JERUSALEM — When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to form an “emergency” government in May after three bitter and deadlocked election campaigns, the goal was to stabilize Israeli politics in the face of a global pandemic. But less than 100 days later, their fractious coalition...
Netanyahu Rival Becomes Parliament Speaker, Signaling Deal
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival was chosen on Thursday as the new speaker of parliament, an unexpected step that could pave the way to a power-sharing deal between the two men as the country grapples with a worsening coronavirus crisis. The sudden turnabout by Benny Gantz,...
Netanyahu Rivals to Cooperate on Forming New Government
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival said Monday that he has agreed with a smaller party to work together to form a new government following national elections last week. The announcement by Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party, dealt a new setback to Netanyahu as...
Israeli Exit Polls: Netanyahu Ahead, but Short of Majority
JERUSALEM — Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an uncertain path to staying in office on Tuesday, even as preliminary results showed his Likud party pulling ahead of its opponents in the country's third election in less than a year. Exit polls on Israeli TV stations showed Likud and...
Weary and Divided, Israel Goes Back to the Polls
JERUSALEM — For the third time in under a year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking re-election, and once again the Israeli leader is on the ropes. After two inconclusive elections last year, opinion polls forecast another stalemate — a troubling scenario for Netanyahu, who will go on trial on...
Israel's Lieberman Stills Holds Keys to Future Government
JERUSALEM — Israel finds itself in a familiar place after a tumultuous election campaign — with maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman still seemingly in control of the country’s fate. The run-up to Israel's third election in less than a year saw criminal charges filed against the prime minister, an American Mideast...
Israeli Parliament Starts Dissolving Itself for 3rd Election
JERUSALEM — The Israeli parliament began voting to dissolve itself on Wednesday and pave the path to an unprecedented third election within a year. The preliminary vote passed without objections. Barring a nearly unfathomable about-face, three more measures are expected to pass and call a new election for March 2,...
Israel's Netanyahu Gives up on Forming New Coalition
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he had failed to form a majority government in parliament, marking a major setback for the embattled Israeli leader that plunges the country into a new period of political uncertainty. In a statement, Netanyahu said he had worked "tirelessly" to establish...
Netanyahu’s Legal Saga Reaches Critical Stage in Israel
JERUSALEM — Prosecutors began a pre-indictment hearing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, opening a critical stage in a lengthy legal saga that threatens to end the career of the long-serving Israeli leader and has paralyzed the country’s political system. Netanyahu’s lawyers sat down with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit...
Israeli Politics Remain in Chaos After Deadlocked Election
JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu has been tasked by Israel's president to form a new government for the sixth time in his lengthy political career. This time it's no mere formality, but rather a daunting endeavor that looks like mission impossible. After an inconclusive national election last week, Netanyahu has no obvious path...