Lapid, Bennett announce 8-party coalition with 61-59 majority * Netanyahu has days to try to derail it * Gov’t would have 1st Orthodox PM, integ ral Arab party, most women

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Thursday, June 3, 2021 Presented by Begin Heritage Center [Lapid informs president he can form government removing Netanyahu from power]( By [TOI staff]( [But coalition won’t be finalized until Knesset vote in up to 12 days; right-wing MK could oppose it, possibly dooming bid; Ra’am is 1st Arab party in decades to ink coalition deal]( [Netanyahu assails nascent coalition, urges defections, calls meeting of his bloc]( By [TOI staff]( [Israel media review / My so-called coalition: What the press is saying about Lapid’s new government]( By [Joshua Davidovich]( Live updates [LIVE: Bid to quickly swear in gov’t appears off table as Joint List support rejected]( By [Michael Bachner and TOI staff]( [Lapid, Bennett wanted to oust Likud’s Knesset speaker so coalition could take office next week, but were derailed by Yamina MK Nir Orbach who opposes move]( [A coalition of firsts: First religious PM, most Arabs, most women in cabinet]( By [TOI staff]( [Many records will be broken if the Lapid-Bennett government is sworn in, from the most factions to the most journalists to the most ex-Netanyahu aides]( [Change bloc seeks to replace Knesset speaker; Yamina MK says he won’t back move]( By [TOI staff]( [As it happened: Wed. liveblog / Change bloc clinches majority in 11th-hour talks, aims for swift swearing-in]( By [TOI staff]( Analysis [David Horovitz]( [Lapid and Bennett have a coalition on paper, but Netanyahu will fight to the end]( [Drawing together eight wildly disparate parties was immensely difficult. The PM can be relied upon to make the lead-up to the Knesset’s vote of confidence more tortuous still]( [Analysis / Israel eyes end of era after Netanyahu foes reach deal, but he has time to fight]( By [Daniella Cheslow]( [US lobby groups welcome broad coalition, fret over efficacy of ‘ragtag’ members]( By [Stuart Winer and TOI staff]( [History made as Arab Israeli Ra’am party joins Bennett-Lapid coalition]( By [Aaron Boxerman]( [The first Arab party to join a government in decades, Islamists make good on promise to seek change from inside, winning billions in promised state funding for community]( [Right flank of change coalition lays low as Netanyahu backers fume at alliance]( By [TOI staff]( [Protester against would-be coalition threatens ‘execution’ of rival activists]( By [TOI staff]( Times of Israel Podcast [Daily Briefing June 3 – Dream team or motley crew? Change bloc (maybe) coalesces]( By [TOI staff]( [Tune in Sunday through Thursday to hear ToI editors and reporters quickly catch you up on what’s important today]( [Meretz says coalition deal includes push for LGBT rights; Ra’am vows to oppose]( By [TOI staff]( [Thousands of police officers deployed to Jerusalem for Pride march]( By [TOI staff]( From our sponsor [First ‘Begin Symposium’ to be held on June 6]( [This international symposium will examine Menachem Begin’s legacy and relevance in today’s world. A prestigious line-up of speakers will focus on key elements of his leadership. Register today.]( [Google diversity head said Jews have ‘insatiable appetite for war, killing’]( By [TOI staff]( [US tech giant under fire for hiring Kamau Bobb after resurfacing of 2007 blog post, in which he suggests Jewish suffering in Holocaust irreconcilable with Israel’s conduct]( [US Sen. Booker launches new group of Black, Jewish senators against antisemitism]( By [Asaf Shalev]( From the blogs [Elisha Wiesel]( [Elie Wiesel’s son: Too many of us have again become ‘The Jews of Silence’]( [We have spoken up for every cause but our own, but if you think antisemitism could never happen here, take a look around]( Top Ops [Sharon Nazarian]( [Assaults, chants, vitriol: Antisemitism has reached global crisis level]( [The ADL is finding a harrowing spike in speech and acts targeting Jews as Jews. Governments and civil society must act now]( [Ruth Adar]( [Conversion students are asking me if it’s safe to become Jewish. This is what I tell them.]( [To become Jewish is to become heir to a history and a way of being in the world. When bad things happen, there’s nowhere I would rather be than with my Jewish family]( [CRM]( [UNRWA Gaza chief recalled after uproar over claim that IDF strikes ‘precise’]( By [TOI staff]( [Despite apology, Matthias Schmale and his deputy leave Strip indefinitely for consultations in Jerusalem after angering Hamas]( [WHO ramping up health aid for Palestinians after Gaza conflict]( By [AFP]( [Israel arrests senior Hamas commander in the West Bank]( By [Judah Ari Gross and Aaron Boxerman]( [Intelligence officer dies in military prison under unclear circumstances]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [Suicide suspected in heavily censored case, first revealed last month, involving a serviceman convicted of an undisclosed offense]( [How a community call to prayer helped save a COVID-stricken Jewish Brit]( By [Cnaan Liphshiz]( [Early in the pandemic, Eli Seliger, a father of 7, got hospital care when a relative learned of his situation; round-the-clock support helped him recover after a 2-month coma]( [Biden congratulates Herzog on presidential win]( By [Jacob Magid]( [US president says Israeli president-elect has demonstrated unwavering commitment to strengthening Israel’s security, looks ahead to Rivlin visit; Putin also sends greeting]( [‘Mazel tov, Mr. President!’: Herzog feted after winning vote in landslide]( By [TOI staff]( [Isaac Herzog: Israel’s unassuming and pedigreed new president]( By [AFP]( [IDF foils gun, hashish smuggling operation; Hezbollah involvement suspected]( By [Judah Ari Gross]( [2 Arab Israeli men arrested in possession of 15 pistols, dozens of ammunition magazines, 36 kilos of drugs, all believed to have been brought into Israel from Lebanon]( [US Senate Democrats push Blinken to address ‘humanitarian emergency’ in Gaza]( By [Jacob Magid]( [17 lawmakers sign letter calling on Biden administration to take lead on reconstruction efforts and increase engagement on issue]( [Biden scores 70 percent approval rating among American Jews]( By [Ron Kampeas]( [CRM]( More Headlines [Reduced to ‘begging’ for funds, 7 hospitals to boycott pandemic victory ceremony]( By [Nathan Jeffay]( [Europeans see return to Iran nuke deal coming together next week]( By [AP]( [Sick bats self-isolate, helping avert COVID-type crises — Israeli study]( By [Nathan Jeffay]( [Massive fire breaks out at oil refinery near Iran’s capital]( By [AP]( [Biden science adviser takes oath on 500-year-old Jewish text]( By [PHILISSA CRAMER]( [International hope / Singer belts out ‘Hatikva’ at ‘Got Talent Uruguay’ audition]( By [TOI staff]( [Mass of green events mark World Environment day, World Oceans day]( By [Sue Surkes]( [As Israelis and Emiratis meet over investments, little mention of Palestinians]( By [Agencies and TOI staff]( [Belgium to return Nazi-looted painting to German Jewish family]( By [AFP]( [Tel Aviv University, UAE to set up joint initiative for water research]( By [Shoshanna Solomon]( [Unsubscribe from this List]( Email not displaying correctly? 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