Benjamin Netanyahu
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S.-Israel alliance is “as strong as it has ever been,” and that the two discussed “all the efforts we’ve made to push back against the threat not only to Israel, but to the region and the world from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
More than 5,000 dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremony, but the Israeli premier’s plans are tentative due to stalling coalition talks.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirms that Benjamin Netanyahu will formally ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon Israeli-American Naama Issachar, who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for drug-smuggling.
Sources close to Israel’s President Rivlin say mandate to form government will be passed to Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, Israeli media reports • Three arrested during clashes between pro- and anti-Netanyahu demonstrators outside attorney general’s home.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit now has two months to decide whether to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in any or all of three corruption, bribery and breach of trust cases.
The absence of Deputy State Attorney Liat Ben-Ari during the last two days of the pre-indictment hearing in favor of a family vacation certainly fits the prime minister’s narrative of a system out to get him and not giving him a fair chance.
Likud Knesset member Gideon Sa’ar says he stands behind the prime minister, though plans to challenge him for leadership of the Likud Party whenever the next internal election is called.
The premier’s defense attorneys again assert new evidence will force closure of all cases • State prosecution: None of the charges against the prime minister have been refuted so far.
“Russia wants to keep a lid on Syria and continues to play the different sides off of each other. So it can tolerate repeated low-level Israeli airstrikes, but wants to make sure that things don’t get out of hand,” said Charles Freilich, a former deputy Israeli national security adviser.
The cloud of no leader being able to form a majority coalition could be felt, and talk was centered on the need to form a unity government led by the two largest parties: Likud, and Blue and White.
Blue and White offers Netanyahu a power-sharing deal if he leaves office for the next two years • Gantz to Netanyahu: “I don’t want to see you behind bars. I hope you are innocent, but we need a prime minister.”
Yisrael Beiteinu leader: If there’s no progress by Yom Kippur, “we will enter any effort to form a government in high gear”; Netanyahu: “Yair Lapid is the only reason there is no unity government.”
