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Netanyahu Projected to Win Israel’s Third Election in Under a Year

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  • Israel held its third election in less than a year. Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to win, though his bloc of right-wing parties is still predicted to be short of a majority.
  • The win is a massive victory for the embattled leader, who was indicted on corruption charges before the election, and who many believed was falling from power.
  • There are still problems ahead: It’s unclear if Netanyahu can legally form a government because there is no precedent for an indicted sitting prime minister.
  • With the prospect of a fourth election, leaders are determined to figure something out, but it’s uncertain if that will be enough to overcome the differences that have prevented them from forming a government the last three times.

Israel’s Third Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is projected to win the country’s third election in less than a year.

The election comes after the embattled leader failed twice before to form a coalition government, plunging Israel into political chaos. 

Netanyahu’s repeated inability to form a government and the subsequent turmoil left many wondering if this was the end for the country’s longest-serving prime minister who has largely defined Israeli politics for the last two decades.

Netanyahu’s political future was further called into question in November when he was indicted for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The move marked the first time in Israel’s history a sitting prime minister had been indicted.

But the results of Monday’s election seem to point in the other direction. With 92% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party came out on top, winning a total of 36 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Parliament.

Even more notably, the prime minister’s bloc of right-wing parties won a total of 59 seats— just two seats short of a majority.

Victory for Netanyahu

The win represents a huge victory for Netanyahu for several reasons.

First, out of all three elections, it marks the first time he won more seats his main rival, Benny Gantz. Gantz’s Blue and White Party won 32 seats, and his center-left bloc won a total of 54 seats.

Second, it indicates that Netanyahu’s base does not care that he has been indicted on corruption charges since the last time they voted for him. In fact, voter turn-out was actually the highest it has been for all three of the elections.

And third, it shows Netanyahu’s incredible staying power and stronghold on Israeli politics.

Speaking Monday night, the prime minister called the election outcome the “biggest win” of his life, and a “victory against all odds.”

“They eulogized us, they said it’s the end of the Netanyahu era,” he said. “But we turned everything upside down.”

Legal Precedent

This is clearly a big win for Netanyahu, but his problems are far from over.

Because a sitting prime minister has never been indicted, the whole situation is entirely unprecedented. As a result, it’s unclear if Israel’s president can even legally ask Netanyahu to lead his party in trying to form a government.

To that point, Israel’s Supreme Court avoided ruling on that question back in January, probably because they hoped the election would solve their problem.

Now, it’s almost certain that the highest court will be asked to make the difficult decision to either stop an elected official from taking power or allow a leader accused of bribery and fraud to form a government.

The timing here is also important. Netanyahu’s hearing is set to happen in two weeks, and if convicted, a whole other set of problems could arise.

Numbers Game

Even if he is allowed to form a government, the question that has ultimately caused him to fail each time still remains: can he get a majority?

While Netanyahu won more seats this time around than in the past elections, his right-wing bloc did not. In the first election, the group of right-wing parties won 60 seats, and they were still unable to form a 61-seat majority.

Despite the fact that different parties have won different seats in the last few elections, many of the same problems still remain, which, if unresolved, could lead to a fourth election.

But on the other side, no one wants another election— or at least they do not want to be blamed for it. 

The prospect of a fourth election might provide more incentive for the parties to try to figure something out, but it is uncertain if it will be enough to reconcile differences that have prevented a government from being formed three times already.

See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (Al Jazeera) (Haaretz)

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95-Year-Old Woman Dies After Police Tases Her in Nursing Home

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The officer involved was suspended with pay and charged with assault.


A 95-year-old Australian woman whom police tasered in a nursing home last week has reportedly died from her injuries.

Clare Nowland, who had dementia and required a walking frame to stand up and move, was living at the Yallambee Lodge in Cooma in southeastern Australia.

At about 4:15 a.m. on May 17, police and paramedics responded to a report of a woman standing outside her room with a steak knife.

They encountered Nowland, then reportedly tried to negotiate with her for several minutes, but she didn’t drop the knife.

The five-foot-two, 95-pound woman walked toward the two officers “at a slow pace,” police said at a news conference, so one of them tasered her.

She fell to the floor and reportedly suffered a fractured skull and a severe brain bleed, causing her to be hospitalized in critical condition.

Nowland passed away in a hospital surrounded by her family, the New South Wales police confirmed in a statement today.

After a week-long investigation, the police force also said that the senior constable involved would appear in court next week to face charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault.

NSW police procedure states that tasers should not be used against elderly or disabled people absent exceptional circumstances.

Following the incident, community members, activists, and disability rights advocates expressed bewilderment and anger at what they called an unnecessary use of force, and some are now questioning why law enforcement took so long to prosecute the officer involved.

See what others are saying: (Reuters) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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U.K. Police Face Backlash After Arresting Anti-Monarchy Protesters

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that some of the arrests “raise questions” and “investigations are ongoing.”


The Public Order Act

A controversial protest crackdown law in the U.K. is facing criticism after dozens of anti-monarchy protesters were arrested during the coronation ceremony in London over the weekend.

The law, dubbed the “Public Order Act” was passed roughly a week ahead of the coronation for King Charles III. It gives police more power to restrict protesters and limits the tactics protesters can use in public spaces. It was condemned by human rights groups upon its passing, and is facing a new round of heat after 52 people were arrested over coronation protests on Saturday.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said protesters were arrested for public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. The group said it gave advance warning that its “tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low and that we would deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining the celebration.”

It is currently unclear how many of those arrested were detained specifically for violating the Public Order Act, however, some of those arrested believe the new law was used against them.

“Make no mistake. There is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK,” Graham Smith, the CEO of anti-monarchy group Republic tweeted after getting arrested. “I have been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name.”

An Attempt to “Diminish” Protests

During a BBC Radio interview, Smith also said he believes the dozens of arrests were premeditated. 

“There was nothing that we did do that could possibly justify even being detained and arrested and held,” Smith claimed. 

“The whole thing was a deliberate attempt to disrupt and diminish our protest.”

Yasmine Ahmed, the U.K. Director of Human Rights Watch, also tweeted that the arrests were “disgraceful.”

“These are scenes you’d expect to see in Russia not the UK,” she wrote. 

When asked about the controversy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters officers should  do “what they think is best” in an apparent show of support for the Metropolitan Police. 

For his part, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is looking into the matter.

“Some of the arrests made by police as part of the Coronation event raise questions and whilst investigations are ongoing, I’ve sought urgent clarity from Met leaders on the action taken,” Khan tweeted.

See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (CNN) (The Washington Post)

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Foreign Nationals Make Mad Dash out of Sudan as Conflict Rages

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The conflict’s death toll has surpassed 420, with nearly 4,000 people wounded.


As the 10-day-long power struggle between rival generals tore Sudan apart, foreign governments with citizens in the country scrambled to evacuate them over the weekend.

On Sunday, U.S. special forces landed in the capital Khartoum and carried out nearly 100 American diplomats along with their families and some foreign nationals on helicopters.

An estimated 16,000 Americans, however, remain in the country and U.S. officials said in a statement that a broader evacuation mission would be too dangerous.

Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity warfare, said in a statement that the Pentagon may assist U.S. citizens find safe routes out of Sudan.

“[The Defense Department] is at present considering actions that may include use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to be able to observe routes and detect threats,” he said.

Germany and France also reportedly pulled around 700 people out of the country.

More countries followed with similar efforts, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, China, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Indonesia.

Yesterday, a convoy carrying some 700 United Nations, NGO, and embassy staff drove to Port Sudan, a popular extraction point now that the airport in Khartoum has closed due to fighting.

Reports of gunmen prowling the capital streets and robbing people trying to escape, as well as looters breaking into abandoned homes and shops, have persuaded most residents to stay indoors.

Heavy gunfire, airstrikes, and artillery shelling have terrorized the city despite several proposed ceasefires.

Over the weekend, the reported death toll topped 420, with nearly 4,000 people injured, though both numbers are likely to be undercounted.

See what others are saying: (The Guardian) (The New York Times) (The Washington Post)

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