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Given 28 days to form a new coalition government by Israeli President Rivlin, Netanyahu failed.
At midnight Tuesday, his time expired. Instead of asking for an extension, he issued a statement saying:
“Due to Bennett’s refusal to promise to only form a government with the Right, which would have definitely led to the formation of a government with additional MKs joining, the prime minister has returned the mandate to the president.”
Rivlin’s spokesman said the following:
“Shortly before midnight (Tuesday), Netanyahu informed the president’s residence that he was unable to form a government and so returned the mandate to the president.”
After serving as Israeli prime minister for three years in the 1990s, Netanyahu held the post since 2009.
On slow-motion trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, is his tenure nearing an end?
Maybe so. Maybe not. Don’t count him out too soon.
Yet at this time, perhaps his luck ran out. Here’s where things stand on Wednesday.
Rivlin has three days to call on a new candidate to form a coalition government.
According to Israeli media, Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid is most likely to be asked.
The Times of Israel reported that he and Yamina’s Naftali Bennett have been negotiating an alliance “under which Bennett would serve first as prime minister in a rotation agreement” even though his party won only seven of 120 Knesset seats in the March 23 elections.
After two years, Lapid would assume the premiership while Bennett would become foreign minister.
At this time, Netanyahu remains transitional prime minister until a new government is formed.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Rivlin is likely to call on Lapid for the task on Wednesday.
Separately it said that Netanyahu is “work(ing) behind the scenes to harm chances of Bennett and Lapid forming a government together.”
His aim, of course, is holding onto power even though the prospect appears more shaky than any previous time since regaining it in 2009.
His new millennium tenure began on March 31, 2009, weeks after Israel’s preemptive Cast Lead war on defenseless Gazans — from Dec. 27, 2008 – January 18, 2009.
In office, he waged two wars of aggression on Gaza: Operation Pillar of Defense (sic) from Nov. 14 – 21, 2012 and Operation Protective Edge from July 8 – August 26, 2014.
Is another preemptive Israeli war on Gaza likely by Netanyahu or a future Israeli prime minister?
Based on decades of Israeli aggression with US support — including terror-bombing of the Strip at its discretion and undeclared war on Syria — Israeli war on Gaza 4.0 is most likely.
Rivlin reportedly will meet with Lapid, Bennett, and other party leaders on Wednesday.
According to Haaretz, before day’s end, he’ll likely “give the mandate to Lapid” who’ll have 28 days to achieve what Netanyahu failed to accomplish.
According to an unnamed Israeli source, calling on Lapid will increase the chance to form a government “based on the ‘change’ bloc, which is probably the only coalition possible,” adding:
“It’s clear that if Netanyahu recommends Bennett, it’s a ‘political plot.’ ”
“The right-wing bloc has exhausted the possibility of forming a coalition and recommending Bennett is aimed primarily at keeping in Netanyahu’s hands the possibility of going to (new) elections.”
Throughout Israeli history, no single party has had enough support to gain a 61-seat Knesset majority.
Throughout his tenure as Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu’s Likud party only got about 25% support.
A mandate to govern is only possible with coalition partners.
Looking ahead, rival party blocs won’t easily cobble together a ruling majority.
In less the past two years, four Knesset elections were held.
If Lapid, Bennett, or another aspirant for Israel’s highest office fails to form a ruling coalition ahead, Knesset elections 5.0 will be held since April 2019.
At this time, it’s unclear how things will turn out.
For long-suffering Occupied Palestinians, wars by hot and/or other means are virtually certain to continue no matter which Israeli right wing bloc runs things.
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Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].
My two Wall Street books are timely reading:
“How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War”
https://www.claritypress.com/product/how-wall-street-fleeces-america/
“Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity”
https://www.claritypress.com/product/banker-occupation-waging-financial-war-on-humanity/
Featured image is from IMEMC
