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Forming a Government in the Time of COVID-19:
A Zoom Video Briefing with Yael Patir and Barak Ravid

Thursday, March 19 at 4pm Eastern

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Dear Friend --

Israelis are now fully preoccupied with the extraordinary public health
measures that are being taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. With
roughly 300 confirmed cases in the country, schools, restaurants and
recreational areas are closed, and gatherings of more than ten people have
been banned.

Incredibly, this health crisis has hit Israel at one of the most
politically uncertain periods in its history -- just days after an
unprecedented third election that, once again, effectively ended in a
complicated deadlock.

Benjamin Netanyahu remains prime minister on an interim basis, exercising
major executive authority to respond to the virus -- even as his chief
rival Benny Gantz has been handed the first mandate to try to form the
next government. Gantz has an incredible opportunity to finally bring the
Netanyahu era to a close, but only if he can successfully navigate the
huge divides between key members of the broad bloc that wishes to replace
the prime minister.

Can he convince the right-wingers in Yisrael Beiteinu and his own Blue and
White party to form a minority government supported by the Arab-majority
Joint List? Can he convince the Joint List that a Gantz-led government
will look out for the Arab community’s key priorities? Or will he be
forced to seek a “national emergency unity government” with Netanyahu and
Likud? And what about the corruption trial still looming ahead for the PM?

To discuss these questions, Israel’s overall response to the COVID-19
virus and whether “normal” politics are even possible under the current
circumstances, we’re inviting you to join a briefing call with leading
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, moderated by J Street's Israel Director
Yael Patir.

The call will take place this Thursday, March 19 at 4pm ET.

[ [link removed] ]Register now for our webinar

Like the US, Israel appears to be at a massively important crossroads. If
you’re able to, we hope you’ll join us on Thursday to hear about how all
these events are unfolding -- and what important new developments the next
few weeks might hold.

Wishing good health and safety to you and your loved ones,

Logan Bayroff
Director of Communications

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Speaker Bio: Barak Ravid is the Senior Diplomatic Correspondent at
Israel’s Channel 13 News and a regular contributor to Axios, writing about
Israeli politics and the US-Israel relationship.


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J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who want
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Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we advocate policies that
advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish and democratic values,
leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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