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Tag Archives: Yair
Alexander Volkanovski calls shot against Yair Rodriguez after final UFC 290 faceoff: ‘I’m going to squash him’ – MMA Fighting
- Alexander Volkanovski calls shot against Yair Rodriguez after final UFC 290 faceoff: ‘I’m going to squash him’ MMA Fighting
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After protesters block roads, Yair Netanyahu accuses police brass of ‘rebellion’ – The Times of Israel
- After protesters block roads, Yair Netanyahu accuses police brass of ‘rebellion’ The Times of Israel
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Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu on election victory
Jerusalem
CNN
—
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on winning Israel’s elections, the prime minister’s office announced Thursday, just under 48 hours after polls closed.
With nearly all votes counted, the latest projections suggest former prime minister Netanyahu and allied parties will take 64 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Lapid and his allies are projected to win 51. And Hadash/Taal, an Arab party that would not support either leader, is projected to win five.
Israel’s Central Election Committee later on Thursday announced the final allocation of seats for the 25th Knesset, giving Netanyahu and his likely political allies 64 seats in the legislature, enough for a governing majority.
President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations with politicians on forming a new government after results are officially certified on November 9, he said Wednesday.
A Netanyahu return to the head of government could spell fundamental shifts to Israeli society. A Netanyahu government would almost certainly include the newly ascendant Jewish nationalist Religious Zionism/Jewish Power alliance, whose leaders include Itamar Ben Gvir, once convicted for inciting racism and supporting terrorism.
When asked by CNN on Tuesday about fears he would lead a far-right government if he returns to office, Netanyahu responded with an apparent reference to the Ra’am party, which made history last year by becoming the first Arab party ever to join an Israeli government coalition.
“We don’t want a government with the Muslim Brotherhood, who support terrorism, deny the existence of Israel and are pretty hostile to the United States. That is what we are going to bring,” Netanyahu told CNN in English at his polling station in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu allies have talked about making changes to the judicial system. That could put an end to Netanyahu’s own corruption trial, where he has pleaded not guilty.
Netanyahu himself has been one of the main issues not only in Tuesday’s election but in the four that preceded it, with voters – and politicians – splitting into camps based on whether they want the man universally known as Bibi in power or not.
Part of the difficulty in building a stable government over the past four elections has been that even some political parties that agree with Netanyahu on the issues refuse to work with him for personal or political reasons of their own.
The election was marked by the highest turnout since 2015. The Central Election Committee said 71.3% of eligible voters cast their ballots, which was more than in any of the last four elections that produced stalemates or short-lived governments.
Brian Ortega heartbroken after ‘freak accident’ against Yair Rodriguez: ‘I was winning every minute of the fight’
Brian Ortega was at a loss for words following his disappointing loss to Yair Rodriguez at UFC Long Island.
Ortega suffered a first-round TKO setback to Rodriguez in Saturday’s main event after his shoulder seemingly dislocated in the final minute of a back-and-forth opening round. It was a profoundly unfortunate way for a fight of its magnitude to end, with Ortega seeking redemption after his failed title bout against Alexander Volkanovski and Rodriguez hunting for his first shot at UFC gold. And Ortega couldn’t help but bemoan his bad luck.
“[Rodriguez’s] grip was tight on my arm and it dislocated, and that was it. Like, no armlock, no nothing, but it just dislocated. Freak accident, and it just sucks,” Ortega said Saturday on the UFC Long Island post-fight show. “It’s the first time it’s ever happened in my entire career. That was the first time it’s ever happened and now I’m kind of like taken aback by it. I can’t believe this is what’s going on right now.
“Everything was going my way. Literally, I was winning every minute of the fight. I was sticking to the game plan, because I do get emotional. For one second we started hitting, we started throwing, and I was like, ‘Alright, let’s start throwing,’ and I go, ‘No, let’s just stick to the game plan.’ And the world saw — I was about to show what I do best, which is grapple and take control. And the second we hit the ground, it just, my freaking arm just f****** came out. And I’ve got no words, man. I don’t know.”
The outcome is even more unlucky for Ortega considering his past issues with his shoulder — the 31-year-old contender has twice gone under the knife to deal with shoulder injuries.
Ortega and Rodriguez both called for a chance to run things back once “T-City” is back to full health, however with UFC president Dana White voicing an interest in putting together an interim title bout between Rodriguez and Josh Emmett while Volkanovski recovers from his own surgery, any plans for a rematch may be postponed depending on Ortega’s health.
The California native plans to figure out a proper timeline for his return as soon as possible.
“I would love to do it again,” Ortega said of the Rodriguez fight. “I feel like we left the world with blue balls. We didn’t get to finish what I wanted to do, you know? Had he got up, had we scrambled, had we banged it out — I was ready in my mind to have a dogfight. I was ready to go in there and just impose my will, and I can’t do it with just one arm.
“If he said he’s willing to run it back, I definitely want to get it back. I’m going to go MRI this as soon as I can, do what I have to do. I pray to God that I don’t have to get surgery. I already had two shoulder surgeries as it is, so I’m praying that I don’t have to go into the under that knife again, because it just sucks when you have to get surgery. The second I’m physically healthy to do it, let’s do it. I want to get back in. I’m not trying to take any [time] off. I’m upset, but trying to smile just to not — I put in way too much work, you know? I sacrifice everything just for something stupid like this to happen.”
Yair Lapid takes over as Israel’s 14th prime minister
Yair Lapid officially became prime minister at the stroke of midnight between Thursday and Friday, taking office as the 14th premier in Israel’s history.
Lapid’s term leading the country could be a fairly short one, as he takes over a caretaker government ahead of national elections on November 1. But the new prime minister appeared ready to make the most of a potentially brief tenure.
“We’ll do the best we can for a Jewish, democratic state, good and strong and thriving, because that is the job, and it’s bigger than all of us,” Lapid said at a handover ceremony with outgoing prime minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday afternoon.
On his first day in office Friday, Lapid’s first agenda item was a meeting with Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security agency, at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. A statement from Lapid’s office said the meeting included a “broad defense and intelligence briefing on what is happening on the different fronts.”
Shortly afterward, the new prime minister is slated to hold a meeting to discuss “the captives and MIAs” — a reference to the two Israeli men and the remains of two IDF soldiers being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The particularly sensitive issue returned to the headlines once again this week after Hamas disseminated a video showing Israeli captive Hisham al-Sayed hooked up to an oxygen mask — the first image of him seen since he crossed into Gaza in 2015. Hamas is believed to also be holding Avera Mengistu, as well as the remains of soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin. Talks to secure their release have stalled repeatedly over the years.
Yair Lapid seen in the Knesset on June 30, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
In his first few days in office, Lapid is expected to receive congratulatory phone calls from a range of world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, who is slated to touch down in Israel in less than two weeks. Lapid is also scheduled to make a brief trip on July 5 to Paris, where he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Then-finance minister Yair Lapid meets with then-US vice president Joe Biden in Washington, DC, in 2013. (Courtesy/File)
On Sunday, Lapid is expected to convene the first weekly cabinet meeting of his premiership. Bennett — who announced on Wednesday that he will not run in the next election — is set to remain in the government as alternate prime minister. He will also continue to hold responsibility for the country’s Iran policy.
On Thursday, Lapid announced the full slate of his staff as he gears up to hit the ground running. His prime ministerial office will be headed up by a woman for the first time in Israeli history.
Naama Schultz, a longtime aide to the Yesh Atid leader, will become director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office once Lapid takes over. Schultz served as the head of Lapid’s office when he was alternate prime minister, as well as an adviser when he was finance minister.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett briefs his successor Yair Lapid at the Prime Minister’s Office, June 30, 2022 (Haim Zach / GPO)
Lapid is bringing in a series of other loyalists, including longtime adviser Yair Zivan as his diplomatic adviser, and one of his longest associates, Dani Vesely, as his chief of staff.
But in a nod to continuity, Lapid is keeping on staff four key positions from the Bennett premiership: Shalom Shlomo as cabinet secretary, Avi Gil as military secretary, Eyal Hulata as national security adviser, and Keren Haijoff as his international spokesperson.
File: From right to left: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Foreign minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz attend the first cabinet meeting of the new government, at the Knesset in Jerusalem, June 13, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
After the handover ceremony with Bennett Thursday, Lapid and his wife Lihi met with President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal at the President’s Residence.
Herzog congratulated the incoming prime minister and offered him his “help and support, as I have done with any other prime minister, and the same with you.”
Only entering politics a decade ago, the centrist former TV anchor will be the first non-right-wing prime minister since Ehud Barak left office in 2001, and one of the few without significant military experience.
Speaking alongside Bennett when the pair announced earlier this month that the government would fall, Lapid vowed to govern from a position of unity and use his time in office for good.
Incoming Prime Minister Yair Lapid (left) is briefed by his predecessor Naftali Bennett at the Prime Minister’s Office, June 30, 2022 (Kobi Gideon / GPO)
“What we need to do today is go back to the concept of Israeli unity,” Lapid said at the press conference. “Not to let dark forces tear us apart from within. To remind ourselves that we love one another, love our country.”
He said he would not ignore economic and security issues during his interim period as prime minister.
“Even if we are going to elections in a few months, the challenges we face will not wait. We need to tackle the cost of living, wage the campaign against Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, and stand against the forces threatening to turn Israel into a non-democratic country,” Lapid said.
He closed his remarks by saying: “Only together will we prevail.”
Carrie Keller-Lynn contributed to this report.
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Pelosi reaffirms support for Israel in meeting with Yair Lapid
Bipartisan support for Israel is a source of pride in Congress, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a meeting with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday.
“It is a privilege to talk about the importance of the US-Israel bond, one based on our mutual security, mutual values, and is again something that is a source of pride to all of us in the Congress who work on this,” Pelosi said.
Support for Israel “has always been bipartisan in the Congress of the US and continues to be so,” she stated.
Pelosi said that when her father, Rep. Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. of Maryland, was in Congress, he pushed then-president Franklin Delano Roosevelt to support the establishment of a Jewish state. D’Alesandro was a supporter of the Bergson Group, affiliated with the Irgun, which lobbied the Roosevelt administration to save the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust.
“For many of us, it is in our DNA,” Pelosi said of support for Israel.
FOREIGN MINISTER Yair Lapid visits US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, October 12, 2021 (credit: OZ AVITAL/GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE)
Lapid thanked Pelosi for being a “great friend of Israel,” and for pushing for support for Israel in the US to remain bipartisan.
“We need to unite around the idea that we want to expand and deepen the circle of peace. We need and can unite around the basic principle that Israel has a right to defend itself, and Palestinians deserve a better life. We can all unite around the idea that we will never allow Iran to become a nuclear threshold country,” Lapid stated.
The foreign minister thanked Pelosi for her work to pass legislation last month funding the Iron Dome missile-defense system, saying it is “for the defense of our children and our people. I know you care about it and had sleepless nights over it.”
Referring to the fact that when Lapid and Pelosi last met, he was an MK and she was the minority whip, Lapid quipped, “I’m happy to meet you in these new capacities of ours; we did something right.”
Earlier, Lapid met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, for a meeting focused on the Iranian threat.
Lapid shared Israel’s concerns about Iran’s race to a nuclear weapon and spoke of the importance of having an alternative plan to the Iran deal, his office said.
In addition, Lapid and Sullivan discussed the former’s “Economy for Security” plan for Gaza.
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid meet on forming new gov’t, talks to continue
Yamina head Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid concluded their long-awaited coalition negotiation meeting in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning.The meeting was reportedly positive, and another meeting will be held soon.The two met a day after Bennett sat with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who, like Lapid, is trying to woo him to form a government after the elections.Bennett is reportedly considering a proposal to merge Yamina with Likud in exchange for going with the Netanyahu bloc. On the other hand, he is also reportedly considering establishing a political bloc of right-wing and centrist parties.According to N12, this bloc will consist of his Yamina Party, Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party. Altogether, this would make up 21 seats, which would outnumber the 17 held by Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party and give Bennett more leverage in negotiations.
On Saturday night at a Mimouna celebration, Netanyahu lauded his success in bringing coronavirus vaccines to Israel and warned of challenges facing the country, including the Iranian nuclear program.
“In the face of these challenges and in the face of the amazing opportunities that stand before us, we need a stable right-wing government for years which will take care of Israel’s citizens,” he said. “That is what is needed right now and, God willing, we will achieve this – and I believe it is possible.”
On Friday, Netanyahu met with Bennett at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem and discussed the need to form a “stable, functioning government as soon as possible,” a spokesman for Bennett said after the meeting.
Netanyahu was expected to offer Bennett key ministerial posts and a merger of Bennett’s Yamina into Netanyahu’s Likud. But he was not expected to offer Bennett what he is seeking: A rotation as prime minister.
Bennett declined to reveal his intentions when he spoke to reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office before the meeting.
“We [in Yamina] have one goal, and that is forming a good and stable government that will help Israeli citizens as soon as possible,” Bennett said. “We will do everything possible to bring that about.”
To obtain a majority of 61 MKs, Netanyahu and Lapid would need the backing of both Yamina and the Ra’am (United Arab List) Party of MK Mansour Abbas.
Religious Zionist party leader Bezalel Smotrich reiterated on Friday morning that his party would not sit in a government with Ra’am or “other supporters of terror,” after Abbas delivered a speech in Hebrew on Thursday calling for coexistence.
“Forming a government that will rely on Ra’am and Abbas will be a disaster and [cause] weeping for generations – and we will not allow it to form,” said Smotrich, calling for Sa’ar and Bennett to join a right-wing government led by Netanyahu.