A7News: Theresa May to stand down in June

Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
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Friday, May. 24 '19, י"ט באייר תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. THERESA MAY TO STAND DOWN IN JUNE
2. 'THE TOMMY ROBINSON VIDEO EVERY JEW MUST WATCH'
3. FIRE NEAR NEGOHOT, RESIDENTS EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES
4. ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI ON STATEN ISLAND SYNAGOGUE
5. NIKKI HALEY RECEIVES THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER'S HIGHEST HONOR
6. 16 HOMES DESTROYED, THOUSANDS EVACUATED AS FIRESTORMS RAGE ON
7. TOWNS ACROSS CENTRAL ISRAEL EVACUATED AS FIRES SPREAD
8. REPORT: NETANYAHU CONSIDERING GOING TO NEW ELECTIONS


1. THERESA MAY TO STAND DOWN IN JUNE
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263631

British Prime Minister Theresa May will stand down as Conservative leader on 7 June.

Speaking to her countrymen outside Downing Street, May said her decision was a result of her failure to convince Britain's Parliament to back Brexit.

"I have done everything I can to convince MPs to back that deal," she explained. "Sadly I have not been able to do so."

"I am proud of the progress we have made over the last few years. We have helped more people than ever secure a job."

Emphasizing that her position has been "the honor of her life," she added, "Our politics may be under strain but there is so much that is good about this country. So much to be proud of. So much to be optimistic about."



2. 'THE TOMMY ROBINSON VIDEO EVERY JEW MUST WATCH'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263584


3. FIRE NEAR NEGOHOT, RESIDENTS EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES
by Yoni Kempinski

A fire broke out Friday morning near the settlement of Negohot at Mount Hebron. Residents of the Booster neighborhood were evacuated from their homes.

Teams of firefighters, Magen David Adom and the IDF are on their way to the scene.

The Nature and Parks Authority asked the public not to travel in open areas, even on bicycle tracks, because of the extreme weather.

Earlier, Route 44 from Rishon Lezion to the Nahshon Junction was blocked for vehicular traffic in both directions due to a fire in the woods in the area. Traffic police officers are at the checkpoints.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) participated in the assessment of the situation in the command post established at Tel Hadid, north of the Ben Shemen Forest.

Netanyahu said during the assessment that he intends to implement the recommendations to improve the firefighting system, which was severely criticized by the state comptroller five months ago. "We will prepare better and implement the decisions to improve the firefighting system this year," the Prime Minister promised.


4. ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI ON STATEN ISLAND SYNAGOGUE
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Anti-Semitic graffiti was found scrawled on a Staten Island synagogue Thursday morning, SI Live reported.

The synagogue, which is run by Chabad of Staten Island, had the words "synagogue of Satan" scrawled on its side. Across the street, the letters "SOS" were spray-painted on the side of the island's Yeshiva Zichron Paltiel.

According to Chabad of Staten Island's Mendy Katzman, local police believe the graffiti was scrawled at around midnight, and that it was discovered by yeshiva students at approximately 3:00a.m.

He also said students often study in the synagogue throughout the night, and that the fence - and door - are often left open.

"It's a very high-traffic area," SI Live quoted Katzman as saying. Katzman added that he would have to increase security. "We need to keep doing what we're doing."

"We are having attacks on our synagogue, people are writing, 'synagogue of Satan.' But we're still going to go out and be prideful and stand strong."

An NYPD spokesperson said police are investigating the incident.


5. NIKKI HALEY RECEIVES THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER'S HIGHEST HONOR
by Sara Rubenstein

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) granted its highest honor to former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Thursday in Chicago. The Center selected Haley to receive the Humanitarian Laureate Award for "her courage and compassion in protecting global human rights and the state of Israel."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263632

Haley received the award at the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) Midwest Region's 2019 Spirit of Courage Benefit dinner at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. "Nikki Haley personifies the legacy of Simon Wiesenthal, who reminded the world that freedom is not a gift from heaven, rather, it is something that we must fight for each and every day," Rabbi Marvin Hier, SWC Founder and Dean said.

"There is true evil in the world and we must come together to fight for human rights around the world," Haley said upon receiving the award. Haley also shared with the audience about her experience being an "other" in American society, growing up in an immigrant family from India. She said that her experience being different strengthened her and led to her taking true pride in being an American.

Haley later shared her award on her Twitter account, saying, "A great night. Thank you."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263632

Haley unexpectedly resigned from her position as US Ambassador to the UN in 2018. She was a strong supporter of Israel during her term as ambassador and outspoken critic of the UN's corruption and vilification of Israel.


6. 16 HOMES DESTROYED, THOUSANDS EVACUATED AS FIRESTORMS RAGE ON
by David Rosenberg

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263603

Thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from their homes and at least sixteen houses destroyed Thursday as fires rage out of control in central and southern Israel.

Eighty firefighter units, twelve planes, and two helicopters have been deployed in an effort to contain the two largest fires currently raging – one in the Jerusalem corridor west of the capital, near Kibbutz Harel 4.5 miles north of Beit Shemesh; the second in the Ben Shemen forest near Route 443.

Homes have been reported as destroyed in both Kibbutz Harel and Mevo Modim, which sits near the Ben Shemen forest and just off of Route 443.

Residents from Harel, Mevo Modim, and a number of towns near Mevo Modim – including Gimzu, Kfar Daniel, and even Shilat – have been evacuated in part or entirely. Current estimates put the number of evacuated residents at about 3,500.

Officials say the Ben Shemen forest, a major nature preserve near the densely-populated coastal region, suffered "massive damage" in the fire.

"Massive damage not only to the forest but also to the animals," said Gilad Mastai, the Jewish National Fund's regional manager. "A very wide area of the forest was burned."

"We never expected such a terrible blow after we spent all night going through the forest removing people who had lit bonfires. It is difficult to estimate how many trees were destroyed and burned. This is one of the worst fires ever to hit a forest in central Israel."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu instructed the Public Security Ministry, National Security Council, and even the Foreign Ministry to coordinate efforts to bring aerial assistance - potentially including help from abroad - to extinguish the fires.

Earlier on Thursday, fires were also reported in southern Israel, including near the Gaza-border town of Karmia.

Earlier on Thursday, the town of Beit Haggai in the Mount Hebron area was partially evacuated and six residents injured from smoke inhalation after a large fire broke out near the town.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263603


7. TOWNS ACROSS CENTRAL ISRAEL EVACUATED AS FIRES SPREAD
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263591

[Fire in Ben Shemen]

Israeli police evacuated residents from a number of towns in central Israel and the western Negev Thursday afternoon, as multiple blazes burned out of control, threatening residential areas.

Kibbutz Harel, located west of Jerusalem and about four-and-a-half miles north of Beit Shemesh, was completely evacuated Thursday afternoon after a large fire broke out in the area, threatening homes inside the kibbutz.

Fires also raged in the Ben Shemen forest near the town of Mevo Modim off of Route 443, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from Mevo Modim and the nearby towns of Gimzo and Kfar Daniel.

Police have closed Route 443 to traffic in both directions near Gimzo.

Firefighters are operating in the area to contain the blaze, and are using air units to aid in their efforts.

In addition, residents from the western Negev towns of Karmia, just north of the Gaza Strip, were evacuated Thursday after a fire broke out in the area. The fire prompted the closure of Route 3411.

Earlier on Thursday, the town of Beit Haggai in the Mount Hebron area was partially evacuated and six residents injured from smoke inhalation after a large fire broke out near the town.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263591


8. REPORT: NETANYAHU CONSIDERING GOING TO NEW ELECTIONS
by David Rosenberg

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is considering dissolving the new Knesset and heading to snap elections, sources in the Likud said Thursday, in a thinly-veiled threat to Yisrael Beytenu chief Avidgor Liberman.

Coalition talks broke down this week, amid a failure to reach a break through with Yisrael Beytenu, the secular right-wing party which draws most of its support from immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

Netanyahu, who was tapped by President Reuven Rivlin to form the next government, passed the original 28-day deadline to build a new coalition, and is set to reach the new deadline on May 29th. If the prime minister fails to build a majority government by that date, he will lose the mandate to form a government.

The relationship between Yisrael Beytenu and the haredi parties, who clashed during the previous government over issues of religion-and-state – in particular the future of the draft deferment program for yeshiva students – remains the most difficult issue preventing the creation of a new government.

While Netanyahu's previous government was able to form initially with a narrow 61-seat majority without Liberman, following last month's election, the right-wing – haredi bloc was left with a narrower 65-seat majority in the Knesset, with five seats going to the Yisrael Beytenu party. That means that Netanyahu will be unable to reach the 61-seat majority without Liberman.

On Thursday, the Likud accused Liberman of preventing the establishment of a new government, noting that he had already been offered the Defense Ministry, one of his key demands.

After the failure to win Liberman's support, Netanyahu called party leaders in for an urgent meeting at 8:00 p.m. – a meeting Liberman refused to attend.

Given the current impasse, Netanyahu said in a closed-door meeting that he is seriously considering dissolving the new Knesset and taking the country to snap elections, according to Likud officials Yediot Ahronot reported Thursday night.

The claim, widely seen as a veiled threat to Yisrael Beytenu, was accompanied by a barrage of criticism from Likud lawmakers who cited the party's endorsement of Netanyahu for the premiership ahead of last month's election. The Likud also warned that Liberman's refusal to join the coalition could lead to the establishment of a left-wing government.

"Liberman promised his voters that he would back the formation of a right-wing government led by Netanyahu," Likud officials said Thursday. "Now he's using every excuse possible to block the establishment of that very kind of government, making it possible for the establishment of a left-wing government."