Israel

04 June 2021; MEMO: The support of the United Arab List party headed by Mansour Abbas in the Israeli coalition seeking to topple the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is not surprising, Anadolu Agency reports.

03 June 2021; MEMO: Naftali Bennett, the 49-year-old future prime minister of Israel known for adopting a religious and nationalist stance, is known for his anti-Palestine views, Anadolu Agency reports.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees says it has recalled its Gaza director after he faced threats over remarks in which he appeared to praise Israel’s “huge sophistication” in carrying out precision strikes during last month’s Gaza war.

UNRWA, which provides essential health, education and other services in the territory, said late Thursday that it was “seriously concerned” about the threats, including a “very large protest” outside its Gaza headquarters on Monday.

(AP) --- Israel’s visiting defense minister said Thursday that Israel will stay engaged on the terms as the U.S. tries to return to a nuclear deal with Iran, sidestepping what’s long been an area of open disagreement between the United States and the now-jeopardized government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Tel Aviv; 03 June 2021 (UMMN): Netanyahu rivals, led by secular centrist politician Yair Lapid, formally declared a coalition with sufficient parliamentary backing to form a government less than an hour before the midnight deadline, avoiding a fifth election.

Lapid informed Israeli President Reuven that he had formed a coalition consisting of at least 61 seats in the Knesset, but the new government will not be sworn in until later this month due to the Knesset’s recess.

03 June 2021; MEMO: Some 4,650 Palestinian prisoners were being held in the Israeli occupation's jails as of the end of May, Anadolu reported the Palestinian Prisoners' Club (PPC) saying yesterday.

In a statement, the PPC said that 39 women and 180 minors are among the prisoners, who are enduring harsh conditions in Israeli prisons.

03 June 2021; MEMO: The chances of a prisoner exchange deal being completed between Israel and Hamas have increased over the past few days, a senior Israeli official said, explaining that Tel Aviv is now waiting for Egyptian mediators to convey Hamas' offer to conclude the deal.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents on Thursday pushed for a quick parliament vote to formally end his lengthy rule, hoping to head off any last-minute attempts by the premier to derail their newly announced coalition government.

The latest political maneuvering began just hours after opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, declared they had reached a deal to form a new government and muster a majority in the 120-member parliament, or Knesset.

02 June 2021; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would be willing to risk ties with the US in order to thwart Iran's nuclear programme.

Netanyahu also called for the continuation of covert operations against Iran, adding: "I have said these things to my friend of 40 years, [US President] Joe Biden, and I told him, 'With or without an agreement, we will continue to do everything in our power to prevent Iran from arming itself with nuclear weapons.'"

(Reuters) --- Israel’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday it had found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men who received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in Israel were likely linked to their vaccination.

Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition, known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general population.