Israel: Netanyahu-Gantz does not agree to form the next government
Israel: Netanyahu-Gantz does not agree to form the next government
Despite an additional 48 hours, the outgoing Prime Minister and the formation chief Kahol Lavan failed to reach an agreement, prolonging the longest political crisis in Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz failed to agree on a government of "unity and urgency" , in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, after Thursday April 16, of their ultimatum to try to put an end to the longest political crisis in the history of Israel.
After 16 months of transitional government, three most improbable and sometimes most desperate legislative elections and twists and turns for some Israelis, the teams of MM. Netanyahu, 70, and Gantz, 60, reunited Wednesday evening after the end of the Jewish Passover festivities, Passover.
With the consent of a majority of parliamentarians after the legislative elections of March 2, the president, Reuven Rivlin, had granted Mr. Gantz the mandate to form the next government. And the latter had caused surprise by saying that he accepted to form a government with Benjamin Netanyahu, which he had refused until then, accusing the Prime Minister in particular of corruption.
In the past two weeks, the two have escalated talks to the point where, after Mr. Gantz's term expired on Monday evening, the president decided in extremis to put a token back into the bargaining machine, thereby granting two leaders until midnight local time on Wednesday (11 p.m. in Paris) to find a government agreement .
But after midnight, Mr. Gantz's term has expired, a source in the presidency confirmed to Agence France-Presse. In theory, the Israeli president could ask parliamentarians to recommend another elected representative to try to form a government and get Israel out of an unprecedented political crisis, in the midst of the new coronavirus crisis which has infected more than 12,000 people there. , of which 130 have died. Otherwise, new legislative elections will be inevitable, for the fourth time in just over a year.
Netanyahu and Gantz released a joint statement on Thursday saying they would continue negotiations later today.
Points of disagreement
The past few weeks have shown tensions between the two camps over the choice, in particular, of the future Minister of Justice, who will be in charge during the trial of Mr. Netanyahu, prosecuted for corruption, embezzlement and breach of trust in three cases.
The trial of the most enduring prime minister in the history of Israel with fourteen years in power was scheduled to begin in mid-March. But containment measures to try to contain the Covid-19 crisis forced, as in many countries, the closure of the courts and therefore the postponement of the trial.
Disagreements also seem to persist on the appointment of a defense minister - Mr. Gantz and his acolyte Gaby Ashkenazi being ex-chiefs of staff -, as well as on the project to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.
"Hour of Truth"
Benny Gantz, who until a short time ago refused to participate in a government led by Netanyahu because of his indictment for corruption, was watered in after he was initially appointed to form the government. , at least in the short term, to his plan to become prime minister and by consenting to participate in a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Netanyahu, we have come to the hour of truth," said Gantz this week, whose plan to form a government with his rival contributed to the implosion of his own centrist coalition, Kahol Lavan (Bleu Blanc). . Tenors of his party refused to join him in his policy of reaching out to Mr. Netanyahu, who now faces a weakened opposition.
After these rounds of discussions without convincing results, many editorialists wonder about the intentions of the outgoing Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu does he really want to share power with Benny Gantz?
Raising moreover on very favorable opinion polls which approve its management of the pandemic - Israel having been named the safest country, before Germany, according to a study of the consortium DKV -, the Prime Minister could play the wait-and-see attitude in order to provoke a fourth election and remain by then in power.
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