A7News: Will new Knesset be dissolved this week?

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Sunday, May. 26 '19, כ"א באייר תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. WILL NEW KNESSET BE DISSOLVED THIS WEEK?
2. RABBI OF BERLIN: KIPA SHOULD BE WORN WITH PRIDE
3. 'AGREEMENT REACHED ON MAINTAINING STATUS QUO'
4. WATCH: RABBI CARLEBACH'S HOME DESTROYED - BUT THE BOOKS SURVIVED
5. SUSPICION: FIRE AT MEVO MODI'IM CAUSED BY ARSON
6. FRANCE: 13 WOUNDED IN EXPLOSION IN LYON
7. POLICE ARREST ARAB ARSONIST IN JERUSALEM
8. 'YANKI IS DEJECTED, HURT AND HUMILIATED'


1. 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


2. RABBI OF BERLIN: KIPA SHOULD BE WORN WITH PRIDE
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The rabbi of Berlin, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, on Sunday morning urged Jews to continue to wear kippot with pride, after a German government official advised that Jews not wear kippot "everywhere, all the time."

"The combating of anti-Semitism is a top priority so it is appreciated that this is being addressed by top representatives of the government," Rabbi Teichtal wrote on Facebook.

"At the same time, the KIPA is a clear symbol of Jewish identity and should be worn with PRIDE."

Rabbi Teichtal - who also is the great grandson of Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal, whose work Eim Habanim Smeicha argued that the Holocaust was a sign that Jews must make aliyah and rebuild the land of Israel - added, "Of course all the necessary security precautions need to be taken. At the same time, hiding our identity was never the solution, we should be always be PROUD of who we are. AM ISRAEL CHAI."

The rabbi's comments come after Germany's government commissioner on anti-Semitism warned Jews about the potential dangers of wearing the traditional kippah skullcap in the face of rising anti-Jewish attacks.

"I cannot advise Jews to wear the kippah everywhere all the time in Germany," Felix Klein said in an interview published Saturday by the Funke regional press group.

In issuing the warning, he said he had "alas, changed my mind (on the subject) compared to previously."


3. 'AGREEMENT REACHED ON MAINTAINING STATUS QUO'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened Likud ministers on Sunday to discuss the progress of coalition negotiations.

"We reached an agreement with all the factions on maintaining the status quo in all the issues of legislation in matters of religion and state," said Minister Yariv Levin, chairman of the negotiating team, during the meeting.

In his remarks, Levin referred to the talks held with the Shas, United Torah Judaism and United Right parties, following a meeting held with them last week.

However, it appears that the Draft Law crisis is still far from being solved at this time, and the parties continue to stick fast to their positions.

Earlier, Likud published a statement saying, "Prime Minister Netanyahu is formulating a solution that will enable the establishment of a right-wing government together with the Draft Law. In parallel, in case Liberman remains insistent on the collapse of the government, Likud has begun preparations for elections. At this stage, a decision on the dissolution of the Knesset has not been made."


4. WATCH: RABBI CARLEBACH'S HOME DESTROYED - BUT THE BOOKS SURVIVED
by Yoni Kempinski

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263685

On Sunday, residents of the central Israeli town of Mevo Modim visited the ruins of the devastated community for the first time since a massive firestorm in the neighboring Ben Shemen Forest tore through the town, destroying most of the roughly 50 homes.

Arutz Sheva joined the residents as they inspected the remains of the homes hit by the fire, including the ruins of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's private residence. To their surprise, the residents visiting the remains of Rabbi Carlebach's home found that much of his personal library remained intact, a fact many found miraculous.

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5. SUSPICION: FIRE AT MEVO MODI'IM CAUSED BY ARSON
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263686

Israel Fire and Rescue Services is investigating the suspicion that the fire that devastated Moshav Mevo Modi'im last week was caused by arson.

On Friday, teams of investigators, assisted by dogs and technological equipment, arrived at the scene and began an examination of the incident.

The investigation at Mevo Modi'im is being conducted concurrently with investigations opened at several other locations throughout the country where fires broke out.

The findings of the Mevo Modi'im investigation so far revealed that there were several fire foci in the area, raising the suspicion that the giant fire, which destroyed dozens of homes in the village, was the result of arson.

However, firefighters emphasize that the investigation is ongoing, and that the findings of the final investigation will be published later.


6. FRANCE: 13 WOUNDED IN EXPLOSION IN LYON
by Elad Benari, Canada

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263649

An explosion on a pedestrian street in the French city of Lyon wounded at least 13 people on Friday, France's interior ministry said.

French police were hunting for a suspected suitcase bomber after the explosion. The suspect was captured on security video leaving a case in front of a bakery shortly before the explosion occurred at around 5:30 p.m. local time.

Officials initially said eight people were wounded, but police sources later put the number hurt at 13. None of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening.

The Paris anti-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation, with police treating the blast as an attempted homicide, law enforcement officials said.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the explosion an "attack," confirmed there had been no fatalities and sent "a thought for the injured and their families."

France has been hit by a wave of terrorist attacks in recent years, beginning with the 2015 attack on the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine which was followed by the attack on the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in which four people were murdered.

The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed some of the attacks on France in recent years. The biggest of these attacks was the November 2015 Paris attack in which 129 people were murdered.

The country has been under a heightened alert in recent years in the wake of the attacks.

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(Arutz Sheva's North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)


7. POLICE ARREST ARAB ARSONIST IN JERUSALEM
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Israel Police officers on Friday morning arrested an Arab who was documented setting fire to a number of locations in Jerusalem's Mount Scopus area, 0404 News reported.

The suspect was identified by lookouts and his actions were documented. Forces called to the area searched for and located the suspect, arresting him.

A security source told 0404 News that the arson was nationalistically motivated.

Separately, Walla! reported that Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael believes the Ben Shemen Forest fire, which devoured at least 30% of the forest, may have been arson. However, the investigation is still ongoing and official conclusions have not been released.

In addition to the Ben Shemen fire, thousands of dunams of forest in both the Eshtaol and Tsor'a areas have been destroyed.

Some of the fires in the Jerusalem area were caused by falling electric wires, Walla! added.


8. 'YANKI IS DEJECTED, HURT AND HUMILIATED'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Baruch Rosenberg, the father of Yanki Rosenberg, the mentally disabled haredi youth who was arrested through use of excessive force on Wednesday in the Makor Baruch neighborhood of Jerusalem, described the situation in which his son now finds himself.

"Yanki is another person. He is dejected, hurt and humiliated. It's unbelievable, we know him as a happy person who deals with things. He told me, 'Dad, I got the blow of my life'," the father told Ha'olam Haboker on Channel 13.

"We already know that there are a few videos. In the first few days we couldn't bring ourselves to see them," Rosenberg continued. "Yesterday I made a decision that I have to see. Since we do not have this media, I do not have access to it, so I didn't see it yet. I am informed by people who saw it - and we are shocked."

"My second son told me, 'Dad, I know Yanki, he's a good soul and he really did not do anything - not just because I know him, but because you can see.' The video also shows that Yanki is a special child from his conduct. People around yelled, 'Leave him alone, he's a special boy,' Yanki also shouted, 'I'm special' - he uses that when he's in distress, even though he does not like it," the father added.

In response to the question of whether the policemen acted in good faith and did not realize that they were dealing with a mentally disabled youth, Rosenberg replied: "Today it is clear that there is no room for this question, because things speak for themselves. Everyone who watched the video understands that there was no unclear situation there. What we are crying is what happened there? What brought Yanki into a situation where he was cuffed and beaten - he did not do anything."

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263681