Posted on 04/06/2021 9:17:34 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Israel’s political structure is a mystery to most Americans. They vote for parties instead of candidates. Thirteen parties received enough votes in last month’s elections to earn seats in the Knesset. A coalition must be formed with over 50% of Knesset Members backing a Prime Minister. The President is not like our President and has very little power other than helping to form the government. And these are just a few of the things that differ from our own electoral process.
With that in mind, it’s understandable that supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including me, are not excited that he was tapped by President Reuven Rivlin first shot at forming the government. His chances of success are very slim; only 52 of the 120 incoming members support his leadership. 61 are required to form a government, and it’s not going to be easy to get the nine additional MKs to support him. Some have said it’s practically impossible.
He will have 28 days to do so. If he is unable to get the support he needs, Rivlin will likely offer the same opportunity to chairman of the Yesh Atid party Lair Yapid. The opposition leader was able to get recommendations from 45 MKs and has even less of a chance of getting 16 to come on board his coalition. But he will have one advantage by going second. Election fatigue set in long ago in Israel as their fourth election in two years has people demanding a resolution. Assuming Netanyahu fails to form a majority coalition, Yapid may be able to succeed our of national desperation.
“I am under the impression that none of the candidates have a chance to form a coalition,” Rivlin said.
The thing that holds back the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel history is his current criminal trial. According to Jerusalem Post:
Rivlin said that it is problematic to appoint a candidate with a criminal indictment and on trial, but the Supreme Court has ruled it permissible so he decided to stay out of that debate.
“The president cannot replace the legislators,” Rivlin said. “The decision to prevent a candidate under indictment from forming a government is the Knesset’s decision.”
He said that he decided not to take Netanyahu’s ongoing trial into consideration out of a desire to protect the office of the president which “receives the trust of the public.”
In Rivlin’s consultations with the 13 factions in the new Knesset, 52 MKs from four factions recommended Netanyahu, while 45 from five factions recommended Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. Yamina recommended its leader, Naftali Bennett; Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope and the two Arab factions didn’t recommend anyone.
The most likely scenario is a fifth election in less than three years. This will make the future of Israel more clear and will be based on the outcome of Netanyahu’s trial. It’s confusing to most Americans, but it’s worked for Israel.
The good news of another election is Bibi gets to stay right where he is until the Fall. Stability retained.
bibi can do it.
As current Prime Minister don’t they have to give Netenyahu the first chance at forming a government when nobody has a clear majority?
Parliamentary government as it’s practiced in Israel is looking increasingly dysfunctional to the point that it accomplishes nothing...
...and some might argue that’s the feature not the bug. A paralyzed government might in fact be the best government.
No. The Israel president is free to name any MK he thinks has the best chance at forming a government.
One of few actual powers the president has.
If it is all so bad, why is the Masters still on? Just askin.
Trump: One down
Netanyahu: On deck
I’m sorry but after the state of Israel forced all of its citizens to get this stupid vaccine1 I’ve really had it with them
It’s far as I’m concerned the pro HAMAS idiots can take over THERE and let the rest of the citizens there see what happens then
Kind of like THE REAL PRESIDENT allowing the Democrats to complete the STEAL and seeing what’s happening here. CHAOS.
LOL! Stability? Israel's looking at a fifth election in two years. --- All to keep Bibi out of prison.
Stability! ROFL!!
Please do not conflate President Trump with Bibi Netanyahu. I can't think of a bigger insult to the President.
I can.
Thank for playing...
You know that obama/biden the democrats are doing everything to undermine Netanyahu.
Try harder .... conflating Donald Trump with Benjamin Netanyahu is an enormous insult to the President.
Educate yourself before you say anything else.
They don't have to. Everything happening to Benjamin Netanyahu has been brought on by himself ... going back to 1996.
Stop believing the press releases from Bibi.
Eff him
No shit
Netanyahu abandoned Trump faster than any head of state
Screw him
No wonder so many Israelis loathe him
For sure.
When and if I ever get ignorant enough to post something as
stupid as what you just did, I’ll consider educating myself.
That would be hard to do.
In Israel there are plenty of so-called leaders who would
sell Israel out without a moments notice.
Luckily, Netanyahu has been able to put together coalitions
that prevented Israel from having to deal their lack of
global or regional understanding.
There are plenty of situations Israel finds itself in when
Israel’s leaders have to evaluate whether they’ll ever get a
better deal or not.
Under Clinton, Obama, and now Biden, Israel didn’t and won’t
get one break.
Under Trump Netanyahu was lucky enough to get some good
breaks and he jumped at them. Those were the first decent
agreements since the Israel/Egypt agreement.
I consider Netanyahu to be an Israeli First leader.
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