Netanyahu bucks his foes’ bid to rout him for failing to form a governing coalition

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, even after failing to form a government, may opt for a new election rather than let his enemies win. That way, the decision reverts to the voting public rather than the politicians.
Netanyahu has had an amazing run, leading four governments at the head of a successful Likud. This time, he is making a dangerous personal gamble. He may calculate that even if some voters make him pay for failing, the outcome is unlikely to be radically different from the April 9 results. The right-wing bloc which he leads may even gain by sweeping up the 300,000 votes that were lost in April when New Right and rightist splinter groups failed to make it past the threshold.

The question is who will benefit? Netanyahu is beset with legions of rivals and foes, some on home ground in Likud. He faces another harsh test of endurance in which they will go all-out to prove that his failure to form a government shows he has lost his celebrated political touch and it’s time for him to go.

Avigdor Lieberman, who parlayed his five-member Yisrael Beitenu into a club for denying Netanyahu’s 35-strong Likud a majority government, will most likely survive. The only substantial change to be expected is the decline of Blue-White, the opposition grouping born shortly before the April election and which came close to beating Likud.

The next time round, Blue-White will have lost its luster as a new alternative for displacing long-running politicians. It is moreover top-heavy with four leaders – Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid, Gaby Ashkenazi and Moshe Ya’alon – whose entire repertoire consists of one song. Binyamin Netanyahu must go!  Even Madonna’s audience demands more variety.

This quartet have tried signaling the Likud party: Get rid of your leader and we can get together for a unity government. Rightist or leftist politics or any other ideology don’t seem to matter, just the removal of the major impediment to their goal.

That is just one of this opposition party’s mistakes. Their cherished slogan may work for the individuals, groups and media dedicated to toppling Netanyahu, but have the reverse effect on the street where the voting public is to be found. There, the long-running hate campaign against Netanyahu only boosts his credibility as a nationalist, populist, charismatic leader. This matches the current trend sweeping many other leaders to power in the West – not only in the US, but in India, Brazil, Germany, France, Hungary, Italy and other countries.

On Saturday night, Blue-White staged an anti-Netanyahu protest rally in Tel Aviv.  At the last minute, Gantz invited MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Israeli Arab party list, to join the speakers. He committed the political blunder of giving an Arab nationalist ideologue equal footing with Israeli nationalism, in the hope of drawing a mass audience. This blunder will haunt him in the forthcoming election campaign for winning the votes of the Jewish majority. So will another: Blue-White orators have joined the prosecution’s campaign, backed by former judges and legal buffs, to force the attorney general to indict him on charges of corruption. Yair Lapid vociferously accuses him of attempting to engineer parliamentary immunity to evade a trial. These opponents present themselves as the guardians of Israeli democracy.

The prime minister claims he and his close family are victims of a political witch hunt. The general public is not entirely convinced of his guilt, especially when he is loudly condemned by “left-wing” politicians and media. Enough voters may be willing to give Netanyahu the benefit of the doubt, so long as he is not proven guilty in a court of law. By the same token, many will turn their backs on his accusers.

On Monday night, Netanyahu was still fighting to save his coalition negotiations. In an emotional TV speech, he appealed to Yisrael Beitenu’s Avigdor Lieberman to give up the “semantic” objections barring the road to the right-wing government which the people voted for on April 9. The dispute preventing negotiations leading to the new government could be resolved in two minutes, he said. Netanyahu stressed that 48 hours remain for his mandate to lead a new government before it expires on Wednesday and “much could be done in that time.”

The prime minister went on the air after a 22-minute meeting with Lieberman failed toto break through the latter’s refusal to make concessions on the draft law obligating the drafting of yeshiva students to the military according to agreed quotas. The ultra-Orthodox parties, which have fought against the measure, gave way on certain points to smooth the negotiations for a right-wing national government. Lieberman’s five-member faction holds the key to a Knesset majority of 65 versus the opposition’s 55 members.

In his speech, Netanyahu said: “A month-and-a half ago, the people spoke and ordered us to set up a right-wing government led by myself. I have made tremendous efforts to obey the people’s will by setting up this government and averting another superfluous election.” He went on to say: “There is no reason in the world to put the country on hold for another year and-a-half and squander billions. Unfortunately, up until now I have not been able to persuade Lieberman to prevent this vote taking place.  

Earlier on Monday, a 65-majority of the Knesset, less than six weeks in office, gave the bill for dissolving itself preliminary and first readings. There were abstentions.  If Netanyahu fails to form a government by the Wednesday deadline, he intends to let the measure go through to second and third readings, clearing the way for new elections at the end of summer. The alternative dates cited are Aug 27 or September 3.

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33 thoughts on “Netanyahu bucks his foes’ bid to rout him for failing to form a governing coalition

  • May 27, 2019 @ 21:39 at 21:39
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    Bibi,
    You promised Israeli law for Judea and Samaria if your right wing bloc was elected. If you would have done that first, your coalition would very likely have united around you. You didn’t really intend to keep that promise did you?

    • May 28, 2019 @ 3:45 at 3:45
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      Why are you so much against Trump, eh?
      Repent right now, and forgiveness is available for free, but it has to happen before June.
      After June, it might be that this is not a sin no-more.

      • May 28, 2019 @ 6:45 at 6:45
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        Thanks y’all shalom

        • May 28, 2019 @ 11:04 at 11:04
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          netanyahu kadın çocuk yaşlı demeden katleden soykırım yapan işgalci bir siyonist katildir

          • May 28, 2019 @ 14:55 at 14:55
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            io nu stiu ce pizda matii mai vrei si tu du-te dracu de tampit boule

      • May 28, 2019 @ 18:43 at 18:43
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        netanyahu zorba işgalci bir siyonisttir rusya uzayı askerileştiriyor rusya dünyanın tüm ülkelerini hedef alacak şekilde uzayda ayda üst atmosfer katmanlarına nükleer bomba nükleer balistik füzeler uzayın her yerine yerleştirerek uzayda rusya dünyanın tüm ülkelerini hedef alacak şekilde nükleer balistik füze kıtalararası füze roket uzaya yerleştiriyor rusya dünyanın tüm ülkelerini havadan uzaydan her yerde tehdit ediyor

      • May 29, 2019 @ 21:18 at 21:18
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        abd rusya kanada brezilya avrupa ülkelerinin tamamı kostarika arjantin çin kolombiya israil dünyanın en işgalci darbeci çıkarları için başka ülkelerde iç savaş çıkartan emperyalist işgalci ülkelerdir

      • Jun 2, 2019 @ 5:26 at 5:26
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        where in the bible does it say this?

  • May 27, 2019 @ 22:35 at 22:35
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    I think that Israel should stop ripping itself apart with nit-picking partisan small-brained politics and come together to avoid an election. There are more important stuff than minor differences blown out of proportion to gain power. Too many parties, too many opinion-makers with too much nonsense in their silly brains.

    • May 28, 2019 @ 1:42 at 1:42
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      Too many cooks spoil the broth.

      • May 28, 2019 @ 11:05 at 11:05
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        israil ortadoğuda tek nükleer güç olarak bütün ortadoğu ülkelerine ve dünya ülkelerine tehdit korku oluşturuyor

        • May 29, 2019 @ 5:55 at 5:55
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          You know Israel will never drop a nuclear bomb first. But if you try, you will get a nuclear bomb right on your nose.

    • May 29, 2019 @ 21:20 at 21:20
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      abd rusya kanada brezilya israil avrupa ülkeleri dünyanın işgalci ülkeleridir dünya için tehlike arz eden nükleer silahlı ülkelerdir

      • May 29, 2019 @ 21:21 at 21:21
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        abd rusya israil brezilya arjantin çin ingiltere fransa dünyanın işgalci ülkeleridir

        • May 29, 2019 @ 21:22 at 21:22
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          işgalci ülkelerdir yukarıdaki ülkeler

          • May 29, 2019 @ 21:22 at 21:22
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            yukarıdaki ülkeler işgalci ülkelerdir

  • May 27, 2019 @ 23:56 at 23:56
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    No shouts required and no doubts about it, the Lion Judah from Philadephia!

    • May 28, 2019 @ 11:06 at 11:06
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      israil ortadoğuda tek nükleer güç olarak bütün devletlere tehlike tehdit oluşturuyor

    • May 29, 2019 @ 21:23 at 21:23
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      işgalci ülkeler

  • May 28, 2019 @ 1:58 at 1:58
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    why did he not break down & cry & give us all a laugh

    • May 28, 2019 @ 11:08 at 11:08
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      israilin niye 500 adet nükleer silahı var niye ortadoğu ülkelerine israil tehdit oluşturuyor niye yapıyor

  • May 28, 2019 @ 3:15 at 3:15
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    Designed to best fit the given situation.
    Keep your cool!
    It’s Ok.

  • May 28, 2019 @ 5:05 at 5:05
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    This is the episode S08E07 director’s cut from Game of Thrones.
    The royal jester Avigdor locks himself in the mensroom and blocks the door from inside, in the only john of the castle. People with john-needs serenade at the door dreaming to get in. He might open, but we do not yet know for sure.

    • May 29, 2019 @ 7:56 at 7:56
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      Now that’s funny!!!!

  • May 28, 2019 @ 6:03 at 6:03
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    Just give in. Fat yeshiva boys dont want to fight. They sit and learn in yeshiva. You dont need them in idf.
    Helping out in religious shools or housholds should be an obligation for them in order to give back to society. So they can serve the people if they dont want to serve in IDF.

  • May 28, 2019 @ 6:37 at 6:37
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    Ridiculous stall by a former Russian Jew if my memory serves me.

  • May 28, 2019 @ 6:44 at 6:44
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    The Fatman vs. The Fascist

    • May 28, 2019 @ 14:43 at 14:43
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      Not bad for a transgender, eh?

  • May 28, 2019 @ 19:07 at 19:07
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    So the public elects the PM and the Israeli government who doesn’t like the majority’s decision gets to grind things to a stop. What kind of F-cking government is that?

  • May 29, 2019 @ 0:31 at 0:31
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    Do all Turkish take it up the tuches like erdogan? Or just the pisliklers that post on DEBKA…?

  • May 29, 2019 @ 8:01 at 8:01
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    Even if Bibi doesn’t prevail this time around, he may be back for yet another round in the near future. Already done that, I believe. I’m sure Israel will survive long enough to see him re-elected, if that is in his future.

  • May 29, 2019 @ 18:43 at 18:43
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    Trump is getting impeached over his conspiracy with Netanyahu/Kushner over UN 2334, the PsyGroup Ops run on Hillary, Cruz, etc for Trump, and the UN 2334 part of it gets published in 2 days time on May 31 by court order
    The Trump Impeachment is BECAUSE of the Cratering Netanyahu – SNAP!
    Netanyahu stiffed Trump on Palestine and the DOA Bahrain Farce – not nice to make the Golden Lion angry! Payback is an Ivanka

  • May 30, 2019 @ 0:07 at 0:07
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    i see we have a turkish vermin infestation….

    -Anne karnında amca yarrağına doymuş orospu çocuğu seni.
    -Ananın amına çam diker, gölgesinde bacını sikerim
    -Seni götünden bi sikerim boş otobüste ayakta gidersin
    -Babanın düşmanlarını sikeyim
    -Keşke baban beni sikseydi de sen doğmasaydın
    -Ananın amına hangar sokar siker siker F16 çıkartırım
    -Bunları sikecem ama ürerler diye korkuyorum
    -Göt lalesi
    -Senin bastığın yerin çekimini sikeyim
    -Sana oksijen veren ağacın yaprağını sikeyim
    -Seni burada değil boğaz köprüsünde sikecem, hem asya hem avrupa görsün diye

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