NZ Friends of Israel Association Inc
Fighting racial intolerance in New Zealand and beyond
Israel’s parliament has narrowly approved a new coalition government, ending the historic 12-year rule of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sending the polarising leader into the opposition.
Naftali Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu turned rival, became prime minister after the 60-59 vote. Promising to try to heal a divided nation, Bennett will preside over a diverse and fragile coalition comprised of eight parties with deep ideological differences.
Israel disclosed that the Hamas terror group worked on an electronic system to disrupt the Iron Dome aerial defense system in the building housing the Associated Press’ office in Gaza, which was bombed during the hostilities in May.
During the 11-day Operation Guardian of the Walls, more than 4,300 rockets were fired by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad towards Israel. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about 90% of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome, helping to limit the number of civilian casualties and injuries.
Israel Ambassador to the United Nations and United States Gilad Erdan visited AP’s New York headquarters on Tuesday to share information on the targeting of the building, and to explain to top executives of the media outlet that it was being used by Hamas terrorists trying to “jam the Iron Dome — that is why it was prioritized by the IDF during last month’s operation.”
“While investigating how to secure the building from the missiles, a detailed assessment on 31 May 2021 revealed what appears to be a cavity and a possible tunnel, at the location of the missile strike. The depth of the cavity is approximately 7.5 meters below the surface of the school. UNRWA discovered the existence of a possible tunnel in the context of the investigation of the fired missiles. There is no indication of the existence of any entry or exit points for the tunnel within the premises.
UNRWA condemns the existence and potential use by Palestinian armed groups of such tunnels underneath its schools in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable that students and staff be placed at risk in such a way.”
— UNRWA
Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff supplied a list of 50 suspected war criminals decades ago, but successive governments keep classified the immigration documents that could implicate them.
The widely reported death in New Zealand last year of former Waffen-SS soldier Willi Huber served to awaken the consciousness of New Zealanders to the reality that Nazi war criminals and sympathizers live, or have lived, among them.
Huber, who migrated to New Zealand in 1953, was a keen skier. Often referred to as “a heartland hero” and “the founding father” of the South Island’s Mt. Hutt ski field, he achieved near-legendary status in the skiing fraternity and was lauded by some media. He died never having publicly expressed any remorse for his wartime activities.
Since the end of World War II, New Zealand, like Australia, has served as a sanctuary for war refugees and other displaced persons (DPs), mainly from Europe. But not all, it seems, were honest about their background.
After 12 straight years as Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is losing power — and the government that’s about to replace him is remarkable in its own right.
Netanyahu’s ouster is a huge deal on its own. Over the past decade-plus, as the country’s longest-serving leader, he has become nearly synonymous with Israel — shaping its foreign and domestic policy as well as its international image, and personally guiding its relationship with the United States.
Over the past two years, his desire to hold onto power — even as he stands trial on corruption charges — along with his opponents’ desire to oust him, have driven Israel’s political system into crisis. He has become so personally polarizing that a range of ideological allies turned against him — and are on the verge of replacing him.
Now, Netanyahu’s opponents have announced that they have succeeded in defeating him. And when they get sworn in later this month, unless Netanyahu somehow manages to scuttle that, the government they form will itself break boundaries. It will be an unprecedented alliance of political right and left, Jews and Arabs, all dedicated to one goal: ending the Netanyahu era. At the same time, there are ways that, even under new leadership, Israel is unlikely to change.
Here’s what you need to know about Israel’s incoming government.
Veteran politician Isaac Herzog was elected as Israel’s eleventh president.
Herzog, the former head of the Labor Party and an opposition leader who unsuccessfully ran against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the 2015 parliamentary elections, was selected by secret ballots among the 120 members of the Knesset, or parliament.
He defeated outsider Miriam Peretz, who is more aligned with Israel’s conservative and nationalist groups.
“I intend to be the president of everyone,” Herzog said, as reported the Associated Press. “We must defend Israel’s international status and its good reputation in the family of nations, fight antisemitism and hatred of Israel, and preserve the pillars of our democracy. “
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents have announced they have reached a deal to form a new governing coalition, paving the way for the ousting of the longtime leader.
The dramatic announcement by opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, came moments before a midnight (local time) deadline and prevented the country from plunging into what would have been its fifth consecutive election in just over two years.
Centrist Lapid and ultra-nationalist Bennett have joined forces and agreed to rotate the premiership between them, with Bennett going first.
For Tanya Levy, the starting point of the Israel-Hamas conflict came at her daughters’ tennis lesson.
The siren indicating they had 90 seconds to find shelter before a possible missile hit sounded while they were in the middle of the courts.
Levy, a “born and bred Aucklander” who moved to Israel 20 years ago, compares her reaction to the siren to how residents of Wellington or Christchurch respond to the first signs of a quake.
“You just switch into business mode,” she said.
Wellington Phoenix have asked fans to refrain from bringing national flags into their two New Zealand home games due to the growing tensions in the Middle East.
The move comes after the club was issued with a “please explain” from the A-League following Israeli striker Tomer Hemed’s controversial goal celebrations against Melbourne City last weekend.
The former Israeli international was cautioned with a yellow card for unveiling a kippah – a cloth cap traditionally worn by Jewish men – and placing it on his head following his 88th minute equaliser, while he also draped himself in the Star of David after scoring a penalty in the 37th minute.
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
21 May 2021
Prime Minister’s Office Statement (Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)
The Security Cabinet, this evening (Thursday, 20 May 2021), unanimously accepted the recommendation of all of the security officials, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the head of the ISA, the head of the Mossad and the head of the National Security Council to accept the Egyptian initiative for a mutual ceasefire without pre-conditions, to take effect at a time to be determined. The IDF Chief-of-Staff, the military and the head of the ISA briefed ministers on Israel’s significant achievements in the operation, some of which are unprecedented. The political leadership emphasizes that it is the reality on the ground that will determine the future of the operation.
End.
