Right-wing conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government within two years of the fourth parliamentary election. The corresponding period ended at midnight (local time) on Wednesday evening. This means that opponents of Netanyahu have a chance to end the president’s 71-year term. Whether they will succeed in this remains completely open. Netanyahu will remain at the beginning at the head of a transitional government.
Netanyahu has been in office for twelve years and is the longest serving prime minister in the country’s history. There is a corruption process going on against him. He rejects the allegations made therein.
President Reuven Rivlin was expected to appoint opposition leader Jair Lapid to form a government on Wednesday. His future party belongs to the political center. But according to observers, forming a coalition will not be easy for him either. A new fifth election is not excluded. If that happens, Netanyahu may also have a chance to become prime minister again.
“The time has come to form a new government,” Lapid said earlier. He called for a “stable” unity government.
On Monday, Netanyahu offered Naftali Bennett, head of the nationalist religious right-wing party, the post of prime minister, in an alternative model to prevent a “left-wing government.” Netanyahu has said that Bennett could become prime minister in the first year.
Former Defense Minister Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally, rejected the offer. Bennett said he is ready to form a right-wing government at any time. If Netanyahu fails to do so, “we will form a government of national unity.” Certainly, new elections should be prevented. Four elections were held in Israel within two years.
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