Israelis Vote in Fifth General Election in Less Than Four Years |
Israelis choose a new parliament (CNN) today in the country’s fifth election since April 2019. The vote was triggered (BBC) after a coalition government composed of liberal, conservative, and Arab parties collapsed in June. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks a return to power, and polls suggest the bloc led by his Likud party could come one seat short of a majority. A rival bloc led by caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid is predicted to fall short of a majority by several seats.
The election comes amid a rising cost of living and mounting security concerns; this year has seen the most conflict-related deaths for both Israelis and Palestinians since 2015. During morning voting, election authorities registered the highest voter turnout (Times of Israel) since 1999. Once votes are counted, President Isaac Herzog will give the politician he believes has the best chance of forming a government forty-two days to do so.
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“This round is more complex than the four previous since April 2019, with a near tie between the pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs making predictions exceedingly difficult,” Al-Monitor’s Ben Caspit writes. “Anything could happen, even a unity government between Netanyahu and [Lapid], despite vehement denials by all sides.”
“There are three Arab lists running in the current election, and their fate could seal the fate of the Lapid-led bloc. With Arab turnout expected to be lower than in previous rounds, the Arab vote could become a crucial matter,” the Times of Israel’s Carrie Keller-Lynn writes. This Backgrounder lays out what to know about the Arab citizens of Israel. |
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Fifty Countries Condemn China’s Xinjiang Abuses |
In a statement read during a UN General Assembly debate, the countries called (Al Jazeera) for China to uphold its human rights obligations and implement the recommendations of a UN report on abuses of Uyghurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang region. In October, the UN Human Rights Council narrowly voted against discussing the report. This Backgrounder looks at China’s repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
China/Philippines: Tropical Storm Nalgae is headed toward China (ABC) after killing at least one hundred people in the Philippines. |
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| Russia Reportedly Recruiting U.S.-Trained Afghan Fighters |
The Russian military is recruiting former commandos who fled to Iran after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan last year, the Associated Press reported.
India: Police in Gujarat arrested nine people (Mint) following a bridge collapse that killed at least 134 people on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the site today. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
U.S. Official: Washington Will Not ‘Waste’ Time on Iran Deal |
At an event in Washington, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said a potential return to the 2015 nuclear deal is “not our focus right now” and the United States will not “waste our time” (AP, Times of Israel) on the deal while there is no movement in negotiations with Iran. |
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Study: Antibody Drug Shows Promise for Fighting Malaria |
One dose of an antibody drug provided strong protection against malaria infections for six months in Mali, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The drug is given via a thirty-minute intravenous infusion that would be hard to implement widely (WaPo). Ethiopia: Peace talks on Ethiopia’s civil war have been extended into this week, an unnamed official told the Associated Press. |
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Russia Extends Evacuation Order in Occupied Southern Ukraine |
Russia ordered civilians in a nine-mile area on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, referred to in Russia as the Dnieper River, to evacuate (Reuters). It claims to have annexed the area and had already ordered people on the western bank to evacuate. Ukraine said the evacuation order amounts to the war crime of forced depopulation of an occupied territory.
CFR’s Thomas Graham explains how Russia’s annexation in September made the war in Ukraine more dangerous.
Denmark: The country is holding a snap election (The Guardian) today after a left-wing party withdrew support from the minority government of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. |
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Truckers Block Roads Across Brazil as Bolsonaro Yet to Concede |
After losing Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, President Jair Bolsonaro had not conceded (Bloomberg) as of this morning. Truckers supporting him blocked roads across the country yesterday and obstructed access to São Paulo’s international airport. This virtual event examines why Brazil’s election was a test for democracy.
Colombia/Venezuela: Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will meet face to face (AP) today. It is the first such meeting in six years, as Colombia’s previous president had severed diplomatic ties with Venezuela. |
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Supreme Court Hears Case on University Affirmative Action |
The court’s six conservative justices questioned the lawfulness (NYT) of race-based admissions at universities. Liberal Justice Elena Kagan said she worried that ruling against affirmative action in higher education could lead to “a precipitous decline in minority admissions.” |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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