Joint Arab List MK Ahmad Tibi ignites the ire of right-wing groups by condemning the IDF for killing three terrorists who had carried out shooting attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians in the area over the past few weeks.
Bennett hits back at Netanyahu after the latter accused him mishandling the coronavirus pandemic, noting that “the easiest thing was to hit the lockdown button, but we are fighting to keep the economy open.”
Aryeh Deri admitted to tax offenses as part of a plea bargain and was given a suspended sentence. Conviction does not preclude him from running in the next elections. The head of the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party served a 22 months sentence in the early 2000s after he was convicted of taking bribes while serving as interior minister.
Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef criticizes Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana, who spearheads the controversial kashrut and conversion reforms, for "heeding the advice of uninfluential rabbis who confuse him."
The chairman of the Likud Central Committee, MK Haim Katz, however, tells Israel Hayom that no one had discussed the prospect with him, and that party primaries will only be held if the government falls or half a year before the Knesset disperses.
"The entire public sees what is happening in court and how the investigation against me was conducted. It is enough to close the cases against me right now, but it has not happened yet. In recent days, false allegations have been made in the media about things I allegedly agreed to, such as the claim I agreed to admit to moral turpitude. This is not correct," says former premier Benjamin Netanyahu in a video message.
While no one knows what Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu's political fate will be, MKs Miri Regev and Israel Katz fire barbs at each other, and MK Ofir Akunis warns that internecine fighting "plays into the hands of the bad government."
Initiative had garnered support among party members who hoped to buy time to elect a leader and avoid the chaos of primary elections at this time. Netanyahu’s defense team says chances of reaching a plea deal under Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit are now “very slim.”
Amid reports of a potential plea deal between former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the attorney general, 34% of Israelis still believe Netanyahu is most suited to lead a government. Meanwhile, if anyone other than Netanyahu is elected to lead the Likud, the party will lose several mandates.
Polls published by Israel's three major news channels show that the public favors former Jerusalem Mayor Likud MK Nir Barkat as Netanyahu's successor.