Politics

Israel’s new government gets to work after Netanyahu ouster

Published

5 years ago

June 14, 2021

JERUSALEM (AP) — For the first time in 12 years, Israelis on Monday woke up to a new government and a new prime minister, after Naftali Bennett secured the backing of parliament and ousted longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

The two were slated to hold a handover meeting later in the day, but without the formal ceremony that traditionally accompanies a change in government.

Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, narrowly approved the new Bennett-led coalition government on Sunday, ending Netanyahu’s historic 12-year rule. The divisive former prime minister, the longest to hold office, will now serve as the opposition leader.

David Bitan, a Likud lawmaker, told Kan public radio that Netanyahu was not holding the formal ceremony with Bennett because he feels “cheated” by the formation of the Bennett-Lapid government and “doesn’t want to give even the slightest legitimacy to this matter.”

Under a coalition agreement, Bennett will hold office of the premier for the first two years of the term, and then Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the architect of the coalition, will become prime minister.

The new government was sworn in late on Sunday and set to work Monday morning, with ministers announcing appointments of new ministry directors. Outgoing President Reuven Rivlin, who finishes his term in office next month, hosted Bennett, Lapid and the rest of the Cabinet at his official residence in Jerusalem for the official photo of the new government. Bennett and Lapid declined to comment to the press.

Topaz Luk, a Netanyahu aide, told Army Radio that the former prime minister — now opposition leader — is “full of motivation to topple this dangerous government as soon as possible.”

World leaders have congratulated Bennett on becoming the 13th person to hold the office of Israeli prime minister.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated Bennett and Lapid on forming a government, tweeting that “this is an exciting time for the UK and Israel to continue working together to advance peace and prosperity for all.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who shared close ties with Netanyahu, congratulated Bennett in a tweet in Hebrew, saying he “looks forward to meeting you and deepening the strategic relations between our countries.” Modi also voiced his “deep recognition” of Netanyahu’s leadership.

The United Arab Emirates, which established diplomatic relations with Israel last year as part of the so-called Abraham Accords orchestrated by the Trump administration, said in a statement that it was looking “forward to working together to advance regional peace, strengthen tolerance and coexistence, and embark upon a new era of cooperation in technology, trade, and investment.”

Lapid, Israel’s new foreign minister and alternate prime minister, spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and “discussed the special relationship between the US and Israel,” he wrote on Twitter.

At a handover ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, Lapid told diplomats that Israel’s foreign relations had suffered from “disgraceful neglect” in recent years, and pledged to mend relations with neighboring Jordan, the European Union, the Democratic Party in the U.S. and the American Jewry — relations that Lapid said had deteriorated under Netanyahu.

“The outgoing administration took a terrible gamble in focusing only on the Republicans and abandoning Israel’s bipartisan standing,” Lapid said. He added that Israel’s ties with American Jews were “the most important relationship, and the one that needs to be worked on more than any other.”

Lapid also echoed Bennett’s remarks, saying that Israel remains opposed to a return to the previous nuclear agreement reached between world powers and Iran, and that it would “prevent by all means the possibility of Iran getting nuclear weapons.”

Bennett, 49, a former ally of Netanyahu turned rival, became prime minister after Sunday’s 60-59 vote in Knesset. The motion passed after a member of the coalition was taken by ambulance from hospital to the parliament building to cast her vote, and despite an abstention by a member of the Islamist Raam party.

Bennett heads a diverse and fragile coalition comprised of eight parties with deep ideological differences, ranging from a small Islamist party to Jewish ultranationalists. He said he is prioritizing mending the many rifts dividing Israeli society.

His ultranationalist Yamina party won just seven seats in the 120-member Knesset in March elections. But by refusing to commit to Netanyahu or his opponents, Bennett positioned himself as kingmaker. Even after one member of his religious nationalist party abandoned him to protest the new coalition deal, he ended up with the post of premier.

The Knesset vote capped a chaotic parliamentary session and ended a two-year period of political paralysis in which the country held four deadlocked elections. Those votes focused largely on Netanyahu’s divisive rule and his fitness to remain in office while on trial for corruption charges.

Netanyahu has made clear he has no intention of exiting the political stage. “If it is destined for us to be in the opposition, we will do it with our backs straight until we topple this dangerous government and return to lead the country,” he said Sunday.

To his supporters, Netanyahu is a global statesman uniquely capable of leading the country through its many security challenges.

But to his critics, he has become a polarizing and autocratic leader who used divide-and-rule tactics to aggravate the many rifts in Israeli society. Those include tensions between Jews and Arabs, and within the Jewish majority between his religious and nationalist base and his more secular and dovish opponents.

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Florida

Republican Rep. Paula Stark Disqualified From Ballot, Giving Democrats Opportunity to Flip House District 47

Published

16 hours ago

June 13, 2026

FNN NEWS

Republican Rep. Paula Stark Disqualified From Ballot, Giving Democrats Opportunity to Flip House District 47

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Florida State Rep. Paula Stark has been disqualified from seeking reelection in Florida House District 47 after failing to satisfy candidate qualifying requirements before the noon Friday filing deadline.

According to state election records, Stark’s candidacy was disqualified due to a deficiency involving required financial disclosure filings, commonly referred to as Form 6. Florida law requires candidates for legislative office to timely submit all qualifying documents, including financial disclosure forms, to appear on the ballot.

Form 6 Financial Disclosure Requirement

Form 6 is a public financial disclosure document required for state elected officials and candidates. The form requires candidates to disclose assets, liabilities, sources of income, and other financial interests.

The disclosure includes a sworn certification stating: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have read the foregoing Form 6 and that the facts stated in it are true.”

Candidates are required to complete, sign and timely file the disclosure as part of Florida’s qualifying process. Failure to properly file required qualifying documents, including Form 6, by the statutory deadline can result in disqualification from the ballot.

Democrats Advance to Primary Election

With Stark removed from contention, Democrats now have an opportunity to capture the Republican-held seat in House District 47.

The only candidates remaining in the race are:

Jorge Figueroa, President of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
Anthony Nieves, a state investigator

The two Democrats will compete in the Aug. 18 Democratic Primary, with the winner becoming Representative-Elect.

House District 47 covers portions of Osceola County and has been represented by Stark since her election to the Florida House.

The disqualification was among the most notable developments of Florida’s 2026 candidate qualifying period and significantly alters the political landscape in a district Republicans had hoped to retain.

Central Florida News

State Rep. Bruce Antone Wins Reelection Unopposed

Published

22 hours ago

June 12, 2026

Willie David

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Florida State Representative Bruce Antone has won reelection to the Florida House after qualifying for the 2026 election cycle without opposition.

Antone, who represents portions of Orange County, remains the longest-serving Democratic state lawmaker in Orange County and one of the most senior members of Florida’s Democratic legislative delegation.

Following his reelection, Antone thanked supporters in a statement posted on Facebook.

“Today, I was reelected to the Florida House of Representatives. I didn’t have any opposition. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my time and tenure in the Florida House of Representatives,” Antone wrote.

Under Florida election law, candidates who qualify for office without opposition are automatically elected and do not appear on the ballot.

Antone will begin another term in the Florida House as lawmakers prepare for the 2027 Legislative Session in Tallahassee.

Florida

Alan Grayson Returns to Politics, Eyes Cory Mills’ Congressional Seat

Published

1 day ago

June 12, 2026

FNN NEWS

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) — Former U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson, one of Florida’s most recognizable Democratic firebrands, has entered the race for Florida’s 7th Congressional District, setting up what could become one of the state’s most closely watched congressional contests of 2026.

Grayson’s late entry adds a high-profile name to the Democratic primary as the party seeks to unseat incumbent U.S. Representative Cory Mills. The race is expected to generate significant political attention and sharp contrasts between Democrats and Republicans heading into the August primary and November general election.

THE RETURN OF A DEMOCRATIC FIREBRAND

Among Democrats, Grayson remains known for his outspoken criticism of Republican leaders and his combative political style. Supporters view him as a proven campaigner and effective debater who built a national profile during his time in Congress.

Grayson was first elected to Congress in 2008, representing Florida’s 8th Congressional District. After serving one term, he was defeated by a Republican challenger in 2010. He returned to Congress in 2012 after winning election in Florida’s 9th Congressional District and served two additional terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

ETHICS QUESTIONS SURROUND INCUMBENT

Mills enters the race while facing ongoing scrutiny related to ethics matters.

The Office of Congressional Ethics previously investigated Mills and reported that government contracts had been awarded to entities owned by Mills since January 2024. In November 2025, the House Ethics Committee established an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving potential fraud and two reported incidents involving Mills’ conduct toward women.

Mills has denied wrongdoing.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY TAKES SHAPE

Grayson joins a Democratic field that includes former Navy nuclear reactor plant supervisor Marialana Kinter and former NASA’s Chief of Staff Bale Dalton.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified Florida’s 7th Congressional District as a top target in Democrats’ effort to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives and backed Dalton.

REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS EMERGE

On the Republican side, former FOX 35 news anchor Ryan Elijah, businesswoman Sarah Ulrich, and self-described “Reagan Republican” Don Johnson are challenging Mills in the Republican primary.

LOOKING AHEAD

With Grayson’s entry, Florida’s 7th Congressional District is poised to become one of the state’s most competitive and closely followed races. The contest now features a well-known Democratic firebrand, an incumbent facing ethics scrutiny, and multiple challengers from both parties seeking to capitalize on voter dissatisfaction and shifting political dynamics.

Florida’s primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026.

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