- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, forcing Israel into snap elections slated for September. This has never happened before.
- Negotiations collapsed after an argument over whether Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community should be forced to serve in the military like the rest of the Israeli population.
- Netanyahu is also facing indictment over three separate criminal cases concerning bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
- Some Israeli politicians are trying to write new laws to essentially grant Netanyahu immunity.
- Experts say Netanyahu’s indictment and attempts to manipulate the legal system will likely play a major role in the coming election, and could sour his chances of reelection.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government by this week’s deadline, forcing Israel into snap elections slated for September.
Israel’s parliament voted to dissolve itself in the early hours on Thursday, just over a month after the last time Israel went to the polls and handed Netanyahu his apparent fifth victory.
Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party scored 35 seats of the 120 seats – the same number as opponent Benny Gantz and his new, center-left Kahol Lavan party.
Netanyahu was named victorious by President Reuven Rivlin, as he appeared to have a clear path towards forming a coalition government with several right-wing and religious parties that won an impressive number of seats.
He was given 42 days to negotiate with the aim of securing a majority coalition of at least 61 parliamentary seats.
But shortly after midnight on Thursday, Likud that it had fallen short by one seat.
The shortfall led the Knesset to vote to dissolve. New elections are tentatively scheduled for September 17.
Read the article by Rosie Perper in Business Insider Australia.