2020 continues to be a dramatic year for Israeli politics as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly decided against passing an Israeli state budget by the late-August deadline. This is because the coronavirus could thwart the two-year budget stipulated in the coalition deal he signed up to. Instead, Netanyahu wants a budget that covers the rest of 2020. This conflict has the potential to trigger another set of elections in November.

Netanyahu’s Strategy

Haaretz reported on Wednesday that the Prime Minister intends to create chaos in the coalition to increase support for tearing apart the government.

The current coalition is led by Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party. They were sworn in after three inconclusive elections. The coronavirus pandemic caused the Blue and White leader to break his promise not to join Netanyahu’s government due to the latter’s indictment on corruption charges.

An Election is Still Netanyahu’s Preferred Option

Another reason why the Prime Minister has allegedly decided to seek another set of elections is because of the Jerusalem District Court’s ruling last week that witnesses will start testifying in his criminal trial in January. Apparently Netanyahu worries that he will be barred from serving as Prime Minister while he is on trial.

This is an incredibly risky move should Netanyahu choose to pursue it. He has already held three elections in over a year and neither one of them have improved his electoral fortunes. Nonetheless, the Prime Minister insists that this is still his preferred option and that he has no intention of breaking his rotation agreement that would allow Gantz to become Prime Minister in November 2021.

He may live to regret those words as Israel struggles to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Opinion polls conducted by The Times of Israel at the end of June found that if the Prime Minister held fresh elections, he would win two more seats, which would take his final total to 38. Netanyahu currently has 36 seats in the Knesset. Meanwhile, the Blue and White Party would collapse to 9 seats. However, these polls were conducted before Israel witnessed an increase in coronavirus cases.

The Coronavirus Has Sparked Anti-Netanyahu Protests

433 Israelis have died of COVID-19 and 23,560 others have recovered from it, but there are still 56,748 confirmed cases. Although Israel has experienced a small number of deaths compared to other nations, Netanyahu’s handling of the virus has sparked protests throughout Israel.

Last Saturday, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem and at a park in Tel Aviv, voicing frustration over the government’s response to a pandemic that has devastated Israel’s economy.

Netanyahu’s government has also been torn between reopening the economy and extending the lockdown. The Prime Minister said that he reopened the economy too soon through late April and early May following the news that Israel experienced 1,000 new coronavirus infections a day in recent weeks, which triggered a broad range of restrictions. Markets, shops and other public venues have closed on weekends, while restaurants have been restricted to take away and delivery.

Israel Cannot Afford to Remain in Lockdown

Netanyahu announced plans to send cash to all Israelis in a bid to quell public anger over the economic effects of the lockdown, but many experts said Israel needs more targeted assistance.

The Israeli Government cannot afford to remain in lockdown forever. The same polls the Times of Israel conducted in June found that 58 percent of people disapproved of Netanyahu’s performance on the economic aspects of COVID-19. With unemployment already a problem in Israel, the Finance Ministry predicts that the economy could contract by 5.9 to 7.2 percent this year and it forecasts budget deficits of 13 to 14.2 percent of GDP. This is an awful time to hold an election.

If the polls are correct, Netanyahu would be able to remove Gantz from his coalition and collaborate with other right-wing parties. But polls are unreliable and an election could be an opportunity for voters to express their dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s handling of the coronavirus in general. He should proceed with caution.

L'articolo Why a November Election is a Risk to Netanyahu proviene da InsideOver.

The end of the political deadlock that has crippled Israel for almost one and a half years seems to be in sight after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has managed to form a government.

Past Inability to Form an Israeli Government

The events leading to the formation of the government began soon after the election early this year. Both the Likud and the Blue and White had failed to secure enough seats in the Knesset, therefore making the formation of the government impossible.

Although Benny Gantz’s Blue and White — backed by other leftist parties — had gained a slight majority in the Knesset, divisions among them made it impossible for them to form a government. The participation of the Arab Joint List alliance in any government that was to be formed was particularly resented by other members of the pro-Gantz bloc.

This was because of its sympathy and support for the plight of the Palestinians. In fact Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu had vowed not to participate in any government that would involve the Joint List.

Gantz’s Chance

Owing to the support he had from various political parties, Gantz was given the first chance to form a government within 28 days. But this proved to be mission impossible after two members of his own Blue and White party insisted that they would vote against a government propped up by the Joint List. He, therefore had no other option but to return the mandate to the president.

With no end in sight for the deadlock, there were growing calls for both Netanyahu and Gantz to compromise their political ambitions in order to avoid a fourth election which would require millions of dollars. Furthermore, the dysfunctional Knesset meant that the government was not able to pass its 2020 financial budget to meet its obligations.

For instance, all ministries were only allocated a twelfth of what they had received the previous year per month. This meant long term projects and investment in basic services had to be put on hold .

The lack of annual budget also meant that the government couldn’t address the national budget deficit which had risen drastically to $3.9 billion in 2019, causing a reduction of 1.7% in the amount allocated to ministries in the final quarter of that year.

The fluid political situation was further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic that was sweeping across Israel. Without a substantive government and key Knesset committees in place, many feared that the raging pandemic posed an even more significant threat to the Israeli public.

Netanyahu’s Reaction to COVID-19

Netanyahu as interim prime minister had reacted to the health crisis by introducing various measures to control the spread of the virus. Among them was the closure of the courts which resulted in his trial being postponed.

His appeal for Gantz to join him in the formation of a unity government to deal with the health crisis was strongly rejected by Blue and White and its allies. Most members of the pro-Gantz bloc — including Gantz himself — were maintaining their stand of not serving in the same government with Netanyahu who was facing criminal charges.
Some members had gone as far as drafting a bill to prevent a person facing criminal charges from forming a government.

But as the coronavirus situation became dire so did the calls for a unity government intensify. The proposal Netanyahu was making to Gantz involved him staying in power for two years as prime minister after which he would step down. The pro Gantz alliance, however, dismissed the proposal terming it as a plot by Netanyahu to outmaneuever them.

Gantz’s Surprise Agreement with Netanyahu

After much back and forth, Gantz agreed to form a unity government with Netanyahu catching most of his political allies by surprise. Many accused him of betrayal by agreeing to work with his opponent after vowing not to do so because of the criminal charges the Likud leader was facing.

This led to do the breakup of the Blue and White alliance which had been led by Gantz since February 2019. Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid and Telem factions led Moshe Ya’alon filed a formal to break away from the alliance leaving Gantz’s to form a unity government with Netanyahu.

According to the deal signed between Netanyahu and Gantz, government positions would be shared equally between their respective factions, with the position of prime minister alternating between them.

Netanyahu would start off as prime minister while Gantz as defense minister. After 18 months the two would swap roles with Gantz taking over as prime minister and Netanyahu as cabinet minister. Each of them would use the title “alternate prime minister” when not serving as prime minister

The government would have 32 ministers, 16 from each wing, before rising to 36 in six months. It will definitely be the most bloated cabinet in Israel’s’ history. “This partly to accommodate the demands of multiple divergent parties within the coalition who have little in common,”  according to the Guardian.

During the first six months of the unity government only legislation related to the coronavirus would be brought to the  Knesset. Any other legislation unrelated to the coronavirus would be brought to the Knesset only after consultation between the two wings.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu was to be allowed to continue with the legislation to annex parts of the occupied West Bank as envisaged in Donald Trump’s peace plan.

A New Unity Government Will be Formed

As a result of this deal, on May 7,2020, Israel president formally gave Prime Minister Netanyahu the mandate to form a unity government. Five days later, Netanyahu in a letter to both Gantz and President Rivlin, announced that he had been able to form a government.

The new government was to be sworn in the following day May 14, but this has now been postponed until Sunday as Netanyahu comes under immense pressure from his allies who feel left out from ministerial positions.
Naftali Bennet the leader of Yamina which stood with Netanyahu during the elections accused him of not making an attempt to include the party in the government.

Despite Netanyahu then offered the party the ministries for education and Jerusalem, Bennet insisted that he could only accept the ministries of transportation and health.

With the discontent over cabinet slots heightening, there are reports that Netanyahu has been pushing for the government to start with the 36 ministers instead of 32, to enable him calm the storm among the disgruntled Likud politicians.

“Those who flattered Netanyahu got jobs and those who are professionals and have done their job well have come up empty,” one Likud minister complained.

Whether Netanyahu will be able to calm the storm before Sunday remains to be seen. However considering that he has managed to overcome the political turmoil of the last 18 months, mollifying the disgruntled Likud politicians won’t be a big task for him.

L'articolo Israeli Political Turmoil Nears its End proviene da InsideOver.

Israel’s Blue and White party was formed in the run up to the April 2019 Knesset elections with the aim of defeating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Its formation was necessitated by the need to present a united front in the election by bringing together the centrist parties, primarily Benny Gantz’s Resilience Party, Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid and Moshe Ya’lon’s Telem.

Blue and White’s Core Mission

At its inauguration the alliance described itself as a pluralistic party alliance representing all citizens on the political and religious spectrum of Israeli society. Its name Blue and White is derived from Israel’s national colors, and is colloquially used to portray patriotism.

A manifesto released after Blue and White’s inauguration promised to address “all the essential issues facing the State of Israel and the citizens of Israel … embodying the right of Israeli citizens to live in dignity, security, prosperity and freedom.”

Prior to and after the March 2020 elections Blue and White’s leaders vowed not to serve in the same government as Netanyahu because of the criminal charges facing him. When Netanyahu was indicted Gantz declared, “Netanyahu goes to trial, and we must move forward. Israel’s citizens have a clear choice: a prime minister who will work for them or a prime minister who is preoccupied with himself.”

“No one can run a state and at the same time manage three serious criminal cases for bribery fraud and breach of trust,” Gantz added.

The Pressure to Compromise in the Midst of Electoral Chaos

However, with Israel’s recent third election also ending up in a stalemate, there has been pressure for the leaders to compromise in order to save Israel from another election. Ever since the impasse began in April last year the Israeli government has been unable to carry out key factions as the national parliament — the Knesset — remained dysfunctional.

The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic also compounded the need for a substantive government to tackle the situation. Since Gantz had the support of most political parties, he was entrusted with trying to form a government by president Reuven Rivlin.

However,  any attempts by Gantz to form a minority government were bound to fail for most of parties supporting him resented the participation of the Arab Joint List in any unity government. Gantz himself knew that trying to form a minority government with the support of the Joint List was likely to attract anger among conservatives.

This coupled with the coronavirus emergency, necessitated the need of a unity government that would also involve Netanyahu and his Likud party. But this is was going to be a tough balancing act for the former leader of Israel Defense Forces. He had always promised his supporters not to work with Netanyahu but now the prevailing situation was forcing him to reconsider his stand. To most of his political supporters he would appear as a traitor and a man with no principles

Gantz Denies First Reports of Collaboration to Buy Time

Last week when Netanyahu leaked details about a deal that had been agreed between the Likud and Blue and White, Gantz chose to dismiss it by blaming Netanyahu for dangerous leaks and using threats. It appears that some of his supporters were not aware that the negotiations were at an advanced stage and that Gantz’s denial was only a face-saving tactic.

Most Blue and White members had been strategizing on how to block Netanyahu from participating in a unity government through legislation in the Knesset. To this effect a bill had been brought to parliament to bar anybody facing criminal charges from forming a government. In order to achieve they compelled the pro-Netanyahu Speaker to call for the election for his replacement.

With 61 Knesset members, the pro-Gantz bloc was assured of taking the Speaker’s position and also passing the bill into law. These efforts were being led by Gantz’s running mate in the Blue and White Yair Lapid of the Yesh Taid.

Gantz’s Surprise Move to Become Speaker

But in a surprising twist Gantz submitted his candidature for the position of the speaker, a move that shocked his partners in the Blue and White. Apparently according to sources this was part of the secret agreement between Netanyahu and Gantz as part of the discussion which he had previously denied were taking place.

The initial agreement within the Blue and White was that the speaker should come from the Yesh Atid wing of the alliance. However when the name of Meir Cohen was submitted during negotiations, the Likud rejected it on the grounds that the party was opposed to any government led by Netanyahu.

It was under these circumstances that Gantz found himself as speaker supported by the Likud and his Resilience Party. As speaker he is expected to use his position to continue with negotiations to push legislations that would protect Netanyahu. According to Haaretz he is already in the process of instigating legislation that would allow Netanyahu to serve in government as minister despite his trial.

Indicted Prime Ministers are Barred From Serving

While prime ministers are allowed to continue serving until found guilty, they cannot serve when indicted. Under the new deal that is yet to be finalized, Netanyahu would serve as prime minister while Gantz would serve in the cabinet possibly as deputy prime and Minister of Defense.

After 18 months they would be expected to rotate, with Gantz becoming prime minister and Netanyahu serving as deputy PM and Defense Minister. This is where the challenge lies for Netanyahu who is facing criminal charges and would therefore be barred from serving as deputy prime minister.

It is for this reason that plans to sidestep High Court rulings that bar indicted ministers from serving by redefining the positions of deputy prime minister are at the center of the negotiations. According to Haaretz, Netanyahu and Gantz will promote the legislation in the coming days.

End Result: Bye Bye Blue and White

The result of all these moves is that the Blue and White has now disintegrated. The Yesh Atid and Telem have split away from Gantz’s Isreal Resillience, although Gantz will still technically retain the name Blue and White.

“We formed Blue and White to offer an alternative to the Isreali people. Benny Gntz decided today to break apart Blue and White and crawl into Netanyahu’s government. It’s a disappointing decision,” said Yair Lapid. “What is being formed today isn’t a unity government or an emergency government. It’s another Netanyahu government. Benny Gantz surrendered without a fight and crawled into Netanyahu’s government,” Lapid added.

Moshe Ya’lon the leader of Telem accused Gantz of committing political suicide.

The new government that is expected to be formed by Gantz and Netanyahu is modeled on the unity government between Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir between 1984 and 1988 when the two leaders rotated as prime ministers.

L'articolo Is Israel’s Blue and White Party Finished? proviene da InsideOver.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview this weekend in which he claimed that a deal on a unity government between his Likud party and his rival Benny Gantz’s Blue and White has already been reached and is just waiting to be signed. The deal would provide for a rotational premiership between the leaders of the two main parties over a specified period.

More About the Power-Sharing Deal

The power-sharing arrangement would involve the Likud party starting off with the posts of prime minister, finance minister and Knesset speaker, while Blue and White would start with the positions of deputy prime minister and foreign minister. The two parties would hold the positions for one and a half years after which they would rotate.

In a message directed at Gantz, Netanyahu vowed to stick to the deal saying “I will leave office on the agreed date. There will be no shticks and tricks. Millions of Israelis are waiting for us.”

However the claims of a deal were quickly downplayed d by Gantz who said “those who want to unity do not work with ultimatums and harmful leaks and certainly do not try to hurt our democracy and citizens by paralysing the Knesset.”

Gantz’s Position

From Gantz statement one could deduce two important points: one is that while there is the possibility of a deal the details have been leaked too early by Netanyahu. Secondly is that the issue of who will be the speaker of the Knesset continues to present the biggest hurdle in the talks of a unity government.

Israel’s center-left have been mounting pressure on Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein to organize for the election of a new speaker of the Knesset speaker to allow the formation of the Arrangement Committee . Efforts to replace Edelstein started late last year when the Blue and White accused him of being part of a plot to protect Netanyahu from prosecution through new legislations.

Emboldened with the endorsement  of a number of parties, last week the Blue and White increased pressure on Edelstein to act but he refused. At first Edelstein argued that his refusal was a safety precaution to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in line with social distancing policy, but later on said it was meant to put pressure on Gantz and Netanyahu to compromise.

Gantz: ‘In a Democratic Regime the Legislature Cannot Be Paralyzed’

This prompted the Blue and White to send Edelstein a letter informing him that he had no authority to stop the convening of the Knesset and claiming that his decision was mainly motivated by a personal interest to remain speaker. Adding his voice to the standoff was Gantz who declared, “In a democratic regime, the legislature cannot be paralysed and prevented from expressing the will and the votes of the citizens. Anyone who thinks he can advance us to a borderline dictatorship is mistaken.”

Although  the pro-Gantz legislators are claiming that their goal is to help deal with the current emergency situation caused by the coronavirus, they also have a hidden aim of disqualifying Netanyahu from forming a government because of the charges facing him.

Netanyahu’s Power Bloc: Removing Knesset Speaker Would be a Dealbreaker

A bill that that would prevent anybody facing criminal charges from forming a government has already been submitted by Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beytenu who is now a leading supporter of Gantz. According to the newspaper Ynet Netanyahu’s replacement in any unity government formed would be sought from members of his party serving in the cabinet.

Pro-Netanyahu bloc has warned that a move to remove the speaker would be a red line in the formation of a unity government.

“We seen any attempt to oust the incumbent speaker before a viable government emerges crosses a red line and eliminates the possibility of forming a broad emergency government ”

“These Iranian laws will prevent Prime Minister Netanyahu from serving as prime minister and running for direct ministerial elections , which Lapid scandously plan to hold in in this term already during the crisis,” Likud leaders have said.

Netanyahu Accuses Blue and White Party of Disloyalty and Playing Politics in a Time of National Crisis

Netanyahu himself has decried the plans to oust him saying, “While I am fighting the coronavirus , they Blue and White are trying to topple a prime minister who is steering the ship through a storm.”

But in what is seen as a major victory for the pro-Grantz bloc, the High Court in Jerusalem made a decision this past Sunday wherein they ruled that Knesset speaker Edelstein must organize a parliamentary vote on his replacement by Wednesday.

The Likud legislators have ruled out participating in such a vote accusing the Blue and White party of “dictatorial , destructive conduct.” If they make good their threats and boycott the vote then this will give the pro Gantz faction an opportunity to dominate key committees. With 61 members supporting it, the Blue and White party is already assured of obtaining the speakers position.

Time is Running Out

Gantz has only three weeks remaining to form a government. In recognition of the task that lies ahead of him he recently said, “Since I received the mandate to form a government I have been working — exactly as I promised — to form a wide, stable and statesmanlike government that will know how to deal with the great challenge before us.”

However these efforts are being hampered by the decision of most of his party members and other factions within his blocs not to participate in any government that would involve the Arab Joint List.

L'articolo Political Gamesmanship Heats Up as Israeli Politicians Try to Form a Government proviene da InsideOver.

As Israel’s new political impasse enters its second week after a highly divisive election, a breakthrough seems to be in sight following the endorsement of Benny Gantz by the Arabic Joint List party. The political alliance which is mainly made up of Arab political parties, recommended to President Reuven Rivlin that Gantz be given the mandate to form a government.

Gantz’s Promise

This recommendation resulted in Rivlin officially tasking Gantz with forming a government. While accepting the offer Gantz stated: “I give you my word I will do everything to establish within days, as few as I can, a national government. One that is patriotic and broad as possible.”

The Joint List with its 15 members gives Gantz the much needed boost in forming a government. The Blue and White leader has also received support from former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman of the ultra nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party. In total the pro-Gantz bloc now has a majority of 61 Knesset seats: enough to form a government.

Why is the Joint List Backing Gantz?

However what surprised many was the sudden change of heart by the Joint List politicians to support Gantz despite the deep ideological differences that exist between them. What is clear is that the support is being driven much more by their goal of ousting Benjamin Netanyahu than by any love for Gantz.

The schism between Netanyahu and members of the Joint List stem from the Likud leader’s radical nationalist and religiously hardline policies. Although most leaders of the Joint List are Israelis, they have always been sympathetic to the Palestinian causes apart from fighting for their own rights as Israeli Arabs.

Exacerbating these tensions is Netanyahu’s ongoing incitement of anti-Arab sentiments in his attempts to win right wing support. Last year his official Facebook account was suspended for hate speech over a post that stated that Israel’s Arab politicians “want to destroy us all.”

Joint List’s Past Support for Gantz

It is not the first time the Joint List is endorsing Gantz. Following the September 2019 election the alliance recommended to the president that Gantz should be given the first opportunity to form a government. As Joint List leader Ayman Odeh stated in an op-ed in the New York Times, his party supports Gantz was because “it would create the majority needed to prevent another term for Netanyahu. It should be the end of his political career.”

But despite the 2019 endorsement Gantz refused to give any public comment as the pro-Netanyahu camp heightened its smear campaign against him. Gantz’s real stance on the Joint List has always been murky. This has mainly been influenced by the fear of a backlash from the conservatives who distrust the alliance because of its support for the Palestinians. At the same time for the sake of political expediency and in his attempts to forge political unity he has been very measured in his statements touching on the Joint List.

Gantz: ‘This Incitement Campaign is Inappropriate and Wrong’

Late last year when Netanyahu made a speech in parliament accusing the Joint List members of the Knesset of being terrorists, Gantz stood in opposition to the remarks stating,”I do not accept the incitement that was directed against Knesset members who are his political rivals.” He continued, “In general, I do not accept the incitement that was directed against Arab members of the Knesset who represent a public that is a legitimate part of the State of Israel. This incitement campaign is inappropriate and wrong.”

This moderate stand on the Joint List has often given Netanyahu ammunition to attack Gantz as a terrorist sympathizer. Just after Joint List endorsement in September, Netanyahu issued a statement saying he was seeking to form “a minority government that relies on those who reject Israel as a Jewish state and glorify terrorists who murder our soldiers and civilians.”

Netanyahu’s Angry Denunciation of Gantz: He Supports ‘Arab Politicians Who Want to Destroy Us All’

In fact part of the Facebook post that led to the suspension of Netanyahu’s account rallied his supporters to “prevent the formation of a dangerous left wing government whose Jewish leaders would rely on the support of Arab politicians who want to destroy us all, women, children and men, and enable a nuclear Iran that would wipe us out.”

In the run up to the March 2020 elections because of the concerted efforts by Netanyahu to link him with the Joint List, Gantz declared that he would not accept the support of the group. “I am not afraid to speak to any legitimate political party, but the Joint List will not be part of the government I form,” he said. “My disagreements with its leadership on national and security issues are deep, difficult and unbridgeable.”

By the same token, Joint List leader Ayman Odeh had ruled out supporting Gantz unless he dropped certain elements of Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, such as the transfer of Arab Israeli to a Palestinian state and the imposition of Isreali sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and areas of the West Bank.

The Joint-List and Gantz Agreement

However the two sides seem to have now dropped their har-line stances in their efforts to remove Netanyahu and to avoid a fourth election. The leaders of the two organizations held a meeting during which Gantz stated that he intends to form a government that serves Jews and Arabs, while Odeh tweeted, “We stick to our goal of replacing Netanyahu’s legacy, and it starts by respecting the united voice of the Arab public and our Jewish partners.”

It remains to be seen how the pro-Gantz political parties will work together in a Gantz-led government. Traditionally the Joint List members have always refused to serve in the government since they feel that would be akin to endorsing Israel’s policies on Palestine. On the other hand, Lieberman who has previously also endorsed Netanyahu, has vowed not to serve in a government with the Joint List. Therefore, the most likely scenario would be for the Joint List to support the government from outside.

L'articolo Why is Israel’s Arab Joint List Party Now Supporting Benny Gantz? proviene da InsideOver.

The Covid-19 coronavirus has pushed people apart as they fear transmission of the disease. Entire sports leagues have suspended their games, universities have canceled face-to-face courses, and concert venues have closed their doors. Yet, as most of the world is driven apart by Corvid-19, it has brought together two political sides in Israel.

Israel’s Call For Unity

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called upon his rival, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, to create an emergency unity government. An emergency government would help the Knesset coordinate its efforts to combat the spread of Corvid-19, Netanyahu said.

“It would be an emergency government for a limited time, and we will fight together to save the lives of tens of thousands of citizens,” he said in a press briefing. Netanyahu emphasized the large-scale possibilities of a mass outbreak that could lead to a high number of casualties. Simultaneous to his call for a creation of an emergency government, Netanyahu also announced the closing of most Israeli schools. 

“We are altering our internal routine in order to handle an outside threat, the threat of the virus,” he said. 

Israel’s Unique Situation

While taking precautions that echo those of other states grappling with the coronavirus outbreak, Netanyahu’s position and call for an emergency government is unique for several reasons.

First, Israel has been without clear leadership for a year. In that timespan, Netanyahu has won three elections, but his Likud Party has failed to secure a majority of the parliamentary seats. Consequently, the Knesset has been stuck in a standstill. Furthermore, Netanyahu is facing corruption charges with a court battle set to begin this week. On Tuesday, a court denied his petition to postpone it. The judge wrote that be cause the March 17 court date is a reading only, Netanyahu’s response is unneeded.

Netanyahu’s appearance in court will soon be necessary, however. It will be the first time in Israeli history for a sitting prime minister to stand trial. The very idea of it raised the possibility of Netanyahu ramming through legislation to secure immunity for himself and future premiers. Doing so would require a cooperative Knesset, which he has not had for a year. 

In truth, the idea of a sweeping Likud victory to save Netanyahu’s political career likely drove more voters to turn out for Gantz. Now, the question arises of whether Netanyahu is playing up coronavirus concerns to cast a need for an emergency government in a bid to extend his political life. If he can negotiate a deal with rival factions that keeps him in power, Netanyahu can buy himself time. Would he pass emergency legislation to battle Covid-19? Certainly, but who would put it past Netanyahu to also continue plans to annex the West Bank? Maybe the emergency unity government will work so well that they decide to leave it together after the crisis subsides. 

Does the Unity Government Mean Everyone is Included?

Responding to Netanyahu’s offer of negotiating an emergency unity government, Gantz gave one condition: it must “include representation from all parts of the house,” referencing the Joint List, the predominantly-Arab, third-largest party. 

Netanyahu issued a blanket refusal, telling his opponent that “terror supporters” cannot join the unity government. Until now, the Joint List has also refused to join any Netanyahu-led coalition, so it’s questionable whether it would change its opinion due to the health emergency. Gantz is hardly in a position to negotiate that term in to the agreement, as Anshel Pfeffer opined recently for Haaretz. Does he truly care about including the Joint List or is it a political move designed to make Netanyahu look like the bad guy once again when he refuses to acquiesce?

More than likely it was a simple maneuver of political posturing. On one side you have a premier standing trial for corruption, taking Palestinian land, and refusing to include an Arab party in the emergency government. On the other, you have Gantz, a leader preaching unity and inclusiveness for all Israelis.

Will the Unity Government Happen?

When the emergency unity government folds, if it is even formed, there will most likely be another election. Gantz isn’t going anywhere and his chances will improve as Netanyahu’s trial plays out.

In the meantime, talks of an emergency government, unprecedented in Israeli politics, have yet to begin in earnest. After Netanyahu’s televised remarks, he made a phone call to Gantz to personally introduce the idea. Gantz was agreeable to their negotiating teams meeting, but nothing has come from it yet.

“So far I have not received a serious reply from him,” Gantz said, adding “I am still waiting — because an emergency government is the right thing for the State of Israel at this time.”

L'articolo Netanyahu Calls for Emergency Unity Government in Face of Coronavirus proviene da InsideOver.

On March 3 just after polling closed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters went into a frenzy. Exit polls showed the Likud Party and its allies were just one seat short of the number required to form a government. The exit polls predicted a total of 60 seats for the pro-Netanyahu Right-wing and 54 seats for the centre-left bloc leaning towards Benny Gantz.

Netanyahu: ‘The Victory This Time is Sweeter’

“Dear Likud members, citizens of isreal , when the month of Adar begins, joy is increasing. And what a joy we we have tonight. It is a huge victory tonight. My friends we have been marching together for many years now. I remember the victory in 1996, but the victory this time is sweeter,” declared Netanyahu.

In reference to charges of corruption and bribery facing him he said.”We were facing tremendous forces. Our rivals said, ‘the Netanyahu era is over.’ We turned the lemons into lemonade.”

What Victory?

As it turned out, Netanyahu had celebrated too early. Two days later an announcement of final yet unofficial results by the Central Elections Committee placed the number of seats won by the right-wing at 58, two seats below what the exit poll had predicted .

The breakdown of the Pro-Netanyahu bloc was: Likud 36, Shas 9, United Torah Judaism 7 and Yamina 6. The opposition had a total of 62 seats, with Blue and White getting 33 seats, Labor Meretz 7, Yisrael Beiteinu Party 7 and the Joint Arab List 15.

Despite failing to garner the 61 seats needed to form a government, Netanyahu has continued to claim victory, emphasizing that Likud had won the election in a knockout and accusing his opponents of “trying to steal the decision from the masses of Israeli citizens who gave the Likud under his leadership a crushing victory.”

Gantz: ‘The Decision of Voters Must Be Respected’

Netanyahu’s claims have attracted a quick rejoinder from Gantz who warned that “in a democratic country , election results and the decision of the voters must be respected.” Ganz has also accused the Prime Minister of dangerous incitement against him. He pointed out the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 which he claimed was caused by the incitement of Netanyahu was the serving as the leader of the opposition at that time.

Taking to his Twitter handle he wrote, “Bibi we saw what happened when the incitement was out of control and no one stopped it in 1995. If you think that your threats will stop us you are making a bad mistake. You are only showing how important it is to replace you.”

“If we don’t wake up, the next political assassination is around the corner,” Gantz added.

How Will Israel’s Next Government be Formed?

These mudslinging, accusations and counter accusations will even be more heightened in the coming days as the two leaders position themselves to form a government. In normal circumstances the responsibility of forming the government usually goes to the leader of the party with most number of Knesset seats. But without a clear winner, it will be upon President Reuven Rivlin to choose a leader who will try to form a government.

What happens next is that the election results will be submitted to Rivlin who after consultation with the Knesset , will come up with the name of a leader who will attempt to form a government.

As things stand now the anti Netanyahu coalition has a total of 62 seats , which are enough to enable Gantz to form a government . The only barrier to this is the strong divisions among them. While Avigdor Lieberman now supports Gantz for premiership, he has a very hostile relations with the Joint List which has a total of 15 seats. The Joint List  on the other hand has  insisted that it wont seat in any government with Lieberman.

“We will not allow Lieberman to become a minister .We will not surrender our role as a legitimate group in politics,” Ayman Odeh the party leader said. Part of the disagreement emanates from Lieberman’s support for the transfer of Arab settlements near the Green Line into a future Palestine state.

The party has also urged Benny Gantz to drop the idea of a Jewish majority and the extension of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria as a precondition of forming any coalition government with him. These clashes of views rules out the possibility of Joint List supporting Gantz. This position is further strengthened by Gantz’s  remarks just before the election that he wouldn’t partner with the Joint List which is predominantly Arab.

Netanyahu’s Options Going Forward

For Netanyahu, one of the options available to him is forming a narrow coalition by attracting defectors from the opposition. His allies are already trying to convince individual defectors from the smaller parties on the center-left. If this fails then he could negotiate with one of the opposition parties especially Yisrael Bietenu to back him. Unfortunately Liberman the party leader has ruled out such a possibility. Instead, according to reliable reports, he will be recommending the name of Gantz to the president and assessing him as the best candidate to form a government.

Perhaps the best way out of the deadlock would be for the formation of a unity government. This will, however, be a very complicated process which is bound to fail. Gantz has ruled out being part of any unity government involving Netanyahu because of the criminal charges facing him. One of the scheme that has been crafted by his allies is for the introduction of a bill barring indicted individuals from serving as prime minister.

The aim of the bill that is being fronted by Blue and White is to block Netanyahu from forming the government and to compel him to join a unity government led by Gantz. According to  sources in Blue and White the bill would not be enacted retroactively, but “would be designed to pressure the Likud party to accept the formation of a unity government” under the conditions of Blue and Whites.

No matter the extent of the negotiations, it will require much more than political alignments for Israel to break out of  the deadlock that has been  running for almost a year now.  Israeli leaders will need to compromise by stepping  down from their hard-line positions and to sacrifice their own political ambitions in order for Israel to move forward.

L'articolo Another Israeli Election, Another Deadlock — What’s Next? proviene da InsideOver.

Israel is heading to the polls for the third time in one year, in what is turning to be one of the longest political stalemates in the country’s history. With opinion polls putting Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz close to a tie, a fourth election cannot be ruled out completely. As the entire world casts its eyes on the Jewish state, here is what you need to know about Israel’s elections.

Israel’s Unique Electoral System

What  makes Israeli elections unique is that people vote for parties and not individuals. The number of parties is also high with at least 22 parties participating in the current election. However in an attempt to appeal to the voters and to break the ongoing  deadlock, smaller parties leaning to the left and to the right have teamed up on their respective sides.

Why Are There So Many Parties?

The Israel Democracy Institute says the profusion of parties is due to Israeli society which “is extremely diverse, with multiple political divisions that run along ideological ethnic and religious fault lines.” This has resulted in a politically fragmented society.

Having many parties is considered a good thing since it grants minorities adequate representation in the Knesset. However, the representation comes at a price in terms of political stability and good governance, according to the IDI.

What Does a Party Need to Form a Government in Israel?

The Israeli parliament, called the Knesset, has a total of 120 seats which are allocated to political parties depending on how they perform in the elections. For a party to be allocated a seat in the Knesset it has to get 3.25% of the popular vote. This means that the better a political party performs in the elections the more seats it gets in parliament. A party that wins 61 seats in the Knesset is entrusted with forming the government.

According to the current projection by the JC,  Likud is set to get 31 seats while the Blue and Whites which is made up of Israel Resilience, Yesh Atid and Telem is projected to get 34 seats. Among the smaller parties, Labour Mertz is predicted to get 9 seats, Right Wing Union 11 seats , Yisrael Beiteinu 7 seats, United Torah Judaism 8 seats, Joint least 13 seats, and SHAS 8 seats.

Since no party has ever won the 61 seats needed to form a government,  Israel has always been  ruled  by coalitions of  parties with almost similar if not similar  ideologies.

Internal Trouble in Coalitions

However there have been situations where clashes of ideologies have occurred among coalition  partners leading  to political crisis. For instance, in 2015 Netanyahu’s Likud formed a coalition with smaller right wing and religious parties after winning 30 seats. But  this coalition entered headwinds when Yisrael Beiteinu walked out  because of the ceasefire in Gaza among other reasons .

The party leader Avigdor Lieberman has always been  against religious Jews being  accorded certain privileges. He has been particularly opposed to the exemption of  Heradi Orthodox from military service in Israel’s military. It was this misunderstanding that made Netanyahu to call for the election in 2019.

Without the support  Lieberman’s and his Yisrael Beiteinu, Netanyahu couldn’t garner enough seats to form a government. He consequently called for another election in September last year which again ended in a stalemate.

Why a Third Election Could Change Things

After almost a year of dysfunctional government many are now hoping that a third election will help get things moving. As the results of exit polls begin to trickle in we are likely to see a series of maneuvers by the leading parties in their bid to cobble coalitions that would enable them to form a government.

Depending on the outcome of the results, whoever will emerge on top will have the opportunity to form a government within 28 days. If he fails then Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will pass the responsibility to the party with the second highest number of seats. If he also fails then the two parties would be asked to work together in a unity government.

The responsibility of forming a coalition government will be passed to parliament which will have 21 days to come up with any candidate. Whether this will be possible considering the current acrimony between Gantz and Netanyahu remains to be seen.

This was the biggest impediment last year when the two leaders were expected to form a unity government.
Among the key issues that led to the failure was Netanyahu’s insistence of bringing his entire right wing coalition into the unity government. This was opposed by Gantz who said: “I will not cooperate with an effort to turn the majority of the people to a hostage being held by a small group of extremists.”

Netanyahu Characterizes Gantz as Accommodating Terror Sympathizers

For his part, Netanyahu accused Gantz of attempting to form a minority government propped up by Arab members of the Knesset whom he said were terrorist sympathizers.

There was also disagreement on the rotational premiership which was a key subject  of the negotiations. Netanyahu’s insistence that he should have the first go was rejected by Gantz who had already vowed not to serve under a Prime Minister facing criminal charges.

A similar scenario could play out in the coming weeks or months if a unity government is proposed. Gantz is still maintaining his stand of not serving in the same government as Netanyahu because of the charges Netanyahu is facing.

Another contentious issue that is likely to hamper the talks is the question of Jordan Valley and the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. While Netanyahu has vowed to annex the Jordan Valley, Gantz has promised to do so only in cooperation with the International community.

Since the trial of Netanyahu is slated to begin two weeks after the elections, perhaps many would want to know whether he would be able stay on as prime minister in case he is re-elected. Legally, Netanyahu won’t be required to step down unless a conviction is secured. Furthermore the process is likely to take years, giving his allies a chance to pass legislation that will prevent him from being jailed.

L'articolo All You Need to Know About Today’s Israeli Election proviene da InsideOver.

The past year has been rather uncertain for Israel as the country has undergone two elections, both producing no final result. Maybe third time’s the charm, as incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu might finally have enough factors working in his favor to get across the finish line and fully beat his rival Benny Gantz. 

Netanyahu’s Ongoing Political Struggle

Faced with a major corruption scandal including charges of bribery and fraud, Netanyahu has found it difficult to woo enough voters to his camp to form a majority. But he might just have gotten a golden opportunity to swing the decision of the upcoming March 2 elections by riding the international political waves of nationalism and anti-Arab, anti-Muslim rhetoric. 

Already the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel’s 72-year history, Netanyahu is currently serving his third term and he has been in power since 2009. During this period, he has steered the Jewish state further to the right, encouraging settlements in Palestinian territories and launching military offensives in Gaza that have killed hundreds of civilians. 

In the elections too, Netanyahu has gone with the same strategy. Where his rival and former military chief Benny Gantz has taken a centrist outlook, Bibi has tried to pander to the far right and secure that voting bloc in perpetuity. While the strategy failed to get his coalition the required 61 seats in Israel’s Knesset to form a majority, things may well be different this time around.

Will American Support Boost Bibi’s Popularity?

For starters, Netanyahu’s popularity has been boosted by getting Washington firmly into Israel’s camp, first by its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state and by shifting the US embassy there. This was followed by the Trump administration breaking away from a 40-year status quo, saying it doesn’t view the Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal. 

The biggest problem for the Prime Minister, however, was when he flanked Trump while the US President announced his Middle East Peace Plan. A far cry from its namesake, the document basically gave the Jewish state unprecedented concessions, including the recognition of settlements as official territory while also making Israel the final authority on any Palestinian state. 

Outcast by its neighbors and criticized widely by the international community, Israel almost always turns to the United States for diplomatic support. However, during the Obama era, it was hard to come by as relations between Netanyahu and the former US President were quite strained at times. However, ever since Trump came into power, that equation has changed drastically and Washington has rallied behind the Jewish state rather unconditionally, giving Bibi something to boast about and rely on.

Netanyahu has also tactfully exploited anti-Arab sentiment in Israel, especially in the last elections when the Joint List – a coalition of four Muslim parties in Israel – came out as the third largest electoral group with 10.6% of the vote share. Their success had put them in the kingmaker position, which centrist rival Gantz was expected to rely on to plug the gap in his numbers. 

Netanyahu’s Skill at Stoking Anti-Arab Fears

Speaking on the possibility of Gantz forming a coalition with Joint List, Netanyahu said in a rally: “such a government is an existential threat to the State of Israel. If a minority government like this is formed, they will celebrate in Tehran, Ramallah and Gaza the way they celebrate after every terror attack. This would be a historic national terror attack on the State of Israel.” The strategy worked as Gantz didn’t seek Arab support since he couldn’t risk associating with perceived enemies of the Jewish state, thus leading to yet another election in less than a year. 

To further establish himself among the nationalist camp, the Prime Minister on Feb. 25 approved new Israeli settlements of 3,500 homes in East Jerusalem, the proposed capital of Palestine, thus dealing another major blow to the two-state solution. 

Even the international political currents are such that they put Netanyahu at an advantage. Just days earlier, Iran elected a new parliament in which conservatives and hardliners won 221 of the 290 seats, potentially giving Bibi another factor to stoke fears about.

Likud Party Passes Rivals in Polls

It is no surprise that after months, Netanyahu’s Likud was finally able to surpass Gantz’s Kahol Lavan in the latest polls. However, that’s not enough since the former is expected to get 57 seats, still leaving a shortfall of 4. Will closeness with the US or the threat of Iran give Bibi another term in the office? We’ll find out on March 2.

L'articolo Is Third Time A Charm for Netanyahu? proviene da InsideOver.

With just days to go before its third election on March 2, Israel is staring at yet another stalemate as opinions polls indicate that there will be no clear winner. This will be a major blow to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had hoped that Trump’s Middle East peace plan would boost his chances of winning.

Current Forecast for Israel’s Upcoming Election

The Channel 13 poll predicted 36 Knesset seats for the Blue and White while is projected to receive Likud 33. The overall bloc of religious and right wing parties supporting Netanyahu was put at 54 while those supporting Benny Gantz was put at 58. Ironically when the respondent were asked on who was best suited to become Prime Minister, 45% supported Netanyahu while 33% were for Gantz

Another poll by Walla news site, also predicted a deadlock with the Likud at 33 and Blue and White at 34. The survey also showed that 54% of the respondents were against a minority government led by Gantz even if it was the only way to stop Israel going to the elections for the first time, while 28% said they would support such a government. Just like in the Channel 13 poll, when the respondent were asked on who was best suited to lead the government, 43% said Netanyahu while 35% were for Gantz.

Troubles Ahead for Gantz

However the better performance of the Blue and White as shown by the opinions polls could be at risk following the decision of Israel prosecutor to open criminal investigations on a company once headed by Gantz. The Fifth Dimension Cybersecurity company is being accused of signing a multi-million deal with Israel police without a public tender.

Although Gantz is not a suspect, he oversaw the company until it went bankrupt. He has, however, denied any wrong doing saying “ It all sounds like political pressure to get this thing on the public agenda. I am totally at ease. This was checked in the past and no criminal suspicion was found.”

Many Leftist commentators have seen the prosecutor’s move as an attempt to harm Gantz campaigns . Among those who are seeking to capitalize on the accusations for political mileage is Netanyahu who declared that the Blue and Whites can no longer talk about clean governance. “Benny Gantz and the Fifth Dimension company he led are the subject of a serious criminal investigation for misleading the police,” he said.

With the elections being just days away this mudslinging could as well help turn the tide against the Blues and Whites under Gantz.New polls released early today by channel 12 and Kan have showed Likud pulling ahead of the Blues and Whites for the first time in what many believe could be as a result of the recent accusations against a company once associated with Gantz.

Polls Are Shifting Daily

According to the poll, Likud went up by 1 digit to 34 , while Blue and White went down to 33. Almost Similar results were projected by Kan poll which showed Likud at 35 and Blue and White at 34.

The Channel 12 poll further showed that a pro-Netanyahu coalition of Likud and right wing parties, would have 57 seats in the Knesset , while a coalition of Blue and White and left wing political parties would give Gantz 50 seats. But the results still show a stalemate since  the required number of seats to form a government is 61.

One way of coming out out of the impasse, would be the formation of a unity government. But forming such a government will be a complex task. Although Gantz has expressed his willingness to form a unity government with Likud , he has maintained that he wouldn’t do so if Netanyahu remains as the Likud party leader.

“He is going to go to trial . Imagine that while he is preparing for trial with a battery of lawyer on important issues from his personal point of view , and then the chief of staff wants to hold a very urgent discussion at night on a matter of security.” Gantz told Channel 13.

Gantz could as well garner enough members to form a government if he accepts the support of the Joint List Alliance which is predominantly Arab. The leader of the Joint List, Ayman Odeh, has committed to offer him support on condition that he denounces certain elements of Israel-Palestine peace plan such as the transfer of Arabs Israeli towns to a Palestinian state. Gantz has however rejected the offer saying “ I will not sit with the joint list and I do not need their support.”

According to the latest opinion polls, by Channel 12 Joint List is likely to get 13 seat in the Knesset. With the same poll predicting 50 seats for Blue and White and its allies, support by the Joint List would push the number seats to 64, three seats more than the 61 required to form a majority government.

Nevertheless with another impasse looming, Netanyahu and Gantz will have to put their personal ambitions aside and put the interest of the country first. For one year now Israel has been without a functioning government. This is likely to continue if no party wins enough votes to form a government.

In such a situation, instead of the country going into a fourth election, Netanyahu will have to step down to allow for the formation of a new government. After all, his corruption trial starts just two weeks after the elections.

L'articolo Stalemate Looms as Israel Prepares for Yet Another Election proviene da InsideOver.