REUVEN RIVLIN

President Joe Biden sought to assure Israel that he would not tolerate a nuclear Iran as he met with outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the White House.

U.S. forces in Syria came under rocket attack Monday, with no reported casualties, one day after U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes against what the Pentagon called “facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups” near the border between Iraq and Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid have met in Rome as their governments look to turn a page on their relationship.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents announced they have reached a deal to form a new governing coalition, paving the way for the ouster of the longtime Israeli leader.

Isaac Herzog, a veteran politician and the scion of a prominent Israeli family, has been elected president.

Israel’s opposition leader has called for a unity government and vowed to find common ground among the ideologically diverse parties seeking to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dominated Israeli politics for the past 12 years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has missed a midnight deadline for putting together a new coalition government.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in Israel for his first visit as Pentagon chief, and on Sunday he met with his Israeli counterpart.

The March of the Living is saluting medical heroes this year.

Israel’s president has handed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of trying to form a new government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has resumed, with a key witness painting a picture of an image-obsessed Israeli leader forcing a prominent news site to flatter his family and smear his opponents.

“A stable government for the state of Israel, that is what the times require. For supporters, Netanyahu is the man who is uniquely qualified to lead the country through its numerous political, diplomatic and security challenges. "We want to avoid a fifth election, but not at any cost.”Whether Abbas can make history and lead an Arab party into an Israeli coalition remains uncertain. AdThe Israeli election commission was set to begin counting an estimated 450,000 absentee ballots, a higher-than-usual number due to the many people with the coronavirus or in quarantine. And a fifth election, despite the deep opposition voiced across the political spectrum, remains a strong possibility.

But after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Johnson has changed his tune. But after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Johnson has changed his tune. Critics say Johnson took his courting of Trump too far, and got little in return. Like Trump, Johnson has engaged in populist stunts, exaggerated promises and, at times, racist and inflammatory language. Like Trump, Netanyahu frequently rails against the media and belittles opponents with language seen as racist or incendiary.

TEL AVIV – Israel on Sunday began its coronavirus inoculation drive, aiming to vaccinate some 60,000 people a day in a bid to stamp out the illness that is once again surging among its population. He called it an “exciting moment” that would put Israel on the path to returning to its normal routines. Israel has an agreement with Pfizer to secure 8 million doses of the U.S. pharmaceutical company’s vaccine — enough to cover nearly half of Israel’s population since each person requires two doses. Israel reached a separate agreement with Moderna earlier this month to purchase 6 million doses of its vaccine — enough for another 3 million Israelis. Israel has reported more than 368,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks at the White House, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):6:45 p.m.President Donald Trump and the first lady will be spending Thanksgiving at the White House instead of attending the annual dinner at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The Trump administration’s refusal to recognize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory could have long-term consequences for the incoming president’s agenda, particularly in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Obama was able to confirm twice the number of Senate-approved appointments, including national security postings, at the 100-day mark than his predecessor, who had a shorter period to plan to assume the White House. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is asking to meet with president-elect Joe Biden to discuss plans and staff for his incoming administration.

The Israeli government has extended an emergency provision that bars public gatherings, including widespread protests against Netanyahu, for an additional week. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)JERUSALEM – The Israeli government has extended an emergency provision that bars public gatherings, including widespread protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for an additional week. Israel imposed a nationwide lockdown ahead of the Jewish High Holidays last month to rein in the country's surging coronavirus outbreak. The government then declared the state of emergency, limiting all public gatherings to within a kilometer (half a mile) of a person's home. Israel was initially praised for its swift imposition of restrictions in February to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)JERUSALEM – The solemn Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which annually sees Israeli life grind to a halt, begins on Sunday in a nation already under a sweeping coronavirus lockdown. Because of that, lives were lost.”As part of the latest lockdown, Israelis can only pray in open areas close to home, with gatherings limited to 20 people. But he urged people to avoid going into synagogues on Yom Kippur and to pray outdoors. But he says the closure of synagogues during Yom Kippur is still "very painful for most Israelis,” even those who don't attend regularly. "It’s quite dramatic for Israelis, for all types of Israelis, secular and observant.”In Israel, the holiday is also associated with the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Yom Kippur.

From U.S. President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, global decision-makers have frequently set bad examples, whether it's refusing to wear masks or breaking confinement rules aimed at protecting their citizens from COVID-19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said normally she would fire Clark but that the country couldn’t afford massive disruption in its health sector while it was fighting the virus. He and others didn’t wear masks during those meetings, and Putin also didn’t cover his face for events marking Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II. “The prime minister has respected all guidelines,” according to a statement read by a spokesman. And as such the prime minister was with her during her last night."

(CNN) - For the second time this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to form a government, opening the door for his main rival Benny Gantz to do so. In a statement, Gantz signaled he was ready to pick up the mandate and attempt to get a breakthrough. Failing to form a government after six weeks of negotiations, Netanyahu called a second general election, instead of giving Gantz the opportunity to try. It was the first time in Israel's history that a political leader was unable to form a government after an election. Netanyahu was given the first chance to form a government because he had united a bloc of 55 conservative, religious Zionist, and ultra-Orthodox seats behind him.

Gantz's Blue and White Party have 33 seats to Likud's 31 in the latest standings from Tuesday's do-over election, according to Israel's Central Elections Committee. With 120 seats in the Parliament, both Gantz and Netanyahu need to build a coalition to succeed, giving small parties a vital say in the shape of the next government. If those talks also end in failure, the prospect of yet another general election -- which the Times of Israel has labeled a "nightmare third election scenario" -- could become a reality. Warning of that possibility on Thursday, Rivlin said he "will do everything I can to prevent another general election." Netanyahu could also face the possibility of fighting a third general election after being indicted on those charges -- providing added urgency to this attempt to forge a path to power.

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's grip on power was hanging in the balance Wednesday after local TV channels projected him neck-and-neck with centrist rival Benny Gantz, following a re-run general election. But throughout the night, exit poll projections gave neither man a majority in the country's second election in five months, triggered by Netanyahu's failure to form a governing coalition earlier this year. The rivals are now locked in limbo, though former military chief Gantz struck a more optimistic tone, telling his Blue and White Party supporters it appeared Israel's longest-serving leader had been defeated. Netanyahu meanwhile, was hoarse as he addressed his Likud Party supporters, neither claiming victory nor conceding defeat. Either party will have to secure the support of smaller parties to form a coalition in the 120-seat Parliament.