News Analysis India

Tag: Netanyahu

  • PM Modi congratulated Israel’s new PM Bennett, while he wrote this about Netanyahu’s tenure

    After 12 years, Benjamin Netanyahu has finally reached the opposition after leaving the post of Prime Minister in a big upheaval in Israel’s politics. Naftali Bennett, the leader of the right-wing Yamina (United Rights) party, has become Israel’s new prime minister. He took oath on Sunday night. With this, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was the Prime Minister of the country for 12 consecutive years, has now gone into opposition. Bennett and Lapid will become prime ministers after two years. Bennett has become the first Prime Minister and on this basis will become Lapid PM in 2023. Philbal Lapid will now serve as Israel’s alternate prime minister and foreign minister. On this occasion, PM Modi has congratulated Naftali for becoming the Prime Minister in view of India’s relations with Israel. He wrote that “Congratulations to Naftali Bennett on becoming the Prime Minister of Israel. I look forward to meeting you and deepen the strategic partnership between our two countries.

    “Let us tell you that the effect of deep friendship between PM Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu is that the heat has come in India’s sluggish relationship with a country like Israel. Israel has been seen standing with India on the issue. In such a situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves no stone unturned to strengthen the strategic relationship with Israel. Let us tell you that Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule in Israel for the last 12 years came to an end. The new coalition government, led by Bennett and centrist Yes Atid (Future) party leader Yair Lapid, was approved by parliament or the Knesset in a vote of confidence, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier in the trust vote held in Parliament, 60 MPs of the 120-member house voted in favor of the new government while 59 voted against it.

  • Moroccan King Mohammed VI Speaks To Netanyahu For The 1st Time Since Normalisation Of Ties

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Moroccan King Mohammed VI had their first official telephonic conversation on Friday since the normalisation of ties between Tel Aviv and Rabat earlier this month. The King of Morocco, while speaking to Netanyahu, welcomed the reviving of cooperation mechanisms between the two countries and the resumption of regular contacts. Netanyahu assured Mohammed VI of his determination to implement all the commitments made under the peace deal.

     According to the Kingdom of Morocco, Mohammed VI also recalled the strong ties between the Jewish community of Moroccan origin and the monarchy in the country. At the same time, Mohammed VI reiterated Morocco’s position on the Palestine issue, highlighting the importance of a two-state solution in order to promote peace and stability in the region and the entire Middle-East. 

  • Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu Receives Pfizer Covid Vaccine, Says ‘excited And Proud’

    On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received Covid-19 vaccination at Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv, becoming the first  Israeli to be vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech shot. The vaccination was shown live on Israel television as Netanyahu also became the first sitting prime minister publicly known to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Netanyahu was of the opinion that this small injection is a giant leap for the health. 

    Netanyahu said that after taking the vaccine shot that he thought about reopening his country again and about returning to normalcy. In a tweet, Netanyahu also said, “We have worked hard to bring millions of vaccines to our small country. Israel is one of the first countries to be vaccinated. Tonight, more than ever, I am excited and proud to be the Prime Minister of Israel.

  • Israel’s Netanyahu Quarantined For Third Time Without Testing COVID-19 Positive

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been quarantined until Friday, December 18 after he met with a confirmed COVID-19 carrier. According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, Netanyahu has been tested twice since coming into the contact with the unknown person and has produced negative results on both occasions. 

    According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu met with Likud Court President Michael Kleiner last Tuesday, who later tested positive for COVID-19. This is the third time Netanyahu has been quarantined without testing positive for COVID-19. It is being said that the Prime Minister’s work won’t be hampered because of him being in quarantine as he is continuing to hold meetings virtually. 

    Netanyahu could now become the first Israeli to be vaccinated by the COVID-19 vaccine that arrived in the country last week. After Israel approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first batch arrived in the country last week and the government said it would start the vaccination campaign starting December 27. Netanyahu, while receiving the drug at the airport, had said that he would not hesitate in taking the first shot if it helps in persuading the people into taking the vaccine.  

    Israel has reported more than 3,48,000 COVID-19 cases so far, of which 2,932 people have lost their lives. COVID-19 cases in Israel were on an exponential rise between September and October with the country recording its highest single-day tally on September 30 as more than 9,000 people tested positive. 

  • Coronavirus Vaccination Drive To Begin From Dec 27, Says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that the country will start a coronavirus vaccination drive from December 27 onward as the first batch of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine arrived in Tel Aviv. With a population of over 88 million people, Israel received the first of 80 million doses it had ordered from pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and BioNTech. Netanyahu, while overseeing the unloading of the shipment from a cargo plane, said that the country’s health services are capable of vaccinating 60,000 people per day.

    Netanyahu added that a “much bigger” cargo is expected to arrive on Thursday, December 10. The Israeli Prime Minister urged every eligible person in the country to get vaccinated as he vowed to take the first shot himself in order to clear any doubts that people might be having regarding vaccines. The shipment arrived a day before the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which is a festival of lights. Netanyahu said that the arrival of the vaccine has brought great light to Israel. 

    Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has already earned approval in the United Kingdom, which became the first Western country on Tuesday to start inoculating people outside a trial setting. Canada’s health regulators have approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The American and the German firm, who have developed the vaccine together, are seeking approval in the United States as well, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to grant emergency use authorisation in the next couple of days. 

  • Israel To Sign Agreement To Procure 8 Million Pfizer Vaccine Doses, Supply Begins In Jan

    Israel will sign a provisional deal with Pfizer Inc to procure over 8 million doses of the experimental coronavirus vaccine from January onwards, Israel’s health minister said in a statement. The deal will be subject to approval by Israel’s Health Ministry and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine supply will begin in January 2021 for 4 million people, and will continue through the year 2021 to obtain 8 million doses, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said in a statement. 

    On November 12, Pfizer confirmed deals with countries for the supply of COVID-19 vaccine’s safe doses, claiming that the still-experimental vaccine candidate was more than 90 percent effective based on initial clinical trials. The pharmaceutical firm confirmed that it reached an agreement to provides a supply of 200 million doses and an additional 100 million doses of its BNT162B2 MRNA-based vaccine to European countries. The deliveries worldwide are anticipated to start by the end of 2020, subject to regulatory approval, Pfizer said in a statement. Pfizer and BioNTech initiated a rolling submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in October, and are now entering deals with other countries. 

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a state press conference that large doses of the vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc. will be received in Israel by January and the government was working to get vaccines from other companies, as well. “We have to follow the rules,” Netanyahu said in a press address.

    Pfizer and BioNTech announced their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, against SARS-CoV-2 on November 9. The company claimed that the experimental vaccine demonstrated evidence of efficacy based on the interim efficacy analysis conducted on November 8, 2020, by an external, independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC). “DMC reviewed 94 cases,” Pfizer said in a release.