NewsIsrael's opposition announces formation of a government without Netanyahu

Israel's opposition announces formation of a government without Netanyahu

The opposition leader Yair Lapid, in charge of forming a government in Israel, announced on Wednesday that he managed to close a pact with the opposition forces to create an executive that would oust current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power.

The new governing coalition, made up of parties from almost the entire ideological spectrum – including an Arab party for the first time – will be led by the religious ultra-nationalist Naftali Bennett for the first two years and will be replaced by the secular centrist Lapid for the next two years. .

They anticipated it on Saturday, almost that they announced it on Sunday, and since Monday the entire country has been in suspense, awaiting whether, after four general elections in two years, the so-called opposition bloc will succeed or not form a government.

Just under two hours after the expiration of the deadline set by Israel’s presidency, opposition leader Yair Lapid announced the support of the Arab Raam party of Islamist Mansur Abas for the coalition project.

“I signed an agreement with Yair Lapid … after we reached a significant number of agreements on different issues that serve the interests of Arab society,” Abas said in a statement.

Lapid’s team released an image of this coalition agreement signed by the heads of eight Israeli parties – two from the left, two from the center, three from the right and one Arab – that could mark a turning point in Israel’s political history. .

The last time that an Arab party supported an executive, although without entering it, dates back to 1992, to the then “government of peace” of Isaac Rabin.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc failed, as planned, an agreement before noon, when parliament met to elect Israel’s 11th president, 60-year-old Labor Isaac Herzog.

The centrist Yair Lapid, who was tasked by the former Israeli president in May with forming a coalition after Netanyahu failed in his attempt, is urgently seeking a “national unity government” deal.

First, it must solve the divisions and aspirations of each other, especially with the coveted Defense or Justice portfolios.

Until that moment, and even during the ceremony in Parliament, nothing will be closed and everything can change, since the agreements reached today by the parties are of a political nature and do not legally commit them, lawyer Tomer Naor, a member of the Movement for a Quality Government in Israel.

A source close to the negotiations had indicated to AFP that one of the bloc aspects was the composition of a committee in charge of appointing judges.

Agreements and disagreement

The coalition is so heterogeneous and unlikely that it disagrees on almost every issue, from the relationship with the Palestinians, the economic revival or the place of religion in politics.

Their only common ground is the desire to end the Netanyahu era, who first came to power 25 years ago and ruled from 1996 to 1999 before being reelected in 2009, since he has served as prime minister.

Netanyahu is on trial for “corruption” in three cases, making him the first head of the Israeli government to face criminal charges while in office.

If he leaves power, he will become a simple deputy and will lose his influence to try to pass a law that protects him from his legal problems.

During his 12-year tenure, Israel’s longest-running leader has been an often polarizing figure at home and abroad. The end of his government may bring relief from domestic political turmoil, but it seems less likely to bring about major changes in foreign policy.

For his part, if Lapid announces an agreement before Wednesday night, he will have seven days to distribute the portfolios and obtain a vote of confidence in Parliament.

The fragile new government, which would have a slim majority in parliament, is only expected to be sworn in in about 10 days, leaving a slight margin for Netanyahu and his allies to try to abort it by putting lawmakers on their side and voting in against.

Israeli political analysts expected Netanyahu to try all possible political maneuvers to achieve this.

According to the Israeli press, the speaker of parliament, Yariv Levin (Likud), could be tempted to delay the vote of confidence in Parliament for a week in the hope that in that time the anti-Netanyahu camp will crack.

Likud lawyers submitted to the Israeli presidency their doubts about the constitutionality of the government rotation project outlined by Yair Lapid.

According to a text consulted by AFP, the presidency ruled out the legal issue and recalled that Bennett could be the first to assume the leadership of the government.

Furthermore, Netanyahu supporters see a possible government deal as a “betrayal.” In the midst of this tension, the security of Bennett and Lapid has been reinforced, according to their formations.

If Lapid fails to form a government before midnight, the deputies can ask the president to entrust this task to a different parliamentarian. Or go back to the polls, for the fifth time in just over two years.

With information from AFP and EFE

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