On Sunday evening, Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was no room for politics amid “a military campaign” in Gaza, as he tried to maintain his disintegrating ruling coalition. But on Monday, his coalition government appeared to be on the brink of implosion.
His right-wing coalition partners had pushed hard for a new operation in Gaza to stop border protests and incendiary devices crossing into Israeli territory, with the defence minister resigning and painting Mr Netanyahu as weak on security. The view in Israel on Monday morning was that Mr Netanyahu's speech on Sunday night, delivered at the same time as the main network broadcasts, was the start of an inevitable election campaign.
But, in a remarkable turn of events, he managed to scare his right-wing rivals enough to prevent them from resigning over last week’s Gaza truce with Hamas, a move that would have brought down his government and heralded early elections that could have removed him from power.
In a press conference on Monday morning, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of the Jewish Home party were expected announce their resignations, following in the footsteps of Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beitenu whose resignation last week triggered the crisis.
Instead, they launched into a withering criticism of the prime minister over his handling of Gaza clashes but stopped short of their threats to resign and leave him without a parliamentary majority, saying they would give Mr Netanyahu another chance to change direction.
An impassioned television address on Sunday and another speech in the Israeli parliament delivered moments before the pair spoke did enough for Mr Netanyahu, Israel’s second-longest serving leader, to survive another day. He had cornered Mr Bennett and Ms Shaked by accusing them of being “irresponsible” in preparing to bring down a right-wing government at a time of security challenges, a position that would have been ill-received by their nationalist base.
Their decision came a week after far-right Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned over the Gaza ceasefire that has brought relative quiet to the shared border following a botched Israeli special forces operation inside the enclave. His exit left Mr Netanyahu clinging to a single seat parliamentary majority. Aiming to limit the influence of Mr Bennett, he refused to give him the defence minister post despite the far-right faction’s demands and took the position for himself.
The far-right, pro-settler minister had demanded the defence brief but Mr Netanyahu will now serve in that capacity for at least several months. Mr Bennett accepted that but called on Mr Netanyahu to be more right-wing in his leadership.
Mr Bennett’s Jewish Home party said that the prime minister was supposed to be a right-wing leader but “acts left”. It said that the Israeli public was “tired of voting right but getting left”. That was set to be the dominant discourse in any election campaign.
According to Einat Wilf, a former member of the Knesset and fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Mr Bennett fears that with the large overlap between their parties’ bases, voters would have prioritised Mr Netanyahu’s survival over strengthening Jewish Home.
Mr Bennett’s about-face now means that Mr Netanyahu appears to have averted early elections. Mr Lieberman tried to bring about the downfall of the prime minister’s government but now he looks most likely to not make it out of the other side of this crisis.
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Read more:
Netanyahu says calling Israeli snap polls now would be ‘irresponsible’
Israel's Netanyahu to hold 'decisive' meeting on coalition
Electoral pressure may push Israel into new Gaza attack, analysts say
Israel's Netanyahu struggles to stave off election pressure
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Some in the Israeli parliament believe early polls are still possible given the coalition’s slim majority.
“The coalition hasn’t been functioning properly for several weeks. We will go to elections even if Bennett and Ayelet Shaked don’t resign,” Roy Folkman, chair of the centrist Kulanu faction, had told Israel’s Army Radio.
Commentators in Israel accused Mr Netanyahu of hypocrisy in trumpeting security over politics while refusing to appoint a new defence chief to oversee the Gaza portfolio. He already serves as Israel’s foreign minister. But he is now expected to appoint a new foreign minister and reshuffle other positions in his cabinet in a bid to shore up his authority.
While Mr Netanyahu’s influence over voters and ministers remains strong on security, other issues could yet cause his downfall.
He remains dogged by corruption allegations. Israel’s attorney general is deliberating over whether to indict him for bribery and breach of trust. If indicted, Mr Netanyahu would be expected to resign, the attorney general has said.
But the man who has served as Israel’s premier for more than a decade remains wildly popular, denies wrongdoing and says he has no intention of leaving. If he survives until the end of next year – whether by winning early elections or those due by next November – he would fulfill his dream of becoming Israel’s longest-serving leader.
Mr Netanyahu's strategy has long been risk averse, according to Ms Wilf.
"He's conservative in the sense that if you really don't need to change anything don't," she says. "He's not eager to make moves, either for peace or for war."
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
AIR
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
The%20Roundup
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The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
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Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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Company%20profile
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The%20Beekeeper
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Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
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Director: Elie Semaan
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