1st poll after election called shows big Likud win * Is Israel set to reelect a corrupt PM? * Flying cars over San Fran? * Xmas in Bethlehem * Trump takes calls for Santa

[Visit timesofisrael.com for 24/7 updates]( The Daily Edition Tuesday, December 25, 2018 [First poll after elections called shows Likud breezing past Gantz to easy win]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Netanyahu’s party maintains massive lead in new survey, way ahead of hypothetical new party led by former IDF chief]( [Ex-minister Gideon Sa’ar confirms he’ll run in Likud party primaries]( By [Michael Bachner]( [Former defense chief Ya’alon announces new political party]( By [TOI staff]( Interview [The case against Netanyahu: Is Israel about to reelect a corrupt prime minister?]( By [David Horovitz]( [Elections in April mean campaigning will coincide with AG’s deliberations on charging the PM for corruption. Top law prof Mordechai Kremnitzer explains how it all might play out]( [Deadline up for arbitration in Sara Netanyahu’s $100,000 fraud case]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Appointment of new Israel Police chief could be delayed until after election]( By [TOI staff]( Analysis [Marissa Newman]( [6 questions that may hold the key to Israel’s upcoming elections]( [Will the attorney general indict Netanyahu? Will a new center-left leader rise? How will Gideon Sa’ar fare in a hostile Likud? And will the next coalition be exactly the same?]( [Ministers okay elections but PM loyalist signals he may delay Knesset vote]( By [Raoul Wootliff]( [Knesset expected to dissolve this week, as April 9 confirmed as election day]( By [TOI staff]( [Coalition lawmakers warily welcome demise of ‘difficult’ government]( By [Michael Bachner and Raoul Wootliff]( Live updates [Polls place Likud firmly in lead over rivals as campaign season begins]( By [TOI staff]( [A hypothetical Yair Lapid-Benny Gantz alliance would fail to erode ruling party’s advantage over rivals, according to a survey]( Analysis [Raphael Ahren]( [Snap elections may put Trump’s peace plan on back-burner until summer]( [White House does not want April 9 poll to become a referendum on its ‘ultimate deal’]( [US signals snap Israeli election could affect peace plan rollout]( By [TOI staff and Agencies]( [Abbas: We want America’s friendship, but it must deal with us justly]( By [TOI staff]( [Trump vows allies will no longer ‘take advantage’ of US military aid]( By [TOI staff and AP]( Wrong number [Trump takes calls from children who want to find Santa Claus]( By [AP]( [Taking part in the North American Aerospace Defense Command festive program, US president asks one child whether he still believes in Father Christmas]( Analysis [Raoul Wootliff]( [Early election timing likely more to do with graft-dodging than draft-dodging]( [Netanyahu apparently decided last week to call the snap poll, just as the State Prosecution was handing his corruption probes over to the attorney general for a final decision]( [Attorney general could announce Netanyahu charges months before vote — reports]( By [TOI staff]( [Attorney general won’t decide on Netanyahu charges before election — reports]( By [TOI staff]( [Husband-and-wife duo sets sights on flying cars over San Francisco next year]( By [Federico Maccioni]( [New Future Transportation (NFT) is developing an electric car prototype with wings that aims to solve congestion and also be affordable at $50,000]( Israel media review [It’s the most wonderful time of the year? 9 things to know for December 25]( By [Joshua Davidovich]( [The timing of new elections, as possible charges are readied, leaves little doubt as to why Netanyahu called a snap poll; it’s unlikely Mandelblit will have a very jolly time]( [Flirting with comeback, former PM Barak concedes he can’t unseat Netanyahu alone]( By [TOI staff]( Top Ops [Yael Shahar]( [A bad neighborhood just got worse]( [The US ground forces in the Mideast were a declaration of intent, maintaining America’s right to have a say in the region; Trump just gave up that right]( [Nechama Goldman Barash]( [The Rabbinate’s 65-year monopoly on marriage and divorce]( [A spousal registry, civil unions for those with no religion — there are ways to get married without the formality of ’getting married’]( [Thousands celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem with waning Christian Palestinians]( By [Adam Rasgon]( [US court orders North Korea to pay $500 million to family of Otto Warmbier]( By [Cnaan Liphshiz]( [Judge awards family of late Jewish student approximately half the $1.05 billion they requested in their punitive damages lawsuit]( [Rouhani says US sanctions won’t bring Iran ‘to its knees’]( By [TOI staff]( [With an eye on the past, a textile artist prints 3D fabrics of the future]( By [Jessica Steinberg]( More Headlines [‘You’re family,’ terror victims’ relatives tell officers who killed terrorist]( By [Michael Bachner]( [Joking aside / Roseanne Barr to speak at Knesset in January]( By [Sam Sokol]( [Offensive rebound / Rapper sorry for ‘Jewish money’ lyrics that snagged LeBron]( By [Alexander Fulbright]( [UMass student asked to remove ‘F*** Nazis’ sign because it’s not inclusive]( By [Sam Sokol]( [Arson ale / Gaza border farmers to make beer from wheat that survived fires]( By [Sam Sokol]( [Poll: Israelis increasingly support non-Orthodox Jewry]( By [Sam Sokol]( [Israel Bar Association chair indicted for allegedly smuggling woman into country]( By [Stuart Winer]( [‘Little old Jewish lady’ feted for telling off anti-Semites on Paris metro]( By [Stuart Winer]( [Madrid rejects motion to boycott Israel]( By [JTA]( [Birthright participants say they were booted for ‘asking about the occupation’]( By [TOI staff]( [Netanyahu blocks IDF officer from speaking at rights group’s event – report]( By [Michael Bachner]( [Never too late / 84-year-old Jewish grandmother finishes her college degree]( By [Sam Sokol]( [Unsubscribe from this List]( © 2018 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL, All Rights Reserved