Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
On November 7th, Israel’s outgoing Knesset held a commemorative session to mark the anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, 27 years ago.
Among the speakers was MK Bezalel Smotrich, who chairs the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism Party, the third largest party in the Knesset and Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief partner in his prospective coalition. In his speech, Smotrich voiced an absurd conspiracy theory that is prevalent among hard-right Israelis. According to this theory, Israel’s Shin Bet secret service “used irresponsible manipulations (…) to encourage the murderer to carry out his plan,” as Smotrich put it. He added that the criticism of Rabin coming from the national religious community was justified, thus minimizing, indeed ignoring, the documented role that extreme right-wing incitement played in pushing the assassin, Yigal Amir, to pull the trigger.
In light of yesterday’s American elections, and with Israel’s elections of last week still fresh in our minds, Americans for Peace Now (APN) will urge the Biden Administration and the incoming Congress to take measures that advance the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and provide security, wellbeing, and human and civil rights to both peoples. Given the results of last week’s elections in Israel, we will also urge Congress to pay special attention to the state of democracy and the rule of law in Israel, as well as the continuing expansion of Israeli settlements and oppression in the Occupied Territories.
Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace in cooperation with Americans for Peace Now, where the Legislative Round-Up was conceived
1. Bills &
Resolutions
2. Media (general)
3. Media & Members
(Middle East in US Elex)
4. Members on the Record
(Palestine)
5. Members on the Record
(Israel)
6.
Members on the Record (Iran)
7. Members on the Record
(Saudi Arabia)
8. Members on the Record (All
other Mideast countries)
Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
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Yossi Alpher is an independent security analyst. He is the former director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University, a former senior official with the Mossad, and a former IDF intelligence officer. Views and positions expressed here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily represent APN's views and policy positions.
Yesterday, Israelis went to the polls for the fifth time in under four years. As with the previous rounds, I followed the results with trepidation. It's too early to know yet exactly what Israel's next coalition government will look like, but what we can see now does not bode well for Israel's future.
The politician who will put together the next governing coalition will shape the character of public life in the country and determine its future as a democracy and as a member of the family of nations.
According to initial election results available as I write this article, shortly after the polls closed, that politician may again be Benjamin Netanyahu, the man who has dominated Israeli politics for the past two decades.
Israel is a multi-party system with a 120-seat parliament, the Knesset. To form a government coalition, a Knesset member (typically the leader of the largest party) must cobble together a coalition of parties with a combined total of at least 61 Knesset seats.
The results of Israel's exit polls, which are not final but often provide an accurate indication of ultimate election results, confirm the darkest predictions for today’s election.