Parliament can reconvene in September or October if daily COVID-19 cases fall below 2000: PM Muhyiddin - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's parliament, which has not met since the state of emergency was declared in January, can reconvene during the third phase of the national recovery plan, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday (Jun 15).  

This is likely to happen in September or October this year, he added. 

"I wish to give my commitment that the parliament meeting can be held in this phase, around September or October, with tight standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place," he said when unveiling the plan in a televised address. 

Mr Muhyiddin said this had been his stance since early on that Malaysia's system of parliamentary democracy could function again at the appropriate time when COVID-19 cases were under control and the country nearly reached herd immunity. 

"I will continue to support the principles of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. 

"Don't let there be any parties who purposely create unrest and disorder among the people to the extent of hindering the government's main task to handle the pandemic," Mr Muhyiddin said. 

The national recovery plan is a four-phase COVID-19 exit strategy beginning with the current total lockdown. Daily COVID-19 cases, intensive care unit occupancy and vaccination rate are the three indicators for the country to transition from one phase to another. 

To enter phase three, daily cases have to fall below 2,000, the public healthcare capacity is at a comfortable level with enough ICU beds, and 40 per cent of Malaysia's population has received both vaccine doses, Mr Muhyiddin said. 

"The earliest these thresholds can be reached is by the end of August 2021," he said.

As the country moves into each different phase, Mr Muhyiddin said additional economic activities would be allowed to resume, barring those with a high risk of spreading COVID-19 or involved crowds. 

For instance, education and certain sports activities could begin to reopen gradually during the plan's third phase. 

READ: IN FOCUS - How Johor’s residential property market has been hit hard by COVID-19

Currently, Malaysia is in the midst of a total lockdown known as movement control order 3.0, which has been extended until Jun 28. 

A total of 5,419 new cases were recorded on Tuesday, bringing the national tally to 667,876. The country could transition to the second phase when daily average cases fall below 4,000, the prime minister said. 

The fourth and final phase is expected to be implemented by the end of October at the earliest when daily cases fall below 500 and 60 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, Mr Muhyiddin added. 

"(The fourth phase) is when we can return to normal daily life as much as possible. All economic sectors will open, more social activities will be permitted, interstate travel will be allowed and domestic tourism will also reopen with strict SOPs," he said. 

Mr Muhyiddin stressed that the national recovery plan is dynamic and the government would decide to move into the next phase when the three thresholds are achieved. 

In January, Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had proclaimed a state of emergency in Malaysia to help curb COVID-19’s spread. It is set to end on Aug 1 or earlier depending on the state of the pandemic.

With the state of emergency in place, both parliament and state legislature sittings, as well as elections, are suspended while economic activities are allowed to continue. 

Since last week, the king has held a series of audiences with 18 key political leaders, including opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, for discussions on Malaysia’s current state of emergency and COVID-19 efforts. 

Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah (right) grants an audience to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Jun 9, 2021. (Photo: Facebook/Istana Negara) 

In a statement on Tuesday, the palace said their views would be presented in the special Malay rulers' meeting at 2.30pm on Wednesday. 

RM1 BILLION DAILY LOSS DURING TOTAL LOCKDOWN 

Since the pandemic, the Malaysian government has rolled out stimulus packages worth RM380 billion (US$92 billion) in total. 

In his Tuesday address, Mr Muhyiddin noted that the country suffered an economic loss of RM1 billion daily during the current lockdown. 

"We cannot carry on like this. For health and the continuation of all our lives, we need to get out of this crisis quickly," he said. 

The prime minister urged those yet to register for their vaccine to do so through the MySejahtera application. 

"Until now, the total number of registrations are at 13.8 million. Our target is to ensure at least 26 million of Malaysia's population are vaccinated by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity," he said. 

He added that 1.4 people are fully vaccinated so far, while 3.2 million people have received their first dose. 

READ: UMNO wants state of emergency to end as scheduled, parliament to sit, Ahmad Zahid informs king 

The prime minister said he hoped the national recovery plan could guide the country towards reclaiming the "much treasured freedoms" while doing all it could to protect the lives and livelihoods of Malaysians.

"I am cautiously optimistic that with proper planning, execution and support from all Malaysians, we can emerge victorious and stronger from this crisis," he said. 

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram 

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2021-06-15 11:15:26Z
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Parliament can reconvene in September or October if daily COVID-19 cases fall below 2000: PM Muhyiddin - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's parliament, which has not met since the state of emergency was declared in January, can reconvene during the third phase of the national recovery plan, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Tuesday (Jun 15).  

This is likely to happen in September or October this year, he added. 

"I wish to give my commitment that the parliament meeting can be held in this phase, around September or October, with tight standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place," he said when unveiling the plan in a televised address. 

Mr Muhyiddin said this had been his stance since early on that Malaysia's system of parliamentary democracy could function again at the appropriate time when COVID-19 cases were under control and the country nearly reached herd immunity. 

"I will continue to support the principles of parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. 

"Don't let there be any parties who purposely create unrest and disorder among the people to the extent of hindering the government's main task to handle the pandemic," Mr Muhyiddin said. 

The national recovery plan is a four-phase COVID-19 exit strategy beginning with the current total lockdown. Daily COVID-19 cases, intensive care unit occupancy and vaccination rate are the three indicators for the country to transition from one phase to another. 

To enter phase three, daily cases have to fall below 2,000, the public healthcare capacity is at a comfortable level with enough ICU beds, and 40 per cent of Malaysia's population has received both vaccine doses, Mr Muhyiddin said. 

"The earliest these thresholds can be reached is by the end of August 2021," he said.

As the country moves into each different phase, Mr Muhyiddin said additional economic activities would be allowed to resume, barring those with a high risk of spreading COVID-19 or involved crowds. 

For instance, education and certain sports activities could begin to reopen gradually during the plan's third phase. 

READ: IN FOCUS - How Johor’s residential property market has been hit hard by COVID-19

Currently, Malaysia is in the midst of a total lockdown known as movement control order 3.0, which has been extended until Jun 28. 

A total of 5,419 new cases were recorded on Tuesday, bringing the national tally to 667,876. The country could transition to the second phase when daily average cases fall below 4,000, the prime minister said. 

The fourth and final phase is expected to be implemented by the end of October at the earliest when daily cases fall below 500 and 60 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, Mr Muhyiddin added. 

"(The fourth phase) is when we can return to normal daily life as much as possible. All economic sectors will open, more social activities will be permitted, interstate travel will be allowed and domestic tourism will also reopen with strict SOPs," he said. 

Mr Muhyiddin stressed that the national recovery plan is dynamic and the government would decide to move into the next phase when the three thresholds are achieved. 

In January, Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had proclaimed a state of emergency in Malaysia to help curb COVID-19’s spread. It is set to end on Aug 1 or earlier depending on the state of the pandemic.

With the state of emergency in place, both parliament and state legislature sittings, as well as elections, are suspended while economic activities are allowed to continue. 

Since last week, the king has held a series of audiences with 18 key political leaders, including opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, for discussions on Malaysia’s current state of emergency and COVID-19 efforts. 

Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah (right) grants an audience to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Jun 9, 2021. (Photo: Facebook/Istana Negara) 

In a statement on Tuesday, the palace said their views would be presented in the special Malay rulers' meeting at 2.30pm on Wednesday. 

RM1 BILLION DAILY LOSS DURING TOTAL LOCKDOWN 

Since the pandemic, the Malaysian government has rolled out stimulus packages worth RM380 billion (US$92 billion) in total. 

In his Tuesday address, Mr Muhyiddin noted that the country suffered an economic loss of RM1 billion daily during the current lockdown. 

"We cannot carry on like this. For health and the continuation of all our lives, we need to get out of this crisis quickly," he said. 

The prime minister urged those yet to register for their vaccine to do so through the MySejahtera application. 

"Until now, the total number of registrations are at 13.8 million. Our target is to ensure at least 26 million of Malaysia's population are vaccinated by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity," he said. 

He added that 1.4 people are fully vaccinated so far, while 3.2 million people have received their first dose. 

READ: UMNO wants state of emergency to end as scheduled, parliament to sit, Ahmad Zahid informs king 

The prime minister said he hoped the national recovery plan could guide the country towards reclaiming the "much treasured freedoms" while doing all it could to protect the lives and livelihoods of Malaysians.

"I am cautiously optimistic that with proper planning, execution and support from all Malaysians, we can emerge victorious and stronger from this crisis," he said. 

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram 

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2021-06-15 10:17:51Z
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Suspected Australian child sex offender arrested in Thailand after 6 months on the run - CNA

BANGKOK: An Australian national accused of sexually assaulting Myanmar children in Thailand was arrested in the border province of Tak after six months on the run, according to the Tak Immigration Office.

On Jun 2, Thai authorities managed to track down and arrest an Australian man identified as Adam James Fox in the remote town of Mae Sot near Myanmar.

The operation was launched after an arrest warrant was issued by the Mae Sot Provincial Court when he failed to attend a court hearing in December last year. He was earlier charged with child sex and immigration offences and was granted a provisional release on bail by the Court of Appeal.

“(Fox) was supposed to appear in court but he did not show up. As a result, the court issued an arrest warrant so he could be brought in,” Pol Lt Col Suchart Penphu, deputy superintendent of the Tak Immigration Office, told CNA. 

“The warrant was issued on Dec 1 and the court marshal had since been following the case until Jun 2, when he was found to be residing at a new house,” he said, adding that crystal methamphetamine was also found at his house during his arrest.

READ: Thai child modelling agent arrested for child sexual abuse and pornography; more than 500,000 images uncovered

According to the authorities, police confiscated a number of mobile phones and computer devices from Fox. They also obtained an Australian passport, which belongs to him but under the name of Guy Christopher Weymouth.

The Australian was initially arrested in Mae Sot in March last year for allegedly sexually assaulting children aged 15 or younger. 

At that time, authorities found two Myanmar boys at his residence and five other minors in an apartment he rented for them.

Besides the alleged sexual offence, Fox was also charged with entering and staying in Thailand without permission.

IN CUSTODY AWAITING TRIAL 

Prior to his arrest in 2020, Fox had allegedly developed close relationships with Myanmar children aged between 12 and 15 in Mae Sot, a private investigator from New Zealand who assisted Thai authorities with the case told CNA.

“Two or three of these children went to a local school in Mae Sot and the headmaster of the school noticed that these boys had been missing for about a month. 

“He became concerned about where they were and did some inquiries about what was happening to them,” the investigator, who requested anonymity, said. He is an investigator working with a non-governmental anti-human trafficking group.

The matter was referred to the provincial Social Development and Human Security Office, which proceeded to conduct interviews and enquiries before engaging law enforcement officers, the investigator added, citing alleged serious sexual violations that led to his arrest.

READ: Commentary - Why we need to teach pre-schoolers protective skills to stop child sexual abuse

“(Fox) gave them money to go to school and provided them with food and accommodation because their parents were poor,” said Pol Lt Col Teerawat Moopayak from the Mae Sot police station, who handled his child sex offence case at that time.

“They didn’t think he had done anything wrong,” he added.

According to Pol Lt Col Suchart from the Tak Immigration Office, Fox is currently in custody awaiting trial.

“Once the case is final – whether he’d be acquitted, prosecuted or imprisoned – and he is released from jail, the Mae Sot police will be informed and he will be transferred to the Immigration Office,” he explained.

"Since his right to stay is no longer valid because it has already expired, we will need to push him back to Australia."

According to Pol Lt Col Suchart, Fox could be blacklisted and banned from re-entering Thailand if found guilty of child sexual assault or a drug-related offence.

In Thailand, convicted sexual offenders face serious punishment. A sexual assault against children aged 15 or younger – with or without their consent – is punishable by up to 20 years in jail and a fine of 100,000 baht to 400,000 baht (US$3,200 to US$12,900).

However, if such offence was committed against a child aged 13 or younger, the offender could face life imprisonment.

The criminal code also stipulates the sentence can increase by one-third if the assault was recorded for exploitation, or by half if the recorded material was shared with others.

Currently, the provincial police are working closely with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to find out if Fox is linked to any of the agency’s active cases.

Mr Khemachart Prakyhongmanee, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau at the DSI, told CNA that more children have become vulnerable to paedophiles who leverage the power of the Internet.

Many children have to study online as a result of the pandemic and their increased use of the Internet could easily expose them to online sexual predators, he said. 

“In the past, grooming partly took place in person and online. But at present, it has gone online and allowed more direct access to children as they currently use computers more often and have more devices provided by their parents. So, children who didn’t have these devices before now do,” he added. 

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Beijing accuses NATO of exaggerating 'China threat theory' - CNA

BEIJING: Beijing on Tuesday (Jun 15) accused NATO of exaggerating the threat from China and "creating confrontation", after a vow from the Western allies to work together to counter the "systemic challenges" posed by its policies.

NATO leaders made the commitment on Monday, as US President Joe Biden renewed Washington's transatlantic ties at his first summit with the allies.

In a broad statement of intent, the leaders said China's increasingly assertive actions in building a nuclear arsenal and space and cyber warfare capabilities threatened the international order.

In an angry response, a statement from the Chinese mission to the European Union called for NATO to "view China's development rationally, stop exaggerating various forms of 'China threat theory' and not to use China's legitimate interests and legal rights as excuses for manipulating group politics (while) artificially creating confrontations".

It added that NATO's accusations were a "slander of China's peaceful development, a misjudgement of the international situation and its own role, and it is the continuation of a Cold War mentality and the group's political psychology at work".

READ: Biden rallies NATO against 'systemic' China threat

Military tensions have increased over the past year between China and rival powers including the United States and India, with flashpoints like the Himalayan border, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

China's military budget - the second largest in the world after the US, though still less than a third of Washington's - is set to increase by 6.8 per cent in 2021, the finance ministry announced in March.

Beijing has also poured billions into its space programme in a bid to make up ground on pioneers Russia and the United States.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the allies would seek to cooperate with China on global issues like climate change - but decried Beijing's increasingly assertive stance on other issues.

G7 CRITICISM

The exchange came a day after the Chinese embassy in Britain hit back at the G7 for "political manipulation" after the group criticised China's human rights record.

In a communique after a three-day summit in England, G7 leaders slammed China over abuses against pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong and minorities in the Xinjiang region.

Human rights groups say China has rounded up an estimated one million Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang into internment camps, which Beijing says is to eradicate Islamic extremism.

Biden called for China to "start acting more responsibly in terms of international norms on human rights".

As well as human rights, tensions have soared between Washington and Beijing on a number of fronts in recent years, including trade, technology and the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: China slams G7 'manipulation' after Xinjiang, Hong Kong criticism

'CRITICALLY IMPORTANT' ALLIANCE

In the summit communique, NATO leaders also warned Russia's President Vladimir Putin, whom Biden will meet on Wednesday in Geneva, that his country's military build-up and provocative behaviour on NATO's eastern frontier "contribute to instability along NATO borders and beyond".

When he arrived at the NATO headquarters in Brussels for a summit with his 29 counterparts, Biden stressed that the alliance was "critically important" to US security.

"I think that there is a growing recognition over the last couple of years that we have new challenges," Biden told Stoltenberg at bilateral talks just ahead of the main summit.

"We have Russia that is not acting in a way that is consistent with what we had hoped, as well as China," he said.

"I want to make it clear: NATO is critically important for US interests in and of itself. If there weren't one, we'd have to invent it," he said.

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2021-06-15 05:51:36Z
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India's second COVID-19 wave sparks selfless acts, but the battle is far from over - CNA

MUMBAI: People feared they would die if they stepped out of their homes. In the streets, people were weeping beside the dead. Oxygen and hospital beds were in dire shortage.

As new cases in India exceeded 400,000 and deaths exceeded 4,000 on some days last month, even the rich and connected were not spared from the devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the virus did not kill the spirit of generosity.

In Mumbai, kidney dialysis patient Rozy Saldhana and her husband had basic medical facilities including an oxygen cylinder set up at home for emergencies. Despite her kidney failure, the 52-year-old did not hesitate to give the cylinder to someone else who needed it.

Her husband, Pascol, had received a call from his friend, a school principal. The husband of a teacher needed oxygen but could not get hold of a cylinder.

WATCH: In India, dialysis patient saves dying COVID-19 victims (3:22)

When Saldhana — who has been on dialysis for five years — heard about it, she told her husband to give their cylinder to the man. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fit enough,” her husband recollected her saying.

She did not stop there. She told her husband to sell all her jewellery and buy oxygen to help more people. He received 80,000 rupees (S$1,450) from the sale and did as his wife had asked.

Over in Delhi, a Sikh voluntary organisation called Khalsa Help International has set up makeshift hospital facilities in several locations to treat patients. Its free oxygen support service has saved thousands of lives since late April.

Its founder, Gurpreet Singh Rummy, said the group has not refused anyone. It has served more than 15,000 people, of whom around 8,000 to 10,000 had arrived in a critical state and would have died without oxygen support, he said.

Khalsa Help International’s oxygen support service has saved many lives.

“Whether you’re coming in a rickshaw or a Mercedes-Benz, we treat all equally. Our only priority is the level of oxygen,” he told the programme Insight.

We don’t discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, creed or if one is rich or poor. Our service is for everyone.

While getting supplies is not easy, he told Reuters that the organisation’s volunteers “travel hundreds of kilometres” to fetch oxygen, and “you can’t expect such zeal from most government bodies”.

THE PATH TO CATASTROPHE

Healthcare experts said a highly transmissible strain, complacency and large gatherings were among the reasons behind the second wave.

Last year, India was quick to impose a lockdown from late March. While it caused suffering to migrant workers within the country, it helped contain case numbers, noted Rajesh Parikh, the director of medical research at Jaslok Hospital, one of Mumbai’s top hospitals.

Dr Rajesh Parikh.

But India failed to take advantage of the respite to ramp up facilities and oxygen production, he said.

From October, most safety protocols had been abandoned, and millions of people travelled between states. Large gatherings in the form of Diwali celebrations and weddings made a comeback.

“One of the confounding factors in the second wave has been large gatherings, whether it’s for the Kumbha Mela, a religious gathering, or the political rallies which occurred throughout West Bengal,” said Parikh. These “undoubtedly” amplified the second wave.

Political rallies amplified India's COVID-19 resurgence.

The authorities also incorrectly estimated that India’s population had “possibly acquired herd immunity”, cited K Srinath Reddy, the president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

Antibody surveys were done in a “patchy” and “piecemeal” fashion across the country, with “markedly varying results”, noted the professor. The best results showed widespread detection of antibodies, hence the belief that “most of India” had herd immunity.

“The public wanted to believe it. The businessmen wanted to believe it because they wanted to put the economy back on the rails. The small traders wanted to believe it because they’d suffered a lot,” said the cardiologist and epidemiologist.

“The politicians wanted to believe it because they wanted to go back to election rallies … Even people who wanted to organise religious festivals wanted to believe that good news, because that’s their business as well.”

WATCH: The full episode — India’s COVID catastrophe: What went wrong? (48:05)

Meanwhile, a new viral strain — called the Delta variant, or B.1.617 previously — emerged and spread more quickly than doctors expected.

“We’ve seen that (if) even one person in the family is infected, the entire household comes down with the infection in the next 10 or 12 days,” said Mumbai-based infectious diseases expert Trupti Gilada-Baheti.

VACCINATION A MATTER OF URGENCY

The outcome is immeasurable grief across India. Pune resident Arun Gaikwad, a 47-year-old Indian Air Force officer, lost his wife and half her family in the span of 15 days in March and April.

They had held prayers for his late father-in-law, and one of his brothers-in-law had a cold. In the following days, nearly everyone who had gathered, including Gaikwad’s teenage daughter and son, tested positive for COVID-19.

Arun Gaikwad (left) lost his wife and half her family.

When his wife developed breathing difficulties, he rushed to several hospitals before locating one 40 kilometres away with a ventilator bed available. Two days after she was admitted, she died of cardiac arrest. Two brothers-in-law and his mother-in-law also died.

New cases have declined since last month after lockdowns were imposed. But to prevent a resurgence, doctors say the country must urgently vaccinate its people.

In a population of over 1.3 billion people, over 240 million doses of vaccine have been administered so far.

India must ensure that there are enough vaccines and ramp up its vaccination drive in both cities and villages, said Gilada-Baheti, who works at the Unison Medicare and Research Centre.

Healthcare experts say India must step up its vaccination drive.

“To keep ourselves from a very disastrous third wave, we’ll have to vaccinate a substantial number of a population at phenomenal speed,” said the doctor, who is also a consultant at Prince Aly Khan Hospital and at Masina Hospital.

Effective control measures would also ease the mental strain on healthcare professionals. “Every day in the ward or the ICU is like a battle,” said Gilada-Baheti. “Every day we see victories, and we see losses … It’s heartbreaking.”

Watch this episode of Insight here. The programme airs on Thursdays at 9pm.

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2021-06-14 22:15:17Z
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China accuses G7 leaders of ‘small circle’ power politics after rebuke - South China Morning Post

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1. China accuses G7 leaders of ‘small circle’ power politics after rebuke  South China Morning Post
2. China slams G7 'manipulation' after Xinjiang, Hong Kong criticism  CNA
3. Imperfect competition between US and China: Statesman, Asia News & Top Stories  The Straits Times
4. China is quite right – the G7 cannot dictate to the rest of the world | Hamish McRae  The Independent
5. G7’s ‘unprecedented’ united front piles pressure on China, analysts say  South China Morning Post
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-06-14 10:10:23Z
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Israel's new government begins, Netanyahu era ends - CNA

JERUSALEM: The first Israeli government in 12 years not led by Benjamin Netanyahu got down to business on Monday (Jun 14), with the former prime minister shying away from a handover ceremony with successor Naftali Bennett.

The right-wing leader's record run in office ended on Sunday with parliament approving, by a razor-thin majority of 60-59, a new administration led by Bennett, a nationalist whose views mirror Netanyahu's on many issues.

In Tel Aviv, thousands turned out to welcome the result, after four inconclusive elections in two years.

"I am here celebrating the end of an era in Israel," said Erez Biezuner in Rabin Square.

"We want them to succeed and to unite us again," he added, as flag-waving supporters of the new government sang and danced around him.

A combative Netanyahu, 71, said that he would be back sooner than expected.

"If we are destined to go into the opposition, we will do so with our heads held high until we can topple it," he told parliament before Bennett was sworn in.

READ: Israel swears in new coalition, ending Netanyahu's long rule

READ: Who is Naftali Bennett, Israel's incoming PM?

The traditional handover ceremony was not scheduled at the prime minister's office, where Netanyahu was expected to meet Bennett later on Monday to brief him on state matters.

The last time Netanyahu was unseated as Israel's leader, in 1999, he ended his first term in office with a glass of wine in his hand and affable words of welcome to then Labor Party leader Ehud Barak, who defeated him at the polls.

"Sour, grumpy, not stately – Trump-like until the final moment," Yossi Verter, a political affairs commentator, wrote in the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper.

Asked why there would be no such scene now, Topaz Luk, a senior aide to Netanyahu, told Army Radio: "That's just what happens."

Netanyahu, he said, was "filled with motivation to topple this dangerous government as quickly as possible". Luk declined to disclose Netanyahu's comeback strategy, pointing only to the new administration's slim margin of support in parliament.

Luk said that the incoming government was receiving briefings from Netanyahu's diplomatic and security advisers to ensure an orderly handover.

After holding its first meeting late on Sunday, Bennett's new Cabinet was invited for a traditional group photograph, showcasing incoming governments, at the official residence of President Reuven Rivlin.

UNSEATING NETANYAHU

With little in common other than a desire to unseat Netanyahu, the patchwork coalition of right-wing, centrist, left-wing and Arab parties largely plans to avoid sweeping moves on hot-button issues such as policy towards the Palestinians, and to focus instead on domestic reforms.

Palestinians were unmoved by the change of administration, predicting that Bennett, a former defence chief who advocates annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, would pursue the same right-wing agenda as Netanyahu.

Under the coalition deal, Bennett, a 49-year-old Orthodox Jew and high-tech millionaire, will be replaced as prime minister in 2023 by centrist Yair Lapid, 57, a popular former television host.

READ: Netanyahu departure ends 'one of worst periods' of conflict, says Palestinian PM 

United States President Joe Biden congratulated Bennett and Lapid, saying he looked forward to strengthening the "close and enduring" relationship between the two countries.

Addressing parliament on Sunday, Bennett put Biden on notice that he would follow in Netanyahu's footsteps in opposing any US return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal abrogated by former president Donald Trump.

Netanyahu was Israel's longest-serving leader, and had served consecutive terms as prime minister since 2009.

He used his global stature to resist calls for Palestinian statehood, describing it as a danger to Israel's security. He sought to bypass the Palestinian issue by forging diplomatic deals with regional Arab states, on the back of shared fears of Iran and its nuclear programme.

But he was a divisive figure at home and abroad, weakened by repeated failure to clinch a decisive election victory, and by a corruption trial in which he has denied any wrongdoing.

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2021-06-14 11:42:20Z
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