Shalom and good evening, this is TV7 Israel
News broadcasting to you from Jerusalem;
And in today’s top stories;
Prime Minister and Likud Chairman Benjamin
Netanyahu and his rival, Blue and White Chairman
Benny Gantz, held their second meeting this
evening at the President’s Residence in
Jerusalem, as part of their continued efforts
to form a national unity government.
Israel has joined France, Britain and Germany
in accusing Iran of bearing responsibility
for the recent attack against Saudi Arabia.
U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized in
his address to the U.N. General Assembly that
while the United States is not interested
in war Iran, it will act to protect America’s
interests.
Israeli Prime Minister and Likud Chairman
Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Blue and
White Chairman Benny Gantz held their second
meeting at the President’s Residence in
Jerusalem this evening, where they updated
President Reuven Rivlin about the progress
made in negotiations between their respective
delegations.
According to domestic media reports, the talks
have focused on several issues - including
various rotating premierships, a division
of ministerial portfolios, and several matters
pertaining to religion and state such as public
transportation on the Sabbath and civil marriage.
Another critical issue is the passage of a
military draft bill into law; disagreement
on which was one of the main reasons for the
dissolution of the previous-Netanyahu government
prior to the April 9th elections, earlier
this year.
Law requires President Rivlin to appoint a
candidate by next Wednesday, who in turn will
attempt to form a government.
The Israeli Head of State has reportedly set
two guiding principles for the Netanyahu-Gantz
negotiations – the first of which demands
that the government be shared and equal.
As such, Rivlin has proposed that ministerial
portfolios be divided evenly between the Likud
and Blue and White, excluding smaller factions
from a preliminary arrangement.
The second principle mandates that neither
side boycott members of the other party.
Accordingly, Gantz must agree to sit in a
government under Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu
must accept a rotating-premiership with Benny
Gantz.
The no-boycott clause is also applicable to
the integration of the ultra-Orthodox factions
as part of a broad coalition, despite Blue
and White’s pre-election pledge to establish
a secular unity government.
It is important to note that Rivlin has warned
both Netanyahu and Gantz that he will not
allow either side to deliberately delay coalition-building
negotiations.
In fact, if the President perceives the unity
efforts have reached a dead end, he will delegate
the mandate of forming a government to one
of the two candidates, even ahead of the 2nd
of October legal deadline.
Now to New York city, where;
World Leaders are currently attending the
annual week-long opening of the United Nations
General Assembly.
Among those addressing the plenum, Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seized the
opportunity to condemn Israel - for what he
referred to as, ‘its ongoing atrocities
against the Palestinian people and the city
of Jerusalem.’
Ankara’s leader claimed that the current
Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, and the administration of U.S.
President Donald Trump, bear full responsibility
for the perpetuated conflict and suffering
of the Palestinian people.
Erdogan further urged the international community
to protect the long-accepted consensus that
a two-state for two-peoples roadmap be the
sole solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian
dispute.
“Esteemed delegates, today, the Palestinian
territories under Israeli occupation have
become one of the most striking places of
injustice.”
/ “The current Israeli government and the
(U.S.) Administration, right next to these
(unspecified) murders and atrocities, is intervening
and attacking the historical and legal status
of Jerusalem and holy sacred lands and artifacts.
As Turkey, we have a very clear stance on
this issue, the immediate establishment of
an independent Palestinian state with homogeneous
territories on the basis of the 1967 border
with East Jerusalem as its capital is the
only solution.
“ With regard to the American peace initiative,
the political dimension of which has yet to
be unveiled; President Erdogan warned that
the plan will most definitely lead to more
bloodshed.
“Is the aim of the initiative, promoted
as the deal of the century, to entirely eliminate
the presence of the state and people of Palestine?
Do you want another bloodshed?
All actors of the international community,
particularly the U.N. should provide concrete
support to the Palestinian people, beyond
more promises.”
Responding to Erdogan’s rhetoric; Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released
a filmed statement from his residence in Jerusalem,
in which he ridiculed the Turkish leader’s
statements as ‘absurd and deceptive.’
“The one that does not cease to lie about
Israel, the one that does not cease to massacre
the Kurds in his land, the one that denies
the heinous genocide of the Armenian nation,
should not preach to Israel.
Erdogan, stop lying.”
The Israeli Prime Minister also released a
separate statement, in which he joined France,
Britain and Germany in accusing Iran of bearing
responsibility for the recent attacks on Saudi
Arabia.
“Britain, France and Germany have said that
Iran is responsible for the recent attack
in Saudi Arabia.
Let me say on behalf of the state of Israel,
very simple: Iran did it!
A – Z.
Israel will know how to defend itself against
this type of aggression, and we call on all
the members of the international community
to join President Trump’s efforts to increase
the pressure on Iran.
That’s the only way to stop Iran’s aggression.”
Back at the United Nations headquarters in
New York;
French President Emmanuel Macron used his
address to the General Assembly to reiterate
his warning that the “risk of a serious
conflict based on a miscalculation or a disproportionate
response” has reached an all-time high in
the Persian Gulf, especially after the September
14th Iranian attacks on Saudi oil installations.
“The attacks on the 14th of September against
Saudi Arabia have clearly changed the situation.
And so, bearing that in mind, today, we have
a risk of a serious conflict based on a miscalculation
or a disproportionate response.
Peace is at the mercy of an incident of a
miscalculation and the consequences for the
region would be very serious, too serious
for us to live on the edge of a cliff.”
President Macron also took the opportunity
to reject accusations that Europe’s conduct
toward Iran has been naïve –by insisting
that “it takes courage to build peace.”
“I'm not naive at all and I don't believe
in miracles.
I believe that it takes courage to build peace.
And that is why it's important for the United
States, Iran and the signatories of this agreement
to show this courage."
During his remarks to the U.N.G.A., U.S. President
Donald Trump responded to global criticism
of Washington’s conduct over Tehran’s
malign behavior, by emphasizing that the White
House is not interested in war.
That said, the American leader asserted that
his Administration will never fail to defend
America's interests.
Trump further warned the international community
‘not to subsidize Iran’s bloodlust,’
and repeated that as long as the Islamic Republic
continues to sow destruction and terror, the
United States will move to apply additional
pressure.
"The United States does not seek conflict
with any other nation.
We desire peace, cooperation and mutual gain
with all, but I will never fail to defend
America's interests."
/ "All nations have a duty to act.
No responsible government should subsidize
Iran's blood lust.
As long as Iran's menacing behavior continues,
sanctions will not be lifted.
They will be tightened."
Now in other news;
With the approach of the High Holy Days on
the Hebrew calendar, Israel’s National Security
Headquarters has just published travel advisories
for the public regarding various terror-related
threats worldwide.
Israeli citizens are recommended to immediately
leave Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, avoid travel
to Turkey, and postpone any non-essential
trips to Morocco and Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, the defense establishment has
announced that global Islamic elements have
called for attacks against Israel and its
citizens.
Despite its defeat in Syria and Iraq, the
Islamic State has continued to perpetrated
terror around the world and declared its intention
to carry out additional attacks in Turkey,
India and Pakistan.
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