June 13, 2021 at 1:36 pm EDT
Updated on:June 13, 2021 at 2:03 pm EDT
The Neon Race for Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut returned on Saturday after being canceled due to the 2020 pandemic.
More than 100 people signed up this year to run the 5K and raise funds for the nonprofit that offers free services to anyone who wants to learn English and improve their skills.
The eight parties, including a small Arab faction that makes history by sitting in the ruling coalition, agree on their opposition to Netanyahu and new elections, but otherwise disagree on little. You are likely to have a humble agenda aimed at relieving tension with the Palestinians and maintaining good relations with the US without starting major initiatives.
Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, remains the leader of the largest party in parliament and is expected to vigorously oppose the new government. If only one faction breaks down, it could lose its majority and be in danger of collapse, giving it the opportunity to return to power.
The deep divisions in the country became clear when Bennett addressed Parliament before the vote. He was repeatedly interrupted and loudly harassed by followers of Netanyahu, several of whom were escorted out of the chamber.
Bennett’s speech dealt mainly with domestic issues, but he spoke out against US efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear deal with the world powers.
“Israel will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons,” said Bennett, promising to maintain Netanyahu’s policy of confrontation. “Israel will not be a party to the agreement and will continue to maintain full freedom of action.”
Bennett thanked President Joe Biden and the United States for their decades of support for Israel.
Netanyahu, speaking after him, vowed to return to power. He predicted that the new administration would be weak on Iran and give in to US demands to make concessions to the Palestinians.
“If we are destined to be in the opposition, we will do it with our backs straight until we overthrow this dangerous government and return to run the country our way,” he said.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a bipartisan think tank, said the new government will likely be more stable than it appears.
“Even if it has a very narrow majority, it will be very difficult to overthrow and replace it because the opposition is not sticking together,” he said. Every party in the coalition will want to prove that it can deliver, and that takes “time and success.”
Netanyahu “will continue to cast a shadow,” said Plesner. He expects the new opposition leader to take advantage of events and propose laws that right-wing coalition members want to but cannot support – all to embarrass and undermine them.
The new administration, meanwhile, promises to return to normal after two tumultuous years of four elections, an 11-day Gaza war last month and a coronavirus outbreak that devastated the economy before being largely brought under control by a successful vaccination campaign.
The driving force behind the coalition is Yair Lapid, a political centrist who will become prime minister in two years if the government lasts that long.
He canceled a planned speech in front of parliament and said he was ashamed that his 86-year-old mother had to watch the noisy behavior of his opponents. In a short speech he asked for “forgiveness from my mother”.
“I wanted her to be proud of the democratic process in Israel. Instead, like all citizens of Israel, she is ashamed of you and remembers exactly why it is time to replace you, ”he said.
The new government is expected to receive a slim majority in the 120-member assembly and then be sworn in. The government plans to hold its first official meeting this evening.
It is unclear whether Netanyahu will leave the official residence. He attacked the new administration in apocalyptic terms, accusing Bennett of defrauding voters by running as a staunch right-wing extremist and then collaborating with the left.
Netanyahu’s supporters have held angry protests outside the homes of rival MPs who claim they have received death threats naming their family members. Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet issued a rare public warning of the incitement earlier this month, saying it could lead to violence.
Netanyahu condemned the incitement while also pointing out that it was also a target.
His place in Israeli history is secure after serving as prime minister for a total of 15 years – more than anyone, including the country’s founder, David Ben-Gurion.
Netanyahu began his long reign by opposing the Obama administration and refusing to freeze settlement as it tried unsuccessfully to revive the peace process. Relations with Israel’s closest ally became even more difficult when Netanyahu fought vigorously against President Barack Obama’s emerging nuclear deal with Iran, and even denounced it in a speech to the US Congress.
But he suffered little or no consequences from these clashes and was richly rewarded by the Trump administration, which recognized controversial Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, helped broker normalization deals with four Arab states, and withdrew the US from the Iran deal .
Netanyahu has portrayed himself as a world-class statesman, boasting close ties to Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has also cultivated ties with Arab and African countries that Israel long shunned because of its policies towards the Palestinians.
But it was received far more coolly by the Biden administration and is widely viewed as undermining the long tradition of bipartisan support for Israel in the United States.
At home, too, his reputation as a political magician has faded, where he has become a deeply polarizing figure. Critics say he has long pursued a strategy of divide and rule that has widened the divide between Jews and Arabs in Israeli society, as well as between its close ultra-Orthodox allies and secular Jews.
In November 2019, he was charged with fraud, breach of trust and taking bribes. He turned down calls for resignation and instead hit the media, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, accusing his political opponents of orchestrating an attempted coup. Over the past year, protesters began holding weekly rallies across the country urging him to step down.
Netanyahu remains popular with the hardline nationalists who dominate Israeli politics, but he could soon take on a leadership role within his own party. A less polarizing Likud leader would have a good chance of forming a coalition that is both more right-wing and more stable than the government that is to be sworn in.
(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Do not publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this material without permission.)
6/13/2021 1:58:36 PM (GMT -4: 00)
This is the first year the race has been certified.
Many racers told News 12 it was the perfect weather for a race.
