Page 6 - aruba-today-20201223

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 23 december 2020
Israel heads to new elections as government collapses

By JOSEF FEDERMAN of those voters, but not
Associated Press enough to lead the next
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's government, according
divided government col- to the polls. The left-wing
lapsed early Wednesday, Labor Party, which estab-
triggering the country's lished Israel and led the
fourth election in under country for its first 30 years,
two years and bringing an is not expected to cross the
unprecedented threat to threshold, while the far-left
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- Meretz party is expected to
tanyahu's lengthy grip on barely scrape in.
power. The Arab-majority Joint List
Netanyahu, who is used to has been plagued by in-
labeling his opponents as fighting, and it is unclear
weak leftists, finds himself whether any mainstream
confronted by a trio of dis- party is ready to share pow-
gruntled former aides who er with them. An Arab-led
share his hard-line ideology, party has never been part
led by a popular lawmaker of an Israeli government.
who recently broke away Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference with White House In a televised address
from the prime minister's senior adviser Jared Kushner in Jerusalem, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020. Tuesday night, Netanya-
Likud party. Whether Ne- Associated Press hu turned to his standard
tanyahu can fend off these playbook, blaming Blue
challengers or not, the their troubled partnership, in exchange for positive yahu's Cabinet secretary, and White for the political
country is almost certain which was plagued by mu- news coverage about him has accused the prime breakdown and saying any
to be led by a right-wing tual hostility and mistrust and his family. His legal minister of turning the Likud of his challengers would
politician opposed to con- from the outset. For seven troubles, and questions into a "personality cult" fo- have to rely on Lapid and
cessions to the Palestinians, months, Gantz has suffered about his suitability to gov- cused on ensuring its lead- "the left" to form a govern-
complicating hopes of the a number of humiliations ern, have been the central er's political survival. ment without him.
incoming Biden administra- and been kept out of the issue in the string of recent If elections were held to- "We are against elections;
tion to restart peace talks. loop on key decisions, such elections. day, Saar's party would this is a wrong decision by
The prospects of Israel's as a series of U.S.-brokered "The ongoing political cri- finish second behind the Li- Blue and White," Netanya-
center-left bloc appear diplomatic agreements sis will continue as long as kud, appearing to give him hu said. "But If elections are
worse than in previous con- with Arab countries. Netan- Mr. Netanyahu remains a veto over a Netanyahu- forced upon us, I promise
tests because its leader, yahu accuses Gantz's Blue prime minister and no gov- led government, accord- you we will win."
Defense Minister Benny and White party of acting ernment can be formed ing to polls. Saar has vowed In addition to his right-
Gantz, entered into the ill- as an "opposition within the without him," said Yohanan he will not serve under Ne- wing rivals, Netanyahu will
fated alliance with Netan- government." Plesner, a former lawmaker tanyahu. have other factors working
yahu. Gantz has lost the At the heart of this dys- who is president of the Isra- Naftali Bennett, another against him. In the previous
support of much of his dis- functional relationship is el Democracy Institute. former aide who had a fall- elections, he used his close
appointed base, and the Netanyahu's corruption "I think it is quite safe to as- ing out with Netanyahu, alliance with President
bloc has been left leader- trial. Gantz has accused sume that this won't end leads a religious right-wing Donald Trump as an elec-
less. Netanyahu of undermining until either Mr. Netanyahu party that also has surged toral asset.
Netanyahu and Gantz their power-sharing deal in is replaced or if he finds a in the polls. And Avigdor That option will no longer
formed their coalition last hopes of remaining in office way, through legislation or Lieberman, Netanyahu's be there after Joe Biden
May after battling to a throughout his trial, which is political maneuvering, to former chief of staff and is sworn in as president on
stalemate in three consec- to kick into high gear in Feb- either put his trial on hold or a longtime Cabinet minis- Jan. 20. Biden is expected
utive elections. They said ruary when witnesses begin suspend it altogether," he ter who now leads his own to return to the policies of
they were putting aside to take the stand. He and said. party, also says the prime his former boss, President
their personal rivalry to other critics believe Netan- In the previous three elec- minister is unfit to lead. Barack Obama, who had a
form an "emergency" gov- yahu ultimately hopes to tions, Netanyahu was un- All of these rivalries are stormy relationship with Ne-
ernment focused on guid- form a new government able to put together a ma- more personal than ideo- tanyahu over his treatment
ing the country through capable of appointing loy- jority coalition with his tradi- logical, meaning that Isra- of the Palestinians.
the health and economic alists to sensitive positions tional religious and nation- el's next government — led Netanyahu also must face
crises caused by the pan- who could grant him immu- alist allies. Yet he controlled by Netanyahu or not — al- the voters over his han-
demic. Under the deal, nity or dismiss the charges enough seats to prevent his most certainly will have a dling of the coronavirus
Gantz assumed the new against him. opponents from cobbling right-wing ideology that crisis. Netanyahu scored
role of "alternate prime "A criminal defendant with together an alternate co- opposes Palestinian inde- an achievement this week
minister" and was assured three indictments is drag- alition. pendence and supports by making Israel one of the
he would trade places with ging the country to a fourth According to recent opin- continued Israeli settlement first countries in the world to
Netanyahu next November round of elections," Blue ion polls, that equation construction in the occu- begin vaccinating its popu-
in a rotation agreement and White said Tuesday may be changing, with a pied West Bank. lation.
halfway through their term. night. "If there wasn't a tri- number of rivals poised to The recent polls indicate But it remains unclear how
The immediate cause of al, there would be a bud- control a parliamentary that Gantz, who appealed many people will be vac-
the collapse was their fail- get and there wouldn't be majority without him. to left-wing voters in pre- cinated by March. And
ure to pass a budget by the elections." Those rivals are led by vious elections, may not with Israel facing a raging
midnight Tuesday dead- Netanyahu is charged with Gideon Saar, a stalwart in receive enough votes to outbreak and the possi-
line. That caused the par- fraud, breach of trust and Netanyahu's Likud who an- even enter the next Knes- bility of a third lockdown,
liament to automatically accepting bribes in a series nounced this month that set. angry voters could still pun-
dissolve and set new elec- of scandals in which he is he was breaking away and Yair Lapid, leader of the ish him for the economic
tions for late March. accused of offering favors forming a new party. Saar, centrist Yesh Atid party, ap- damage caused by the
But the deeper cause was to powerful media figures who once served as Netan- pears to be gaining some pandemic.q