From Watch.org (April 17)
- As talks intensify, Netanyahu mulls narrow coalition
Likud sources: Initial coalition could include Likud, Kulanu, Habayit Hayehudi and ultra-Orthodox parties, after which Netanyahu would invite Labor to join • PM hopes to seal deal with Kulanu party by Tuesday before final two-weeks of talks commence.
Coalition talks shifted to high gear on Wednesday when Likud and Kulanu negotiators met to finalize the terms of their emerging coalition deal. Both sides appear poised to sign the deal as early as next week.
Netanyahu, who is about to exhaust the 28 days he had been allotted by the president for the coalition talks, is expected to arrive at the President’s Residence on Tuesday to ask for more time. (Under the law, he may get another 14 days, at the president’s discretion.) Netanyahu hopes to have at least one official coalition partner when he makes that request, and has indicated that if he fails to seal the deal with Kahlon, he could turn to the ultra-Orthodox parties — Shas and United Torah Judaism. - Hamas calls to abduct Israelis for future swaps
A senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip called on Thursday for the abduction of Israelis, who would be swapped for Palestinians held by the Jewish State.
“We tell the Zionist enemy: you are all a target for us and the resistance, we will fight you until we finally get rid of you and take as many captives as possible to free our heroes,” said Khalil al-Haya, whose Islamist movement de facto rules the Palestinian enclave.
“Our men, our women, our children all envision kidnapping your soldiers and settlers, wherever they are,” he said on the eve of Prisoners Day which Palestinians mark April 17. - Lapid to Mogherini: EU foreign ministers are calling for a de-facto boycott of Israel
A call by 16 European Union foreign ministers to label West Bank settlement products is irresponsible, Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid said Thursday night as he spoke by telephone with the EU’s foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini.
“This is a de-facto call to boycott Israel,” he said. “There is no difference between products which are produced over the Green Line and those that are produced within the Green Line.
“This is an irresponsible call that could create wreak havoc on the Israeli economy. This kind of call is a stain on the EU, and the state of Israel has to fight to prevent this kind of initiative,” he said.
- Arab world: Egypt’s dangerous stalemate
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is fighting for his country’s survival – and his own.
Islamic terrorism is not abating, hampering vital efforts to bring a better life to the people through a revitalized economy and political stability. Sisi knows he has to show results soon to prevent Egypt from slipping back into anarchy and chaos.
Despite the army’s all-out effort to defeat Islamist insurgency in Sinai, there is no end in sight. F-16 fighter planes and Apache helicopters have joined the campaign, security forces have killed or wounded hundreds of terrorists, destroying their haunts and their training groups – but more keep coming. - On the heels of a bad Iran deal: Obama Says ‘Never forget. Never again,’ in Remembrance Day Message
US President Barack Obama called for a forceful stand against anti-Semitism in a message marking Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“It is incumbent upon us to make real those timeless words, ‘Never forget. Never again.’ Yet, even as we recognize that mankind is capable of unspeakable acts of evil, we also draw strength from the survivors, the liberators, and the righteous among nations who represented humanity at its best,” Obama said.
“With their example to guide us, together we must firmly and forcefully condemn the anti-Semitism that is still far too common today. Together we must stand against bigotry and hatred in all their forms. And together, we can leave our children a world that is more just, more free, and more secure for all humankind.” - North Korea Transfers Missile Goods to Iran During Nuclear Talks: Intelligence suppressed by Obama administration
North Korea supplied several shipments of missile components to Iran during recent nuclear talks and the transfers appear to violate United Nations sanctions on both countries, according to U.S. intelligence officials.
Since September more than two shipments of missile parts have been monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies as they transited from North Korea to Iran, said officials familiar with intelligence reports who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Details of the arms shipments were included in President Obama’s daily intelligence briefings and officials suggested information about the transfers was kept secret from the United Nations, which is in charge of monitoring sanctions violations. - Putin tells Netanyahu S-300 missiles not a threat to Israel
After Russia okayed sale of advanced missile defense system to Iran, Netanyahu calls Putin to express concern that sale would bolster Iran’s regional terror activities.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russia’s president to convey his displeasure over Russia’s decision to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. Putin for his part told Netanyahu that the missiles had only defensive capabilities and “pose no threat” to Israel.
Netanyahu’s office said he spoke with Vladimir Putin Tuesday to protest Russia’s planned delivery of advanced S-300 air defense missile systems to the Islamic Republic. The Kremlin confirmed the call in a statement on Tuesday.
