Benjamin Netanyahu
Likud’s top 40 candidates for Sept. 17 election sign declaration backing party leader Benjamin Netanyahu as their candidate for prime minister, while pointing out that leaders of parties not chosen by the people via primaries “are the last ones who should be criticizing Likud.”
The online greetings were triggered by a tweet from the Israeli Embassy in India to mark “Friendship Day,” which Indians celebrate every year on the first Sunday in August.
After Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman suggested that Benjamin Netanyahu be removed as head of the Likud should he fail to form a coalition, party members drew up a pledge of support for Likud Knesset members and candidates to sign.
The deadline for political parties to submit their official lists came and went. While the two largest ones from the previous election—Likud, and Blue and White—largely remain the same, several mergers of smaller parties could factor into the Sept. 17 elections.
Senior government officials said that the plan is an “extremely sensitive” matter.
“I would like to commend the U.S. House of Representatives for overwhelmingly approving, by a great bipartisan majority, Democrats and Republicans alike, a decision against boycotts against Israel,” said Netanyahu in a video on Twitter.
Benjamin Netanyahu just became the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history. In a special interview, he looks back on a number of significant events from his time in office.
“To survive as long as he has in Israel’s raucous political system is no small feat. He has clearly left a deep imprint on the country and its future,” Michael Freund, the prime minister’s deputy communications director from 1996-99, told JNS.
“This nation has extraordinary abilities in the economy, in defense and security, in statesmanship. We have proven that Israel could be transformed from a small country in the Middle East into a major force on the global stage,” says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Benjamin Netanyahu will edge out former David Ben-Gurion, who stood at the nation’s helm for a total of 4,875 days.
“The two leaders discussed cooperation between the United States and Israel in advancing shared national-security interests, including efforts to prevent Iran’s malign actions in the region,” stated White House spokesperson Judd Deere.
He will be “throwing a series of ‘Hail Mary’ passes at every opportunity on every issue, including diplomacy, security, social welfare, religion and economy,” said adviser Mitchel Barak, CEO of Keevoon Research, Strategy and Communications Ltd.
