Israel will face a fourth quick election in two years after its parliament missed Tuesday’s deadline to pass a budget.
The quick elections, which will take place in March, mark the latest evolution of a two-year saga in Israel, which has already led voters to the polls three times as prime minister. Benjamin netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE he finds himself involved in an ongoing corruption process.
Despite the shadows of corruption allegations, Netanyahu managed to stay in power and eventually formed a unity government with now Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White Party centrist, earlier this year.
The current breakdown has been fueled by a dispute between Netanyahu and Gantz over the national budget, which is key to the power-sharing agreement between them that would have introduced Gantz as prime minister in November 2021.
Netanyahu will remain in office at least until a new government is formed after the March elections. He has ruled Israel since 2009 and previously served as prime minister from 1996-1999.
Netanyahu was helped by his close relationship with President Trump
Donald Trump McConnell: The Senate will return on December 29 for Trump’s potential veto to overturn the vote Congress approves 3T corruption for coronavirus, government funding agreement no., who paid substantial dividends to the Jewish state. The White House moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and helped initiate peace agreements with four major Arab nations, helping the prime minister say his connection with Washington was key to Israel’s prosperity.
However, the prime minister will have to face a new right-wing competitor, Gideon Saar, who left Netanyahu’s Likud Party and will also have to fight angrily for how he treated the rapidly spreading coronavirus . He will also run during the new Biden administration, which is not expected to be as automatically supportive as Trump’s White House and could undermine one of his key arguments for his re-election candidacy.
Both Netanyahu and Gantz have expressed confidence that they will perform well in the March competition.
Netanyahu said he would win on the basis of “his leadership and achievements” and said Likud was the only party large enough to form a coalition without left-wing groups. Gantz, meanwhile, wrote on Twitter that “Netanyahu is leading us to elections for the sole purpose of not going to jail.”