Leftist Party Could Join Israel Government

New flotilla en route to Gaza

(NEWSER) - Amid harsh international criticism of its deadly raid on a humanitarian aid ship headed to Gaza, Israel took a hard line yesterday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the raid and said Israel will continue its Gaza blockade. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon declared: "We do not need to apologize for defending ourselves." The comments came as organizers of the attacked flotilla said another cargo ship is now en route to Gaza, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Turkish prime minister said the "bloody massacre" ensures that "nothing will ever be the same again" between onetime allies Turkey and Israel. More»

Panetta told that Israel won't bomb Iran without first alerting Washington

(NEWSER) - CIA director Leon Panetta was sent on a secret mission to Israel earlier this month to warn the country's leaders against launching a surprise attack against Iran, the Times of London reports. Panetta asked for—and received—assurances from Israel's hawkish new government that the country would not bomb Iranian nuclear facilities without alerting the US. More»

(NEWSER) - Israel today performed a successful test of a missile-defense system the country said could defend against any munition in Iran’s arsenal, the Jerusalem Post reports. The Arrow 2, a US-Israel collaboration, was paired with its radar system for the first time and took down a missile masquerading as an Iranian Shihab 3. “While we are for peace,” PM Benjamin Netanyahu said of the test, “we will know how to defend ourselves.” More»

But incoming PM ducks question of statehood

(NEWSER) - Benjamin Netanyahu, the next prime minister of Israel, said in a speech today that his incoming government would be a "partner for peace" with the Palestinian people, but he made no mention of the two-state solution backed by the United States. As Reuters reports, Netanyahu focused on the territories' economy, saying, "If we have a strong Palestinian economy, that's a strong foundation for peace." More»

But some party members may split off to join opposition

(AP) - Israel's Labor Party voted today to join the incoming government of Benjamin Netanyahu, giving a centrist tone to the coalition that has looked hard-line up to now. The vote—680 in favor and 507 against—came after heated debate. "I won't be anyone's fig leaf or anyone's third wheel," said party leader Ehud Barak. "We will be the counterweight that will guarantee that we won't have a narrow right-wing government, but a real government that will take care of the state of Israel." More»