Shabbat Shalom from Voice of Israel

This week, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began to finalize deals with his coalition partners -- and disgruntled members of his own Likud party, who are feeling short-changed -- news of another massive earthquake in Nepal hit Israelis hard. Another bombshell was the announcement of the Vatican's official recognition of the 'State of Palestine," as acts of vehicular terrorism and other forms of Palestinian violence were taking place, and as many Israeli Arabs geared up to join the Palestinians in marking "Nakba Day," to mourn Israel's establishment in 1948. Still, this did not put a damper on Israeli preparations for Jerusalem Day, which kicks off Saturday night, a joyous celebration of the reunification of the Holy City in 1967. What threatened to mar the happy occasion somewhat was Thursday night's swearing-in of the new government, postponed due to infighting and resentment, and characterized by high drama. We at Voice of Israel will continue to keep you abreast of these developments as they unfold. The following highlight, from former MK Dov Lipman's show, raises the question of whether such a narrow coalition will be able to govern.

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