What Exactly Just Happened?

Yom Chamishe, Thursday

17 Kislev 5781

December 3, 2020

 

The News on the Israeli Street

The “daily” Corona (Covid-19) update . . .

The following covers the last 24 hours (from 8 am yesterday until 8 am today):

338,127 Israelis have been confirmed with the virus since the pandemic began last March.

There were 1,191 newly confirmed cases yesterday.

284 are in critical condition—an increase of 20

81 of the most critically ill are on ventilators—a decrease of 3

2,883 have died–an increase of 6

There are currently 11,290 active Corona cases in Israel.

Nasrallah on the move? . . .

Arab sources are reporting this morning that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has decided to at least temporarily change his place of residence to Tehran because he fears that the same thing will happen to him that happened to the Iranian nuclear scientist.

In fact, the entire Middle East is on pins and needles, fearful of what President Trump might do during his last month and a half in office. With more B-52s currently in flight this way, something does appear to be about to happen.

But back to Nasrallah–one wonders why he would think Tehran is a safe place given the fact that assassinations of both Iranians and non-Iranians under Iranian protection have taken place in the last few months.

The dollar plummets . . . the shekel strengthens . . .

The value of the dollar against the shekel continues to drop precipitously.

This morning the exchange rate is $1 = 3.279 shekels. This is the lowest the dollar has been here in Israel in 12 years. 

This situation dramatically affects not only Israeli exports which are decreasing because of the rate, but also the living situation of the some 300,000 Israeli-Americans living here.

Something fishy in the Kineret . . .

Fishing has been a mainstay of the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) for thousands of years. Because of the number of fish that fishermen take out of the lake each year, fish stock must be annually replenished.

Not only must fish stock be replenished for fishermen’s livelihoods, but also for the health of the lake. The fish maintain the algae balance in the Kineret and enable the water from the lake to be consumed.

Yesterday the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture released 50,000 mullet into the Kineret.

By the way, a mullet is known in Israel as “St. Peter’s Fish”, and elsewhere as “tilapia.”
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TODAY’S BLOG

What Exactly Just Happened?

Two bills to dissolve the Knesset and bring about new elections passed the Knesset yesterday both by a vote of 61-54.

However, in the convoluted world of Israeli politics, the passage of these bills was just the first step in a lengthy process to actually dissolve the Knesset and produce another trip to the ballot box.

What passed were the preliminary readings of the bills.

Next, at least one bill must pass 3 more readings in the Knesset and 3 more times in the Knesset House Committee to become law. When the bill “readings” are next voted on, they must include an actual date for an election.

All of which means we have a long way to go.

So where did the 61 votes come from to pass the preliminary readings of the bill?

Yesh Atid/Telem: 17

Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) (Gantz): 14

Joint Arab List: 11 (4 members of the party did not vote)

Yisrael Beiteinu (Lieberman): 7

Yamina (Bennett/Shaked): 5

Labor/Gesher: 4

Meretz: 3

Obviously of interest is the fact that two members of the current Coalition (Kahol Lavan and Labor/Gesher) voted against the current government.

Also of interest is the fact that it was a coalition of the parties on the far left, left, and right (Yamina) which supported dissolving the government. It may seem odd that Yamina would have joined forces with the others, but remember that Netanyahu has endlessly attacked Naftali Bennett and that Bennett has endlessly attacked Netanyahu for mishandling the Corona crisis.

Where are we headed now? 

Who knows–almost as soon as the vote was taken, Blue and White and Likud were negotiating with each other to resolve the budget impasse that has brought us to the brink of new elections.

Let’s face it. The fat cats in the Knesset don’t want the government to end– especially those 36 who have the cushy ministerial jobs.