferment program for yeshiva students, Netanyahu will be unable to win the backing of a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Netanyahu is reportedly attempting to form a temporary 60-MK government, which would require the tacit support of Yisrael Beytenu from the opposition. Such an arrangement would give Netanyahu an extra six days to negotiate an agreement allowing him to bring Yisrael Beytenu into the government.


2. HAREDI PARTIES WON'T SUPPORT SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The haredi parties will oppose the move to hold elections on September 3, Kikar Hashabbat reported.

According to Kikar Hashabbat, the parties claim that holding elections in September, at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul, will disrupt the yeshivas' Elul learning period.

As a result, if Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu fails to form a coalition by Wednesday, efforts will be made to ensure elections will be held either on August 27, or only after the Tishrei (fall) holidays.

If new elections are held, it is estimated that the right-religious bloc would retain its majority and gain an additional three seats.

The vote on whether to dissolve the current Knesset is scheduled for Monday at 4:00p.m.


3. NEW RIGHT OFFICIALS: WE'LL RUN IF NEW ELECTIONS HELD
by Arutz Sheva Staff

With the Knesset slated to hold the preliminary vote on dissolving the Knesset and heading to early elections, sources in the New Right party say Monday they're planning on running if new elections are indeed held – despite failing to cross the electoral threshold in last month's Knesset vote.

On April 9th, the New Right party, headed by former Jewish Home ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, failed to cross the electoral threshold, coming some 1,000 votes short of the 3.25% minimum needed to enter the Knesset.

Now, with the 21st Knesset on the verge of dissolution as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains unable to form a new government, New Right officials say they plan to run if the country goes back to the ballot box this year.

Party officials close to Bennett hinted, however, that Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who ran on the party's number two slot in the April election, may not necessary remain with the New Right.

"The party will run in the elections and make connections, with Shaked or without her."

Shaked is also expected to weigh in Monday on a possible Knesset run if the country goes to new elections.

The former Justice Minister is slated to speak at an Israel Bar Association event in Eilat at 10:30 Monday morning.


4. MASSIVE BLAZE IN JERUSALEM SCHOOL
by Eliran Baruch

A fire broke out in a Jerusalem girls' school early Monday morning, resulting in damage to the school's interior, but no injuries.

The blaze was first reported at approximately 4:20 a.m. Monday in a school located on Malchei Yisrael Street in the capital.

Fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, and within an hour had contained the fire, which was later extinguished.

"Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene, spotted the flames and large amount of smoke coming out of the school," a spokesperson for the Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue said.

"The firefighting teams entered the building as it was burning, carried out searches at the scene, while also working to extinguish the flames and carry out a controlled release of the large amount of smoke which was building up inside the school."

Fire officials opened an investigation into the causes of the fire. A preliminary investigation suggests that a faulty air conditioner unit which had been left on overnight was to blame.

Damage inside of school Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue



5. POLL: RIGHT-WING BLOC WOULD WIN AGAIN IF NEW ELECTIONS HELD
by David Rosenberg

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu would be reelected – again – if Knesset elections were held this year for a second time, a new poll shows.

With coalition talks stalled due to a dispute between haredi lawmakers and Yisrael Beytenu over the future of the draft deferment program for yeshiva students, the Likud is pushing to dissolve the 21st Knesset less than two months after it was elected.

The Knesset is expected to hold the initial vote on a measure to dissolve the Knesset Monday, with a final vote slated for Wednesday – the deadline for Netanyahu to form a new government.

According to a new poll conducted by Panels Politics on behalf of Maariv, Netanyahu would benefit from new elections, which would increase the right-wing - haredi bloc's margin in the Knesset from 65 seats to 68, while the left-wing – Arab bloc would fall from 55 to 52 mandates.

The Likud itself would retain the 35 seats it won in April, while the center-left Blue and White party would fall from 35 to 34 seats.

The haredi factions Shas and United Torah Judaism would retain their eight seats each, while the Union of Right-Wing Parties would rise from five seats to six. Yisrael Beytenu would also rise from five seats to six.

The New Right party of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked would pass the electoral threshold this time around, winning five seats, while the Kulanu faction of Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon would not.

With 68 mandates for the right-wing – haredi bloc, Netanyahu would no longer be dependent on Yisrael Beytenu to form a majority coalition of 61 MKs.

On the left, the Labor party would retain its current six mandates, while Meretz would gain one seat, rising to five. The joint ticket of the Arab parties Hadash and Ta'al would gain one seat, rising to seven mandates, while the second Arab joint ticket of Balad and the United Arab List would fail to cross the threshold.


6. TOMORROW: VOTE TO DISMISS THE KNESSET
by Arutz Sheva Staff

MK and ministers from the Likud faction were asked to arrive at the Knesset tomorrow (Monday) at 4 PM to vote to dismiss the current Knesset.

"Hello everyone, Please be at tomorrow at 16:00 in the plenum to vote on the Knesset Dispersion Law. Attendance is mandatory. There are no excuses and no absences. Please confirm!" the message sent to the faction said.

The message appears to signal the end of negotiations to form a new coalition following last month's Knesset elections. At the same time, efforts to form a coalition are continuing.


7. WILL NEW KNESSET BE DISSOLVED THIS WEEK?
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced plans Sunday to advance a bill to dissolve the 21st Knesset – less than two months after it was elected.

Netanyahu made the announcement during a meeting of Likud ministers Sunday afternoon, as talks to form a new coalition government remain at an impasse.

During the meeting Sunday, Netanyahu blamed Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avidgor Liberman for the failure to reach a compromise agreement with haredi lawmakers which would pave the way for a new governing coalition.

"The haredim moved in Liberman's direction," said Netanyahu. "We can solve this crisis, but I guess someone doesn't want to."

"Liberman is looking for any excuse to topple me. The public will never forgive him if he takes us to elections twice in one year," Netanyahu continued.

The Prime Minister added that if no compromise can be worked out before the deadline Wednesday, Israel will head to snap elections.

"If there will be no choice, then we'll pass a law dissolving the Knesset on Wednesday."

At the same time, the Likud's negotiating team is continuing its efforts to bring Yisrael Beytenu and the haredi factions to a compromise that would allow both sides to join the new government.

With five seats of the 65 total mandates won by the right-wing – religious bloc in last month's election, Yisrael Beytenu is essential for Netanyahu to build a working majority government.

Netanyahu has until Wednesday to form a new government – or risk President Reuven Rivlin nominating a rival candidate to attempt to form a coalition.

Yisrael Beytenu and the two haredi factions – Shas and United Torah Judaism – have been at odds over Yisrael Beytenu's proposed modifications to the haredi draft law.

The bill, drawn up by a committee of defense officials at Liberman's behest, would largely retain the present draft deferment program for yeshiva students, while adding measures to pressure the haredi community to meet draft quotas set by the defense ministry.

The hared parties, by contrast, have pushed for maintaining the present system.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263692


8. YESHIVAH STUDENTS SAVE THE LIFE OF MAN WITH A SWASTIKA
by Sara Rubenstein

A group of teenaged yeshivah students in Boston saved a man with a swastika tattoo from drowning in the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston last week, according to a report by NBC10 Boston.

The students were taking a walk around the reservoir and spotted a man partially submerged in the water and not moving. They immediately ran to a nearby police car to summon help. Boston College police officer Carl Mascioli was on patrol that day and responded to their calls.

"While I was pulling him out of the water, I also observed that he had a swastika on his hand," said Mascioli. According to Mascioli, the boys had summoned him just in time to save the man's life because he would not have survived much longer.

When the man regained consciousness, Mascioli made sure to tell the man who had saved his life. "I kind of let the gentlemen know sometimes some deeds have a funny way of turning around," said the officer. "Their good deed had a little bit of a twist to it."

Mascioli said that the students told him that they didn't regret saving the man's life.

It's unknown how the man almost drowned.