Israeli Minister Predicts End of Netanyahu’s Political Career if he Insists on Early Elections

Protesters gather outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem in July. (AFP)
Protesters gather outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem in July. (AFP)
TT
20

Israeli Minister Predicts End of Netanyahu’s Political Career if he Insists on Early Elections

Protesters gather outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem in July. (AFP)
Protesters gather outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem in July. (AFP)

Israeli Minister of Science Izhar Shay announced that accurate political indications show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is at the end of his political career if he is determined to hold fresh early elections.

The Minister from the Blue and White party asserted that his statements are based on scientific and professional political calculations, citing polls indicating that Likud seats will drop from 36 to 26.

Netanyahu’s chances of returning as a prime minister after holding new elections are slim, and the PM is reconsidering the idea, according to Shay.

The Minister predicted Netanyahu would lose his current coalition if he continued his failed policy in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact.

He announced that Blue and White party leader and alternate prime minister, Benny Gantz, gave Netanyahu until the end of this month to approve the state budget.

Surveys conducted by Channel 12 and 13 showed the continued decline of the Likud headed by Netanyahu.

Channel 12’s poll found that Likud would win 27 seats and Naftali Bennett’s bloc would win 22. Such polls would make the Yamina far-right alliance the second largest political group after Likud, with 22 seats.

The third largest party would be Yesh Atid-Telem, which gained 3 seats, rising to a total of 17 seats, in the Channel 12 poll. The Joint List of Arab-majority parties, led by Ayman Oudeh, would garner 15 seats, one less than in the previous survey.

If an election were held today, Likud is still projected to lead with 27 seats, Yamina would secure 24, and Yesh Atid-Telem would rise to a total of 21, according to the Channel 13 poll.

Both polls predicted that the Labor Party, Gesher, Derech Eretz and Habayit Hayehudi would not pass the electoral threshold.

According to these results, it is theoretically possible to form a government of Zionist parties, consisting of 61 deputies without Netanyahu or his alt-right allies.

The coalition will then include: Yamina, Yesh Atid-Telem, Yisrael Beiteinu and Blue and White.

The polls also asked the Israelis about their opinion regarding Netanyahu's trial on corruption charges.

About 48 percent said that an indictment should be filed against him, 34 percent said they did not believe that an indictment should be brought against him, and 18 percent did not answer.

Participants were also asked about the government's management of the coronavirus crisis. Fifty-eight percent said Netanyahu’s performance was poor, compared to 36 percent who rated it as good.

When asked about the best suited figure to lead the government, 32 percent chose Netanyahu, ahead of Bennett, who received 21 percent, while the head of the Yesh-Atid party, Yair Lapid, got by 9 percent, and only 6 percent of those surveyed voted for Gantz.

Significantly, 22 percent of the respondents said that none of the aforementioned persons is suitable to assume the premiership.



‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
TT
20

‘Bad Day:’ Trump Reflects on Assassination Bid One Year Later

Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)
Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump says "mistakes were made" but he's satisfied with the investigation into his near-assassination a year ago, as the Secret Service announced disciplinary actions Thursday against six staff members.

In excerpts of an interview on Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump" show, airing Saturday, Trump, 79, said the elite close-protection service "had a bad day."

"There were mistakes made. And that shouldn't have happened," Trump said in the interview conducted by his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who has her own show on the Trump-friendly news channel.

The Republican -- whose ear was nicked by a bullet while he addressed an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania -- noted that the would-be assassin had access to a "prime building" overlooking the rally.

One bystander was killed and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a counter-sniper killed the gunman -- 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

The sniper "was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn't do that, you would have had an even worse situation," Trump said. "His name is David and he did a fantastic job."

Speaking of the post-incident investigation and "the larger plot," Trump said "I'm satisfied with it."

"It was unforgettable," he said, recalling the drama. "I didn't know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There's no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming."

The Secret Service said in a statement that the July 13, 2024, attack was "nothing short of a tragedy" and "an operational failure that the Secret Service will carry as a reminder of the critical importance of its zero-fail mission."

The agency cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance.

Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, the Secret Service said. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days suspension without pay and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions.

Among measures beefing up security, is an expansion of the fleet of armored golf carts to carry the president. Trump spends frequent weekends at his golf courses and in September last year was allegedly the target of a failed assassination plot while playing in Florida.

"The agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement.