VFI News November 4, 2022

After Israel's 5th election in 4 years, Benjamin Netanyahu is set to become the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history.

But which other parties will form Bibi's coalition, and which political figures will take up key positions in the government?

Find out in this week's episode of VFI News!

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As the ballots in the Knesset election were being tallied Wednesday, November 2, all signs were pointing to a resounding victory for opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his bloc of right-wing, far-right and religious parties, a result that would end a political crisis that has seen five general elections held in under four years.

With some 86 percent of the votes counted, the bloc of parties loyal to Netanyahu was predicted to win 65 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, a comfortable majority.

The numbers were expected to shift as officials had yet to begin tallying the so-called double-envelope ballots cast by members of security forces, prisoners, people with disabilities, diplomats serving abroad, and others, but significant change to the balance between Netanyahu’s bloc and its opponents was not seen as likely.

The coalition shaping up to be Israel’s next is made up of Netanyahu’s Likud party, ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, and the far-right Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich, which includes extremist Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit faction.

Ben Gvir is seen as the biggest star of the election, having gone from leading a fringe party to becoming a popular leader in a party representing some 10% of Israeli voters. (TOI / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you bless us with a competent and loyal to the state of Israel leadership, so that we remain in control of our lives and are able to prosper within a peaceful community.”

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

Some 6.2 million Israelis were eligible to vote in Tuesday’s November 1, election, an increase of 196,000 since last year’s vote, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics figures.

The number of voters living in Israel has risen by 3.3 percent since the March 2021 election, the CBS said in a statement.

Of eligible voters (citizens 18 and up), 77% are Jewish, including 11% who are ultra-Orthodox. Arab voters account for 17% of voters and the remaining 6% are other minorities.

The proportion of Arab voters is smaller than that of Arab Israelis in the general population — at 21% — because the community has a relatively large number of children below voting age, the CBS explained.

Those aged 18-24 make up 31% of voters, while 29% are aged 25-39. The 40-59 age bracket accounts for another 31%, and those over 65 represent 25% of voters. Israel’s total population is just over 9.5 million. (TOI/ VFI News)

“God, we hope that you have assisted us fairly in choosing our new leaders for the next few years, and that Israel will be able to thrive under the elected party.”

Saudi Arabia recently warned the US of an imminent attack by Iran, on targets in the kingdom and in Erbil, Iraq, American media reported on Tuesday, November 1.

The US military and other militaries in the Middle East have raised their alert level in response to the warnings, according to the report.

The planned attacks are aimed at distracting from the protests that have swept Iran in recent weeks.

The White House National Security Council said it was concerned about the warnings and was ready to respond. “We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region,” said a National Security Council spokesperson.

“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis. We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.” (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we thank you for alerting other nations about imminent Iranian threats, and we hope that they can be resolved without any loss of innocent civilians, or social unrest that will further deplete the respective communities.”

Iran is set to send over 200 combat drones to Russia in the beginning of November, the Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate warned on Tuesday, November 1. The shipment would include Shahed-136 and Arash-2 suicide drones and Mohajer-6 reconnaissance drones.

Ukrainian intelligence first claimed last Monday that the Arash-2 would be added to Russian arsenals for the first time. Ukraine claimed that the disassembled drones would be delivered by the Caspian Sea to the port of Astrakhan, and would be repainted and given Russian markings.

"We will continue to vigorously enforce all US sanctions on both the Russian and Iranian arms trade to make it harder for Iran to sell these weapons to Russia." Ned Price, Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said.

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig.-Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that he had no "specific information to provide" on the reports, but that the US was concerned that "Russia may also seek to acquire additional advanced ammunition capabilities from Iran – for example, surface-to-surface missiles – to use in Ukraine."

The Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate claims that Kyiv's military forces have downed some 300 Iranian Kamikaze drones since the first detected use of the weapon platforms. (JPost / VFI News)

But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. - Proverbs 4:19

Vision for Israel co-founders Barry & Batya Segal sit down to talk about their work of blessing and mercy in the land of Israel—thanks to the unshakeable support of all who believe in the restorative power of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) love. 

Anti-Semitism should always be called out, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said at a recent event for the Jerusalem College of Technology.

Haley spoke out against the recent wave of anti-Semitism, while reaffirming the need for the US to stand with Israel.

Recently, the Canadian Friends of Jerusalem College of Technology (CF-JCT) held its 50th-anniversary gala dinner in Toronto. Haley gave the keynote address and received an honorary degree.

The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who stood strongly against an anti-Israel bias at the institution, took the opportunity to speak out against anti-Semitism, a problem that has recently skyrocketed in the United States.

“We have to call out anti-Semitism every time we see it,” Haley said to the 500 attendees at the event. “It’s not okay. It will never be okay. We have to speak up every time we see it. We have to humiliate those that do it every time they do it. And we have to remind leaders to speak up.”

She also addressed the problem of intolerance on college campuses. “We have to remind our leaders that they have to speak up because I don’t want kids going to college wondering if they will be targeted,” she said at the Toronto gala, where she also commended the Trump administration for taking the matter seriously when they enacted legislation that would pull federal funding from universities if they didn’t rebuke anti-Semitism on their campus. (I365N / VFI News)

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. - Proverbs 17:17

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, spoke on Monday, October 31, at a meeting where the Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on Racism presented its annual report, in which it proposed to suspend or cancel the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism.

Ambassador Erdan attacked the author of the report and said, "You are exceeding your authority and promoting a political agenda that has no place in the discussion on the fight against racism, and your position is helping the anti-Semites."

"Defining anti-Semitism is the first necessary step to combating it; calling on UN member states to reject or suspend the use of the definition is not. When the Jewish people or the Jewish state are held to standards not expected of any other nation, it is anti-Semitism – and it cannot be tolerated," added the Ambassador.

The United States, Canada, Hungary, Uruguay, Bulgaria, Albania, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Guatemala, Cyprus, Australia, Germany, Romania, Spain and the European Union supported Ambassador Erdan's position and rejected the statement of the Special Rapporteur against the use of the IHRA's working definition of anti-Semitism. (INN / VFI News)

The United Nations General Assembly's First Committee voted for Israel to dispose of all nuclear weapons and have any and all nuclear sites under the watch of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Israeli media reported.

The resolution passed overwhelmingly on Friday, October 28, with a vote of 152-5 vote, with only the United States, Canada, Israel, Micronesia, and Palau voting against it. The European Union and 23 others abstained.

Despite officially being a resolution on the "risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East," the resolution – submitted by Egypt as it does annually – focused mainly on Israel, without mentioning Iran.

"That's unfortunate, because all those countries who voted on this resolution should ask themselves what is the source of instability in the region," former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told American media.

"It's Israel or Iran? What is the danger and the threat to the region? And I think that they all know that the threat's coming from Iran and not Israel."

Iran has been trying to develop its own nuclear program. The Islamic nation, despite having signed the non-proliferation treaty, has been enriching uranium to levels approaching what is needed for weapons. (FN / VFI News)

“May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you.” - Psalm 25:21

Qatar’s potential foray into Lebanon’s offshore gas project could spell trouble for Israel or, alternatively, present it with a rare opportunity for rapprochement, regional analysts say.

State-owned QatarEnergy is in talks with the Lebanese government to get a 30% stake in Lebanon’s offshore gas exploration according to British media.

The Qatari oil firm also is negotiating with the French-owned TotalEnergies and Italian-owned ENI, which are part of an international consortium seeking to carry out exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.

News of potential Qatari involvement in the gas project comes on the heels of a historic US-brokered agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon, which put an end to a decades-long dispute over the countries’ maritime borders.

The Qana reservoir, which could be worth billions of dollars, was at the heart of the dispute. If Qana proves to hold gas reserves, which has not yet been determined, then as part of the agreement Israel would receive an undisclosed amount of royalties from whatever is extracted.

Some analysts are wary of Qatar getting involved, however. Professor Efraim Inbar, President of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told media that Qatar is looking not only to expand its gas industry but also to bolster the Iran-backed Hizbullah group in Lebanon. (JPost / VFI News)

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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