Israel

05 Apr 2021; MEMO: More than three-quarters of Israelis believe that Israel is heading to its fifth elections in two years due to the ongoing political stalemate and fragmented blocs within the Israeli Knesset, Shehab News Agency reported on Sunday.

A survey conducted by Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) concluded that 68 per cent of Israelis were dissatisfied with the last election results.

Jerusalem, Apr 5 (AP-PTI) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appeared in court for the resumption of his corruption trial.

The evidentiary phase of the trial begins on Monday as Israel's political parties meet with the president to weigh in on who should form the next government following last month's inconclusive elections.

The March 23 vote was largely a referendum on Netanyahu but produced no clear verdict.

03 Apr 2021; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is entangled in differences between his two fanatic right-wing supporters regarding his alliance with Arabs, Al Watan Voice reported on Friday.

JERUSALEM, April 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The leader of an Arab Islamist party in Israel delivered a prime-time address in Hebrew on Thursday that was carried live by major TV networks, calling for coexistence between Arabs and Jews in a stunning display of the community’s newfound political influence.

01 Apr 2021; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering running for president to replace Reuven Rivlin, whose term ends in July, in order to avoid prosecution, Arab48 reported yesterday.

The Arabic news site reported Israeli website Wallah saying that Netanyahu's agreement to become president would end the deadlock of forming an Israeli government and prevent the country heading to a fifth election.

01 Apr 2021; MEMO: The EU on Tuesday accused Israel of ignoring its repeated requests to grant visas to its delegation who intend to observe the upcoming Palestinian elections.

In a press conference held in the headquarters of the Palestinian Central Elections Committee in occupied Ramallah, EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff said: "The delay has considerably reduced the EU option to observe the 22 May legislative elections."

31 Mar 2021; MEMO: Head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Tuesday that his movement insists on rebuilding the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

During a speech he delivered to the Second International Student Conference, Haniyeh said: "We believe that internal division is abnormal in the context of the Palestinian history." He stressed that his movement is serious about implementing the recommendations of the Cairo dialogue between the various factions.

30 Mar 2021; MEMO: Israel's National Security Council has warned its citizens that Iran may target them overseas and urged them to be more vigilant, citing threats by Iranian officials, the Times of Israel reported.

30 Mar 2021; MEMO: For the first time in history, Israel is faced with trying to bring together an extremist right-wing and anti-Arab party and an Islamic party to form a coalition government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud won only 30 seats in the last election and he is able to form a 52-seat bloc in the Knesset against a 57-seat bloc led by the second largest party in the Knesset – Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel’s president will begin consultations with political parties next Monday on their preferred candidate to try to form a government, a spokesman said, after a fourth election in two years ended in another stalemate.

After hearing the parties’ recommendations, President Reuven Rivlin will assign the coalition-building task to one of the candidates by April 7, a spokesman said.