Israel fails to anoint a leader – again

Tel Aviv | A deeply divided Israel failed to resolve the country’s damaging political impasse in its fourth election in two years, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his opponents able to chart a secure path to forming a coalition government, exit polls and early results showed.

Tuesday’s vote was a referendum on Mr Netanyahu’s leadership, which has been tested by graft charges against him and a coronavirus outbreak that has been curbed but not quelled by the world’s most aggressive vaccination drive.

Once all votes are tallied, President Reuven Rivlin will invite the leader of one bloc to try to form a government that can command at least 61 votes in the 120-member Knesset. If early indications hold, neither camp will easily be able to strike the alliances needed to piece together a parliamentary majority. Failure could tip Israel toward a fifth election.

It was that prospect that a subdued Mr Netanyahu invoked in a brief speech in which he called on potential partners to join him in government. His remarks appeared aimed at former right-wing allies who broke with him to create movements of their own and are now aligned with the opposition.

“We must not drag Israel to new elections, to a fifth election,” he said to a cheering crowd belonging to his Likud party. “We must build a stable government now!”

Read the article by Ami Teibel in the Financial Review.

.