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For the second time this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to form a government, opening the door for his main rival Benny Gantz to do so.
But the former Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff’s chances are no more certain, as Israel faces the reality of protracted political deadlock and the growing possibility of a third general election within 12 months.
In a video statement, explaining why he was returning the formal right to form a ruling coalition to President Reuven Rivlin, Netanyahu said Monday evening:
“In the course of recent weeks, I made every effort in order to bring Benny Gantz to the negotiating table, every effort in order to establish a wide national government, every effort to prevent additional elections. Unfortunately, time after time he simply refused.”
In a statement, Gantz signaled he was ready to pick up the mandate and attempt to get a breakthrough.
“The time of spin is over, and it is now time for action. Blue and White is determined to form the liberal unity government, led by Benny Gantz, that the people of Israel voted for a month ago,” his party said in a statement. Gantz’s political partner in Blue and White was more direct.
“Netanyahu failed again,” said Yair Lapid. “It’s become a habit.”
For the first time in a decade, Netanyahu is not firmly in charge of Israeli politics.
He has tightened his grip on his own Likud party and united the religious Zionist and ultra-Orthodox parties under his leadership, but he has shown himself unable to win an election decisively two times in a row.
On top of that, a potential indictment in ongoing corruption investigations before the end of the year could deal another major blow to the longest-serving leader in Israel’s history.
Netanyahu has maintained his innocence, but if he is formally charged it would likely mean further damage both political and personal.
Long considered the magician of Israeli politics, Netanyahu had 28 days to negotiate the formation of a government and he could have requested two additional weeks as is standard in Israeli politics but he returned the mandate to the President a few days early, on what happened to be his 70th birthday.
Netanyahu’s failure paves the way for his chief political opponent to get the chance to form a government.
Blue and White Party leader Gantz can expect to receive the mandate from the President, but only after parliamentary factions have had the opportunity to inform him if they have updated their position on their choice to form the next government.
