http://www.mail.com/people/1725732-yair-lapid.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.29/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/people/1725732-yair-lapid.html http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2155430-israeli-palestinian-finance-ministers-meet.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli and Palestinian finance ministers have agreed on a series of economic cooperation projects. Sunday's meeting between Israel's Yair Lapid and the Palestinians' Shukri Bashara marked the first high-profile meeting between officials since the new Israeli government took office in March. Lapid said cooperation would include joint inve... Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:21:38 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2155430-israeli-palestinian-finance-ministers-meet.html 2013-06-16T16:21:38Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2135868-israeli-power-couple-links-politics-with-press.html JERUSALEM (AP) — He's a powerful Cabinet minister and a potential heir to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She's an influential anchor for Israel's state-run TV channel who led its recent election night coverage. Together they have emerged as the country's most high-profile power couple, with every step of their budding romance chronicled by paparazzi a... Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:19:08 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2135868-israeli-power-couple-links-politics-with-press.html 2013-06-07T07:19:08Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2112440-military-exemptions-threaten-israeli-coalition.html JERUSALEM (AP) — The leader of Israel's second largest party warned Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition could collapse if it fails to reform the military draft system and end exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students. Finance Minister Yair Lapid made the threat after a committee meeting tasked with changing the dr... Mon, 27 May 2013 15:34:13 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2112440-military-exemptions-threaten-israeli-coalition.html 2013-05-27T15:34:13Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2096504-israeli-seeks-interim-deal-with-palestinians.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's senior coalition partner says that reaching a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is unrealistic at the current time and the sides should instead pursue an interim arrangement. Finance Minister Yair Lapid's assessment, delivered in a published interview Sunday just days before the arrival of U.S... Sun, 19 May 2013 18:32:19 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2096504-israeli-seeks-interim-deal-with-palestinians.html 2013-05-19T18:32:19Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2079234-thousands-israel-protest-proposed-budget.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police say protesters are marching in Tel Aviv over proposed tax hikes and benefit cuts. Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said about two thousand rallied Saturday night. Protesters are angry over the proposed decrees by Israel's new finance minister Yair Lapid who started his job several weeks ago. ... Sat, 11 May 2013 19:04:18 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2079234-thousands-israel-protest-proposed-budget.html 2013-05-11T19:04:18Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2058086-israeli-pm-hed-want-referendum-peace-deal.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister said Thursday that any peace deal reached with the Palestinians on his watch would be subject to a national referendum, backing a contentious step that could hinder peace efforts. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been frozen for more than four years, but the referendum issue re-emerged this wee... Thu, 02 May 2013 15:38:40 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2058086-israeli-pm-hed-want-referendum-peace-deal.html 2013-05-02T15:38:40Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2053332-arab-league-sweetens-israel-palestinian-peace-plan.html JERUSALEM (AP) — The Arab League's decision to sweeten its decade-old proposal offering comprehensive peace with Israel has placed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a bind and swiftly exposed fissures in his new government. Netanyahu's chief peace negotiator on Tuesday welcomed the modified Arab proposal, while the prime minister remained silent, refle... Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:18:43 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2053332-arab-league-sweetens-israel-palestinian-peace-plan.html 2013-04-30T18:18:43Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2045166-culture-war-israel-targets-ultra-orthodox-jews.html JERUSALEM (AP) — A cultural war has erupted between Israel's rising political star and his ultra-Orthodox rivals. Newly minted Finance Minister Yair Lapid, hugely popular for opposing the long-standing preferential treatment enjoyed by the religious minority, is moving swiftly to slash state handouts to large families, compel lifelong seminary students to... Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:18:05 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2045166-culture-war-israel-targets-ultra-orthodox-jews.html 2013-04-25T21:18:05Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2034358-israel-approves-open-skies-deal-with-eu.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Cabinet on Sunday approved a deal to allow more EU flights, hours after the country's airlines went on strike out of concerns that the agreement would cost them jobs and possibly even ruin their companies. The approval of "Open Skies" raised the possibility of a longer, broader strike by Israel's major labor union. Already, hundr... Sun, 21 Apr 2013 17:46:25 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2034358-israel-approves-open-skies-deal-with-eu.html 2013-04-21T17:46:25Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1969884-white-house-notebook-obama-heckler-shouted.html JERUSALEM (AP) — President Barack Obama was interrupted by a heckler while giving a speech to an audience of Israeli university students, but he didn't lose his cool. The president was talking about the U.S. being a close ally to Israel when the heckler piped up. The crowd shouted him down. "This is part of the lively debate that we talked about," said an... Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:05:52 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1969884-white-house-notebook-obama-heckler-shouted.html 2013-03-22T01:05:52Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1965702-ap-analysis-mideast-partial-deal-tantalizes.html JERUSALEM (AP) — As the U.S. president prepares to reinsert himself in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his best hope may be to set aside grand hopes for a final agreement and make do with a partial deal. An interim settlement would leave neither side with full satisfaction, and the Palestinians in particular strongly oppose it for fear that it will beco... Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:21:34 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/1965702-ap-analysis-mideast-partial-deal-tantalizes.html 2013-03-19T20:21:34Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1957136-netanyahu-faces-rocky-future-coalition.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Forced to rely on the support of two fast-rising rivals in his new governing coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now faces a reshaped and rocky landscape that could spell trouble ahead: An unwanted culture war with the country's ultra-Orthodox minority as well as pressure to make peace overtures to the Palestinians. After weeks o... Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:47:42 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1957136-netanyahu-faces-rocky-future-coalition.html 2013-03-15T19:47:42Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1954750-makeup-israeli-government.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Four parties will make up the new Israeli coalition government, adding up to a 68-seat majority in the 120-seat parliament. It is the first Israeli government in decades not to include any ultra-Orthodox parties and includes some staunch secularists. On security matters, its members range from hard-line hawks to the center-left. Here is a look at their main ... Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:09:28 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1954750-makeup-israeli-government.html 2013-03-14T16:09:28Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1949560-israels-ultra-orthodox-suddenly-outsiders.html JERUSALEM (AP) — As Israel's new government takes shape, the country's powerful ultra-Orthodox Jewish political parties seem poised to find themselves in unfamiliar territory — the parliamentary opposition — instead of their traditional seats around the Cabinet table. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's two new potential partners pledge to end a system in... Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:08:45 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1949560-israels-ultra-orthodox-suddenly-outsiders.html 2013-03-12T19:08:45Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1927284-netanyahu-2-weeks-to-form-coalition.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli President Shimon Peres on Saturday granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu another two weeks to form a governing coalition, after Netanyahu failed to build a broad coalition including ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. In a televised address, Netanyahu told Peres that he has yet to build a coalition because some parties wish to "boy... Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:42:15 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1927284-netanyahu-2-weeks-to-form-coalition.html 2013-03-02T19:42:15Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1908480-analysis-netanyahu-gambit-appears-to-backfire.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to bring a dovish rival into his Cabinet appears to be backfiring, drawing heavy criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinians and suddenly complicating the task of forming a viable coalition government, to the point where rivals are openly threatening to force new elections. It is now unc... Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:33:53 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1908480-analysis-netanyahu-gambit-appears-to-backfire.html 2013-02-22T17:33:53Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1870674-israels-netanyahu-hits-snags-building-team.html JERUSALEM (AP) — As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to take office for a third time, his attempts to form a new coalition government have gotten off to a rocky start. Netanyahu is vowing to form a broad-based government to tackle the country's challenges in the coming years, but that won't be easy. Given the dizzying array of potential ... Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:22:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1870674-israels-netanyahu-hits-snags-building-team.html 2013-02-05T19:22:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1864328-netanyahu-asked-to-form-israeli-government.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to form the next government, and Netanyahu pledged that his new administration will be committed to advancing peace talks with the Palestinians. Israeli President Shimon Peres formally requested Netanyahu to build a governing coalition, after conducting consultations w... Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:08:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1864328-netanyahu-asked-to-form-israeli-government.html 2013-02-02T19:08:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856700-2-israeli-parties-endorse-netanyahu-term.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's two largest political parties endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister Wednesday, all but guaranteeing him a third term at the beginning of the post-election process of forming a new government. Netanyahu's Likud Party and the new Yesh Atid Party made their recommendations to President Shimon Peres, who consults with all 12... Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:55:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1856700-2-israeli-parties-endorse-netanyahu-term.html 2013-01-30T17:55:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1846346-israeli-political-star-sets-lofty-expectations.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Political newcomer Yair Lapid electrified Israel with his surprising success in this week's election and an Obama-like message of hope and change, and expectations are high. The former TV talk show host will need to make strides on pressing economic ills and advance peace prospects with the Palestinians to avoid becoming another in a long... Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:09:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1846346-israeli-political-star-sets-lofty-expectations.html 2013-01-25T21:09:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1842634-palestinian-leader-reaches-to-israel-centrists.html RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The Palestinian president wants to meet with newly elected Israeli parliament members to lay out his views on peace, hoping a political surge of centrists will provide an opening to resume long-stalled negotiations on a Palestinian state, a senior aide said Thursday. President Mahmoud Abbas' main target appears to be Yair Lapid,... Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:40:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1842634-palestinian-leader-reaches-to-israel-centrists.html 2013-01-24T19:40:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1840310-key-parties-incoming-israeli-parliament.html Israel's parliamentary election left the two main blocs nearly deadlocked with 61 seats on the right and 59 seats in the center-left, based on complete official vote counts. HARD-LINE AND RELIGIOUS BLOC —Likud-Yisrael Beitenu (31 seats): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud teamed up with Yisrael Beitenu for the election. Likud is known for oppositio... Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:53:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1840310-key-parties-incoming-israeli-parliament.html 2013-01-24T18:53:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1841332-rise-israeli-centrist-raises-hopes-peace.html JERUSALEM (AP) — The unexpectedly strong showing by a new centrist party in Israel's parliamentary election has raised hopes of a revival of peace talks with Palestinians that have languished for four years under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Political newcomer Yair Lapid, the surprise kingmaker, is already being courted by a weakened Netanyahu, who ... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:14:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1841332-rise-israeli-centrist-raises-hopes-peace.html 2013-01-23T20:14:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1839678-israeli-election-casts-ex-tv-anchor-kingmaker.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's election has put a suave former TV news anchor and political novice in the role of kingmaker, and he has signaled he will use his power to try to move the next government to more centrist positions on Mideast peacemaking. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to form the coalition as the head of the largest party, but that ... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:10:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1839678-israeli-election-casts-ex-tv-anchor-kingmaker.html 2013-01-23T19:10:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1840272-palestinian-surprise-skepticism-israel-vote.html RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian officials said Wednesday they were pleasantly surprised by the unexpected surge of moderate parties in Israel's election, but doubt it's enough to change the prime minister's hard-line policies. Negotiations on a Palestinian state have been frozen under Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejects Palestinian demands for halting ... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:48:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1840272-palestinian-surprise-skepticism-israel-vote.html 2013-01-23T15:48:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1839602-israeli-pm-netanyahu-scrambles-to-job.html JERUSALEM (AP) — A weakened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambled Wednesday to keep his job by extending his hand to a new centrist party that advocates a more earnest push on peacemaking with the Palestinians and whose surprisingly strong showing broadsided him with a stunning election deadlock. The results defied forecasts that Israel's next gover... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:22:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1839602-israeli-pm-netanyahu-scrambles-to-job.html 2013-01-23T14:22:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1836758-netanyahu-narrowly-wins-israeli-election.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hard-line allies fared far worse than expected in a parliamentary election Tuesday, likely forcing him to reach across the aisle to court a popular political newcomer to cobble together a new coalition. While Netanyahu appeared positioned to serve a third term as prime minister, the results marked... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:46:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1836758-netanyahu-narrowly-wins-israeli-election.html 2013-01-23T03:46:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1835398-key-parties-israeli-elections.html Summary of the main political parties competing in Israel's parliamentary elections. Exit polls show a small majority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hawkish allies. Final results expected early Wednesday. —Likud: Led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Likud holds tough positions in stalled talks with the Palestinians and advoca... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:31:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1835398-key-parties-israeli-elections.html 2013-01-23T01:31:00Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/1839034-weakened-netanyahu-to-remain-israeli-leader.html JERUSALEM (AP) — Key questions following Israel's parliamentary election: —WHO WON? Exit polls indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to retain his job, but he emerged politically weakened. His hard-line Likud-Yisrael Beitenu electoral bloc dropped from 42 to 31 seats, but remains the largest faction in the 120-member parliament. Togeth... Wed, 23 Jan 2013 01:26:00 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/1839034-weakened-netanyahu-to-remain-israeli-leader.html 2013-01-23T01:26:00Z