JERUSALEM, Israel – Opposition leader Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid Party hopes to present a new coalition government to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin before his June 2nd deadline.
If successful, it would be the first Israeli government in more than ten years without Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.
Lapid has a complicated task and is trying to form a coalition with parties from the left, right, and center along with a first – an Arab Islamist party. They have one common denominator: their opposition to Netanyahu.
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“Actually, the only common issue that all the potential partners for this government can agree upon is that they don’t want to see Netanyahu as prime minister,” said political analyst Dr. Assaf Shapira of the Israel Democracy Institute. “Without Netanyahu, this government won’t be formed.”
The proposed government took a big step forward Sunday when Naftali Bennett said he would join this coalition. He would become prime minister first in a rotation agreement with Lapid. Before the last election, Bennett – a religious conservative – pledged twice he would not serve under Lapid, a key member of the secular left.
The political turmoil comes at a time of massive pressure on Israel after the recent war with Hamas in Gaza by international forums, worldwide demonstrations and the media.
Lapid has until Wednesday night to present his government to Rivlin. If he doesn’t meet the deadline, the Knesset will have three weeks to form a new government. If that fails, Israel will go to new elections for the fifth time in just more than two years.
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