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From Shapiro’s Victory to AIPAC’s Losses: Five Takeaways on Israel and U.S. Jews, Haaretz
While the results of the U.S. midterm elections are still being counted, there is no doubt that Tuesday was a shocking disappointment for the Republican Party. An all-but-assumed red wave never manifested, while extremist GOP candidates embroiled in controversies touching upon antisemitism were soundly defeated.
Israel’s President To Meet Factions, Pick Nominee To Form Government, Reuters
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday he will begin consulting all elected parties on Wednesday before tasking a candidate with forming the next government. The meetings, planned over three days, are set to begin after the president receives the official results of Israel’s fifth election in less than four years. Once the president picks a candidate to assemble a new government, the nominee will have 28 days to talk to potential coalition partners, with a possible 14-day extension.
Palestinians Say Teen Dies After Israeli Raid in West Bank, AP
A Palestinian teenager was killed early Wednesday following an Israeli raid in the city of Nablus, near a flashpoint site in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The army said it was protecting worshippers and fired on a suspect who had placed an explosive device nearby, which detonated.
Israeli Army Commander Approves Right-wing MKs to Attend Election Victory Celebration Near Nablus, Haaretz
An Israeli army division commander approved on Monday for right-wing MKs to attend a political event at Joseph’s Tomb on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus, in spite of objections from senior defense officials.
Israeli, Palestinian NGOs Lead Grassroots Campaign to Improve Conditions, The Jerusalem Post
With Israel’s latest elections finally complete and violence between Israelis and Palestinians on the rise, 15 leading Israeli and Palestinian NGOs have launched a joint campaign to change the discourse from the ground up – and prepare for a major influx of funding from the US government and private donors.
Israeli Far-right Activist Tapped for Spokesperson Unit Position in IDF, Haaretz
The spokesman for the extreme far-right organization Lehava who also ran on Otzma Yehudit party’s slate for the Knesset in the elections was assigned by the Israeli military a position in the spokesperson array of the army’s human resources unit.
Outgoing Defense Minister: I Expect Netanyahu to be ‘Levelheaded’ About Iran Strike, The Times of Israel
Outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz said he expects Benjamin Netanyahu to be “levelheaded” about potentially launching strikes against Iran and its nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu’s Win and a Simmering Intifada Set Path for Annexation, The Washington Post
Hussein Ibish notes, “Israel’s election last week brought former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into power yet again, but it’s hardly a case of the same old thing. First, it will usher in the most chauvinistic and religious government in the country’s history. Second, it occurs just as violence has been spiking in the occupied West Bank in ways not seen in decades.”