The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, November 15, 2018, Image 10

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The times., November 15, 2018, Image 10

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Newspaper Page Text10A Thursday, November 15, 2018 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com WORLD Defense chief’s resignation pushes Israel toward election ADEL HANA I Associated Press Relatives of Palestinian fisherman Nawaf Al-Attar, 20, who was shot and killed by Israeli troops on the beach near the border with Israel, mourn during his funeral, in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 14. BY JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM — Isra el’s defense minister on Wednesday abruptly resigned to protest a new cease-fire with Hamas mili tants in Gaza, throwing the government into turmoil and pushing the country toward an early election. Avigdor Lieberman’s decision was ostensibly a show of anger over Tues day’s informal truce with Israel’s Hamas enemies. But in many ways, it was the opening round of a new political campaign. His defection leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the nar rowest of parliamentary majorities — only 61 of 120 seats in his coalition. In theory, Netanyahu can continue to govern until parliamentary elections scheduled for a year from now. But with another coali tion rival, Naftali Bennett, threatening to leave the coalition if he doesn’t get the defense portfolio, the days of Netanyahu’s gov ernment appear numbered. Here’s a closer look at the developments: Netanyahu’s cease-fire After two days of heavy fighting, Netanyahu’s deci sion to accept the Egyptian- brokered truce was more than level heads prevailing. The longtime Israeli leader knows well the military option has its lim its. Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza and fought three wars against Hamas since the Islamic militant group seized power in 2007. This has inflicted heavy dam age on Gaza, but Hamas remains firmly in power. Ousting the group would require a military operation that could take months and cost the lives of thousands of Palestinian civilians and many Israeli soldiers. Reluctant to pay such a price, Netanyahu instead seems content to keep a weakened Hamas in check. Netanyahu may also have a deeper agenda. Leaving the Palestinians torn between two govern ments — Hamas in Gaza and the internationally backed Palestinian Author ity in the West Bank — works in his favor. With the Palestinians divided, there is little pres sure for Netanyahu to make concessions, allowing him to expand West Bank settle ments and cement Israeli control over the territory. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has repeat edly accused Israel and the U.S. of collaborating behind his back and preparing a peace plan offering the Pal estinians a mini-state in the Gaza Strip and small auton omous areas of the West Bank, which falls short of his demand for a fully inde pendent Palestinian state including both territories. “It isn’t true Netanyahu doesn’t have a policy. He does: He is a firm believer in perpetuating the status quo,” wrote Israeli colum nist Nahum Barnea. Bibi’s bouncer Lieberman is a former aide to Netanyahu who has been both an ally and rival over the years. He currently heads Yisrael Beitenu, a small ultrana tionalist party that appeals to immi grants from the for mer Soviet Union. A former nightclub bouncer known for his sharp tongue and Russian- accented Hebrew, the Soviet-born Lieberman has sought to project an image as a tough-talking politi cian. At times, he has been critical of Israel’s Arab minority, liberal opposition groups and even Israel’s ally Egypt. Sitting in the opposition, he once threat ened to assassinate Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh if he held the defense portfolio. But as defense minister, Lieberman’s accomplish ments remain limited, and Haniyeh is well-off in Gaza. Calling the cease-fire “surrender to terrorism,” Lieberman also made clear that his frustrations run much deeper. He said he also opposed a recent decision to allow Qatar to deliver $15 million in aid to Gaza and the cancellation, under heavy international pressure, of the planned demolition of a Bedouin vil lage in the West Bank. “We are buying quiet in the short-term at the cost of severe damage to our secu rity in the long-term,” he said. “The weakness we dis played also projects itself to other arenas.” Election Strategies If Netanyahu calls early elections, opinion polls fore cast a victory by his Likud Party and hard-line part ners, including Lieberman. With his resignation, Lieberman appears to be positioning himself for elec tions by painting Netanyahu as soft and portraying him self as a defense hawk. Bennett, a former Netan yahu aide who leads the religious Jew ish Home Party, is likely to use a simi lar strategy. Like Lieberman, Ben nett favors tougher military action against Hamas. All three appeal to a similar bloc of voters. Although Netanyahu would likely emerge as the leader, siphoning off votes would strengthen his rivals. Netanyahu’s rivals are eager to tap into public anger over the cease-fire. Residents in rocket-battered towns in southern Israel, typically Likud strongholds, have protested the truce. Lieberman May wins Cabinet backing for Brexit, but pitfalls remain BY JILL LAWLESS AND L0RNE COOK Associated Press LONDON — In a hard- won victory, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday persuaded her Cabinet to back a draft divorce agreement with the European Union, a decision that triggers the final steps on the long and rocky road to Brexit. But she still faces pitfalls and threats from her domes tic opponents as she tries to navigate the U.K.’s orderly exit from the EU. May hailed the Cabinet decision as a “decisive step” toward finalizing the exit deal with the EU within days. It sets in motion an elaborate diplomatic choreography of statements and meetings. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier declared there had been “decisive progress” — the key phrase signaling EU leaders can convene a summit to approve the deal, likely this month. Crucially, Barnier said that “we have now found a solution together with the U.K. to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.” But the agreement, ham mered out between U.K. and EU negotiators after 17 months of what Barnier called “very intensive” talks, infuriated pro-Brexit law makers in May’s Conserva tive Party, who said it would leave Britain a vassal state, bound to EU rules that it has no say in making. Those “hard Brexit” voices include several min isters in May’s Cabinet. Emerging from the five-hour meeting in 10 Downing St., May said the Cabinet talks had been “long, detailed and impassioned.” She said there had been a “collective deci sion” to back the deal, though she did not say whether it was unanimous. “I firmly believe, with my head and my heart, that this is a decision which is in the best interests of the United Kingdom,” she said. And in a warning to her opponents, May said the choice was between her deal, “or leave with no deal; or no Brexit at all.” If the EU backs the deal, as it likely will, it must be approved by Britain’s Par liament. That could be a challenge, since pro-Brexit and pro-EU legislators alike are threatening to oppose it. Pro-Brexit law makers say the agreement will leave Britain teth ered to the EU after it departs and unable to forge an independent trade policy. On the other side of the argument, pro-EU legislators say May’s deal is worse than the status quo and the British public should get a new vote on whether to leave or stay. In between those two camps are May’s supporters, who argue that the deal is the best on offer, and the alterna tives are a chaotic “no-deal” Brexit that would cause huge disruption to people and busi nesses, or an election that could see the Conservative government replaced by the left-of-center Labour Party. Failure to secure Cabinet backing will leave May’s leadership in doubt and the Brexit process in chaos, with exit day just over four months away, on March 29. May also could face the threat of a coup attempt from her own party. Under Conservative rules, a no-confidence vote in the leader is triggered if 15 per cent of party lawmakers write letters requesting one. 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