Netanyahu fails to form government, jeopardizing political future

World

Published: 2021-05-05 11:27

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 01:14


Source: The Guardian
Source: The Guardian

Tuesday, Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s deadline passed to form a government, thus jeopardizing both his and his Likud party's political futures.

"Just before midnight, Netanyahu informed the presidency of his inability to form a government," President Reuven Rivlin's office said in a brief statement.

The Israeli Occupation presidency must now choose another candidate to try to pull the country out of the political crisis.

Netanyahu, 71, who is on trial for corruption, won a 28-day mandate from Rivlin to form a government after the March 23 elections, the fourth election in less than two years.

The president can assign another person or extend the deadline for an additional two weeks.

Netanyahu's Likud party won the largest number of seats in the 120-seat Knesset, but did not secure a majority vote.

Over the past four weeks, the Israeli Occupation media has been filled with speculation about potential deals that could make Netanyahu extend his record of 12 consecutive years in power.

But hours before the deadline expired, his main obstacles remained unchanged.

Forming a government coalition requires Netanyahu to ally with his opponent and former aide Naftali Bennett, leader of the hard-line right-wing party.

It also requires convincing Bezalel Smotrich, the head of the party of religious Zionism, to join a government supported by the "Islamic Movement,” whose members described Smotrich as "racist.”

The Islamic Movement, led by Mansour Abbas, won four seats.

- 'The end of Zionism' - The Party of Religious Zionism has pledged not to join such an alliance.

Orit Struck, a party representative in the Knesset who lives in a settlement in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, told Army Radio on Tuesday that sitting with the Southern Islamic Movement "will bring a Trojan horse to the government of Israel" and mean "the end of Zionism."

Monday, Netanyahu said that he had offered Bennett to take over as prime minister first, according to the principle of rotation, so that the right would remain in power.

Bennett immediately replied that he did not ask Netanyahu to be prime minister, "but rather asked him to form a coalition, and unfortunately he cannot."

"Reaching an agreement between Netanyahu and Bennett is doomed to failure, because this will require the support of the head of the" Shut Hadhah "(New Hope) party led by the Likud dissident Gideon Sa'ar, whose party won six seats," political science professor at the Hebrew University, Gayle Talsher, told Firas Press.

But Sa'ar stressed that he was determined to bring down Netanyahu.

"Bennett did not say no to Netanyahu's presentation, he just said it was unrealistic," Talcher said.

While his coalition talks faced hurdles, Netanyahu also floated the idea of passing legislation that would allow the prime minister to be elected by direct vote, but similar legislation needs 61 votes in the Knesset, which is unlikely in light of the election results.

"This is what Netanyahu is trying to do now; pass the legislation," said Talcher.

- Eyes on Lapid? -

"This day is for those who have strong nerves ... as usual, no one knows the trick that Netanyahu intends to pull out of his hat at the last moment," wrote political commentator Sima Kadmon in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Rivlin could take back the mandate from Netanyahu, give opposition leader Yair Lapid, whose centrist Yesh Atid party came second in the March elections, 28 days to try to form a government, or ask Parliament to recommend a candidate for prime minister.

Lapid said earlier, "The time has come to form a new government ... After another one day, if nothing happens, we will be faced with two options: a solid, decent and hard-working Israeli national unity government, or a fifth election."

The deadline for forming a government expired days after the killing of 45 ultra-Orthodox Jews in a stampede on Mount Meron (Al-Garmaq) in northern Israel Occupation.

A government investigation was opened into the tragedy, which was described as one of the worst in the history of the Israeli Occupation.
Lapid said that the tragedy was "avoidable," and said it was due, in part, to the fact that the Israeli Occupation "does not have a well-functioning government."