Israel’s Yamina party has a decisive six seats in the 120-member parliament. It will give the opposition coalition of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties a clear majority. All opposition parties have moved closer to form a government that will end Netanyahu government. Central Party leader Yair Lapid is reportedly close to signing a coalition agreement with ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett.
Mr. Bennett’s party leaders announced the deal. Media reports that the two sides have approached a deal under which Mr. Bennett will be the prime minister for first two years. Than Mr. Lapid will replace him in the second half of term. Mr. Lapid has originally given the mandate of 28 days of forming a government. It was interrupted by the recent 11-day conflict in Gaza.
Who is Israel’s Netanyahu?
Benjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv, city of Israel in 1949. At the age of 18, he spent five distinguished years in the army on the rank of captain in elite group Sayeret Matkal. After his retirement from military, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1988, he participated in practical politics and won a seat. He elected Prime Minister for first time in 1996.
He has been in power for 12 years and has dominated Israeli politics for a generation. But he failed to win a decisive majority in parliamentary elections in March. This is the fourth inconclusive vote in two years. Netanyahu’s opponents have been accused of fraud, have little in common politically. They are united in their desire to see an end Netanyahu government.
How the Netanyahu’s party responded to opposition?
Under Israel’s proportional representative electoral system, it is difficult for a party to win enough seats to form a government directly. Smaller parties are usually needed to collect the numbers needed for a coalition.
One of Lapid’s potential coalition partners, the Arab-Islamist Raam Party, has suspended talks of the violence. There have also clashes in Israeli cities between a mixed Arab and Jewish population.
On Saturday evening, Netanyahu Likud’s party made a proposal to Bennett and other potential coalition party leaders to divide the prime ministerial post in three directions. But the offer has rejected.
If Lapid cannot agree to the coalition, Israel can then return to the polls. That will be fifth election in just two years.
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