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A28 WORLD NEWS
Friday 15 May 2020
Swearing-in of new Israeli government delayed by infighting

By ARON HELLER a crime. Netanyahu has
Associated Press been indicted with fraud,
JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime breach of trust and ac-
Minister Benjamin Netan- cepting bribes in a series of
yahu and his rival-turned- scandals involving trading
partner, Benny Gantz, on favors with wealthy me-
Thursday postponed the dia moguls. He denies any
swearing-in of their contro- wrongdoing and blames
versial new government as the charges on a media-or-
the Israeli leader rushed to chestrated plot to oust him.
quell infighting within his Li- Since his indictment last fall,
kud party. he has repeatedly lashed
In a joint announcement, out at the country's legal
the two men said they system. His legal woes and
would hold a swearing-in fitness to serve were central
ceremony on Sunday to issues in the recent election
give Netanyahu more time campaigns. Another hot
to hand out coveted Cabi- topic will be Netanyahu's
net appointments to mem- intention to introduce Is-
bers of his party. raeli plans to annex parts
After three deadlocked of the West Bank as early
and divisive elections, and as this summer. The coali-
a year and a half of po- In this Feb. 18, 2020 file photo, people walk on a bridge under an election campaign billboard for tion agreement allows him
litical paralysis, Israel had the Blue and White party, then an opposition party led by Benny Gantz, left, and showing Israeli to present an annexation
hoped to swear in the new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Ramat Gan, Israel. proposal as soon as July 1.
government on Thursday. Associated Press U.S. Secretary of State Mike
Netanyahu and Gantz, a with Netanyahu was the Yohanan Plesner, president parliament speaker. The Pompeo made a one-day
former military chief, an- only way to avoid a fourth of the non-partisan Israel coalition will also include a visit on Wednesday for talks
nounced last month they election. Just as the gov- Democracy Institute, said pair of ultra-Orthodox Jew- that included discussions on
would put their differences ernment was set to be the incoming government's ish parties and some other President Donald Trump's
aside and join forces to sworn in late Thursday un- main achievement would individual defectors to add Mideast plan, which envi-
steer the country through der strict social distancing be ending the longest po- up to 73 out of parliament's sions handing 30% of the
the coronavirus crisis and its guidelines, the two men litical deadlock in Israeli his- 120 members. Critics have West Bank to permanent
severe economic fallout. announced the delay in tory. But he said the deep already accused the gov- Israeli control.
It came at the price of the a joint statement, saying distrust between the op- ernment of being out of In an interview published
dissolution of Gantz's Blue Gantz had agreed to a posing camps left doubts touch by creating so many Thursday with the pro-Ne-
and White party and his request by Netanyahu to on how they could govern Cabinet posts at a time tanyahu daily Israel Hay-
reneging on a key cam- wait until Sunday. together. "The jury is still out when unemployment has om, Pompeo said the talks
paign promise not to serve The coalition deal calls if indeed the political dead- soared to 25% as a result of looked at "all the ways to
under Netanyahu, who is for Netanyahu to serve as lock is over and if we have the coronavirus pandemic. move forward."
scheduled to go on trial prime minister for the gov- a broad government that Critics also object to the The Palestinians claim the
this month for corruption ernment's first 18 months will exercise its authority," newly created position of entire West Bank, captured
charges. Their much-scru- before being replaced he said. Gantz will start out "alternate prime minister." by Israel in the 1967 Mid-
tinized coalition deal, re- by Gantz for the next 18 as defense minister, with The post that could allow east war, as the heartland
sulting in the most bloated months. Their blocs will have party colleague and fellow Netanyahu to remain in of- of an independent state.
government in Israeli history a similar number of minis- retired military chief Gabi fice even after the swap Annexing chunks of this
and new legislation to help ters and virtual veto power Ashkenazi serving as for- and throughout his corrup- territory would likely put
Netanyahu cling to power, over the other's major de- eign minister. Netanyahu's tion trial and a potential an end to the Palestinians'
could only come about af- cisions. Because Netanya- top deputy in Likud, outgo- appeals process. already diminishing hopes
ter the country's Supreme hu's bloc includes several ing Foreign Minister Israel The new position includes of a two-state solution and
Court ruled it had no legal smaller parties, he only has Katz, will become finance an exemption from a law would anger the interna-
grounds to block it. a limited number of Cabi- minister. Yariv Levin, per- that requires public officials tional community, which
Despite the criticism, Gantz net ministries to hand out haps Netanyahu's closest who are not prime minister overwhelmingly supports
argued that teaming up to the Likud rank and file. ally, will become the new to resign if charged with Palestinian statehood.q

Spain gives Sephardic Jews extra time for citizenship suits

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s The extension of one year that had been cancelled 132,000 people who claim The term “Sephardic” lit-
government said Thursday until Sept. 2021 only ap- because of the pandem- Sephardic origins had re- erally means “Spanish”
it will extend the deadline plies to those who had ic, and give them more quested Spanish citizen- in Hebrew. It is estimated
for descendants of Sep- presented their prelimi- time to travel to Spain for ship since the law offering that Sephardic Jews range
hardic Jews expelled from nary request for citizen- a required appearance them the opportunity took between a fifth and a third
the country more than ship before the Oct. 2019 before a notary. effect in 2015. The Span- of the world’s roughly 13
500 years ago, who have deadline. Spain’s Justice The ministry did not say ish government issued the million Jews.
launched the process of Ministry said the extension how many applicants law to redress the “histori- For centuries Sephardic
acquiring Spanish citizen- will allow applicants to sit would need to use the ex- cal mistake” Spain com- Jewish communities
ship but couldn’t com- for a mandatory test on tension. mitted when it forced its have maintained their
plete it due to the pan- their knowledge of Spain’s In Oct. 2019, the minis- Jewish population to con- customs and the Ladino
demic. Constitution and culture try said that more than vert or go into exile in 1492. language.q