Israeli political parties have submitted their final lists of candidates for an unprecedented fifth election in four years, which looks unlikely to break the deadlock between former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his bitter rivals.
The November 1 ballot will feature the veteran Netanyahu leading a bloc of conservative and ultra-religious parties against centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid who is leading a far more fragmented camp, spanning left to right.
So far polls have shown neither camp winning an outright majority in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, an outcome that analysts say could leave Israel facing many more months of political uncertainty as economic and security troubles mount.
Since 2019, Israel has had four inconclusive elections, two short-lived coalition governments and just one state budget while Netanyahu is standing trial on corruption charges that he denies.
“Israel has been in political crisis mode since 2019. This has deep implications for policymaking across the board. The country is paying a price,” Israel Democracy Institute president Yohanan Plesner said.
He noted long-needed economic, education and transportation reforms that would help lower soaring living costs and expand Israel’s work force.
Netanyahu, who was in power consecutively from 2009 to 2021, on Wednesday pledged to form a “strong, stable and national” government that he pledged would “quash terrorism, restore national pride and reduce living costs”.
Read the article in The Canberra Times (AAP).