After the meeting last month, Social media users shared a video clip of the U.S. president that they said showed him looking down and nodding off as Bennett spoke in the Oval Office.

But a Reuters fact-checked dismissed the suggestions saying the video was manipulated

In a video Netanyahu posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, an off-camera voice says: “You know, Bennett met with Biden. I heard. I heard that Biden was very attentive at this meeting. He dropped his head in agreement,” Netanyahu replied while smiling, letting his own head fall in a swift motion as if to mimic someone falling asleep.

Netanyahu and head of the right-wing Likud party was a friend and huge supporter of Donald Trump, and both carried out policies that favoured the Israeli nation.

In June, a new government of left-wing, centrist, right-wing and Arab parties led by Bennett replaced Netanyahu’s administration, ending the conservative politician’s 12-year run as Israel’s longest-serving leader.

Naftali Bennett was sworn in on Sunday, June 13, after a new coalition government unseated longtime Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Bennett, 49, was a former chief of staff to Netanyahu

The newly elected prime minister was appointed by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in a 60-59 vote, with one minister abstaining.

Shortly after the votes were counted, the now former-Prime Minister Netanyahu approached his opponent and the two shook hands.

He later took to Twitter to pen a message to his supporters, vowing to return.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid and his main coalition partner, Naftali Bennett, announced they had reached an announcement shortly before a Wednesday, June 2 midnight deadline and prevented what could have been Israel’s fifth consecutive election in just over two years.

Lapid said “This government will work for all the citizens of Israel, those that voted for it and those that didn’t. It will do everything to unite Israeli society,”

The agreement still needs to be approved by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) in a vote that is expected to take place early next week.

If it goes through, Lapid and his coalition partner will end Netanyahu’s record-setting12-year rule.

Netanyahu, desperate to remain in office while he fights corruption charges, is expected to do everything possible in the coming days to prevent the new coalition from taking power.

The deal comes at a political time for Israel, which fought an 11-day war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last month while also experiencing mob violence between Jews and Arabs in cities across Israel.

Under the coalition agreement, Lapid and Bennett will split the job of prime minister i.e rotate the prime minister roles between two consecutive terms.

Bennett, a former ally of Netanyahu, serves the first two years, while Lapid serves the final two years.

The historic deal also includes a small Islamist party, the United Arab List, which would make it the first Arab party ever to be part of a governing coalition.

“This is the first time an Arab party is a partner in the formation of a government,” said the party’s leader, Mansour Abbas. “This agreement has a lot of things for the benefit of Arab society, and Israeli society in general.”

Among the concessions secured by Abbas were agreements for legal recognition of Bedouin villages in southern Israel, an economic plan for investing 30 billion shekels ($9.2 billion) in Arab towns and cities, and a five-year plan for combating violent crime in Arab communities, according to Army Radio.

In a show of power, Netanyahu is attempting to put pressure on hard-liners in the emerging coalition to defect and join his religious and nationalist party.

Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, may also use his influence to delay the required parliamentary vote.

Netanyahu has been top of Israeli politics over the past three decades, first serving as prime minister since 2009 in addition to an earlier term in the late 1990s.

His major achievements include last year’s groundbreaking diplomatic agreements with four Arab countries and the defence of Israel from Hamas and Iran.

The post Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be removed from power first appeared on InsideOjodu.]]> https://www.insideojodu.com/israels-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-could-be-removed-from-power/feed/ 0 https://www.insideojodu.com/netanyahu-takes-first-step-to-form-israeli-government/ https://www.insideojodu.com/netanyahu-takes-first-step-to-form-israeli-government/#respond Wed, 25 Sep 2019 22:04:05 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=7755 The office of the Israeli president says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the…

Three months ago, Rivlin underwent a lung transplant. Rivlin suffered from pulmonary fibrosis and required the constant use of a portable oxygen tank, which was attached to her even during official ceremonies she attended with her husband.

LIsrael’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement said “Together with all the citizens of Israel, my wife Sara and I express deep sorrow at the passing of the wife of the president, Nehama Rivlin. We all prayed for her healing during the recent period in which she fought bravely and with all her might for her life. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the president and to all his family. May her memory be a blessing”.

The leader of the right-wing party, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking his fifth term in office as he runs for prime Minister in the ongoing election.

But he is facing corruption allegations and a strong challenge from retired general Benny Gantz.

Mr Netanyahu has been challenged by Mr Gantz, head of the centrist Blue and White alliance on the key issue of security and is also promising for cleaner politics in Israel.

A rally took place in Jerusalem on Monday, and Mr Netanyahu told Likud supporters not to be “complacent” and encouraged them them to turn out at polling stations.

He warned, however, that his “leftist” rivals could still come out victorious.

BBC’s Tom Bateman in Jerusalem said that Mr Netanyahu appealed to Israel’s growing right-wing voter base with messages hammering on security and a worthwhile announcement in the last days suggesting a new government would annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

And although Israel disputes this, under international law the settlements are considered illegal.

Correspondents at the BBC says Mr Netanyahu has faced a difficult election race, dogged by corruption charges, and a flare-up in the conflict with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

However, the prime minister has denied the corruption allegations and calls himself “a victim of a political witch hunt aimed at influencing the election.”

Although widely criticized, Mr Netanyahu moved to lock down extra right-wing seats. He also brokered a deal back in February to make it easier for candidates from an extreme-right wing party to enter the Parliament though viewed as racist.

Israelis would go to the polls on Tuesday with Mr. Netanyahu competing for votes with right-wing parties who also support annexing part of the West Bank.

But though Israel disputes this, the settlements are illegal under international law.

On March, the US recognised the occupied Golan Heights that was seized from Syria in year 1967 as Israeli territory.

Palestinians also want to establish a state in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Israel says the Palestinians are using the topic of settlements as an assumed purpose to steer off direct peace talks. It says settlements are not an authentic obstacle to peace and are negotiable.

Netanyahu was asked during an interview on Israeli TV why he had not extended Israeli sovereignty to large settlements in the West Bank.

And he replied, “You are asking whether we are moving on to the next stage – the answer is yes, we will move to the next stage.”

“I am going to extend [Israeli] sovereignty and I don’t distinguish between settlement blocs and the isolated settlements.”

However, according to the Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat, the statement by Mr Netanyahu was “not surprising”.

He also added: “Israel will continue to brazenly violate international law for as long as the international community will continue to reward Israel with impunity, particularly with the Trump administration’s support and endorsement of Israel’s violation of the national and human rights of the people of Palestine.”

“Any measures and any announcements will not change the facts. Settlements are illegal and they will be removed,” A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas — a Palestinian ruler — told Reuters.