Israel heads toward unprecedented 3rd election within a year
Source: KOB TV
Israeli kingmaker politician Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday refused to endorse a candidate for prime minister, blaming both the contenders engaged in a tense standoff that has paralyzed Israeli politics and pushing the country toward a likely third election in less than a year.
Lieberman's comments came ahead of a midnight deadline for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rival, Benny Gantz, to form a coalition. Without Lieberman, Gantz appears unable to secure the required majority in parliament to be prime minister.
If Israel is forced into a third election, it would be entering uncharted waters, with opinion polls already predicting a very similar deadlock. But a new campaign could benefit the embattled Netanyahu, who is expected to be indicted on corruption charges in the coming weeks. Netanyahu would be best-positioned to fight any charges from the prime minister's office.
Lieberman, who heads a small secular, ultranationalist party, triggered the September election after refusing to join Netanyahu's traditional allies of hard-line and religious parties following earlier elections in April. The do-over vote left Netanyahu's Likud and Gantz's Blue and White party both short of a required majority in the 120-seat parliament without Lieberman's support.
Read more: https://www.kob.com/news/israel-faces-likely-third-election-amid-bibi-gantz-standoff/5558088/?cat=649
Updated: November 20, 2019 07:20 AM
Created: November 20, 2019 07:15 AM
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