Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 19 noveMber 2018

Netanyahu takes on defense post amid call for early polls

By TIA GOLDENBERG elet Shaked, also of Jewish
Associated Press Home, are set to deliver a
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Is- statement to the media
raeli Prime Minister Benja- Monday. If the party leaves
min Netanyahu said Sun- the coalition, it would strip
day he would take on the Netanyahu of his parlia-
defense minister portfolio, mentary majority.
rejecting calls to dissolve Finance Minister Moshe
his government even as Kahlon, another senior
early elections appeared partner, says another year
increasingly likely. of such instability will harm
Netanyahu said heading the economy. A meeting
to elections now, amid re- between him and Netan-
peated violent confronta- yahu Sunday meant to
tions with Gaza militants, convince Kahlon to stay
was “irresponsible” of his ended with no results.
coalition partners, who Netanyahu’s Likud allies
have been pushing for ear- are already preparing to
ly polls since the resignation pin the blame on coalition
last week of Defense Minis- partners if the effort to sal-
ter Avigdor Lieberman over vage the government fails.
a Gaza cease-fire. “I think that there is no rea-
“Today, I take on for the first Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, Government Secretary Tzahi Braverman, Yuval son to shorten the term of
time the position of defense Steinitz Israel’s Minister of Energy in charge of Israel Atomic Energy Commission attend the weekly a national government,
minister,” said Netanyahu, cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. not even for one day, and
speaking from Israel’s de- Associated Press at this moment it’s in the
fense headquarters in Tel The sudden coalition cri- Gaza’s Hamas rulers will governing untenable and hands of the education
Aviv in a statement broad- sis was sparked by the put southern Israel under would leave the coalition minister and the finance
cast live at the top of the resignation of the hawk- a growing threat from the susceptible to the extortion minister,” said Gilad Erdan,
evening newscasts. ish Lieberman, who had group, similar to that posed of any single lawmaker until the minister of public secu-
“We are in one of the most demanded a far stronger to northern Israel by Leba- elections scheduled for No- rity.
complex security situations response last week to the non’s heavily armed Hez- vember 2019. No Israeli government has
and during a period like most massive wave of rock- bollah group. Education Minister Naftali served out its full term since
this, you don’t topple a et attacks on Israel since The departure of Lieber- Bennett, of the pro-settler 1988. Since then, elections
government. During a pe- the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. man and his Yisrael Beitenu Jewish Home party, has al- have almost always been
riod like this you don’t go to He alleges the cease-fire party leaves the coalition ready threatened to bring moved up because of a
elections,” he said. agreement reached with with a one-seat majority down the government if he coalition crisis or a strategic
in the 120-member parlia- is not appointed defense move by the prime minister
ment. Netanyahu’s other minister. to maximize his chances of
partners say that makes He and Justice Minister Ay- re-election.q

Pope decries that ‘wealthy few’ feast

on what belongs to all

them to the splendor of St.
Peter’s Basilica where he
celebrated Mass on a day
the Catholic Church dedi-
cates to the needy. Later,
he sat down with 1,500 of
the indigent for a lunch of
lasagna, chicken, mashed
potatoes and tiramisu in
a Vatican auditorium. He
cited the “stifled cry” of
the unborn, of starving chil-
dren, “of young people
more used to the explo-
sion of bombs than happy
Pope Francis incenses the altar as he celebrates a mass in St. shouts at the playground.”
Peter basilica at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018. He also drew attention to
Associated Press the plight of abandoned
By FRANCES D’EMILIO to all” and said Christians elderly, the friendless and
Associated Press cannot remain indifferent “the cry of all those forced
VATICAN CITY (AP) — to the growing cries of the to flee their homes and na-
Championing the cause exploited and the indigent, tive land for an uncertain
of the poor, Pope Francis including migrants. future. It is the cry of entire
on Sunday lamented that Francis invited about 6,000 peoples, deprived even of
“the wealthy few” enjoy poor people as well as some the great natural resources
what, “in justice, belongs of the volunteers who help at their disposal.” q