Israel's politics: what just happened, and what's next?

  • 5/31/2021
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Two rivals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a partnership on Sunday that could remove Israel"s longest-serving leader. read more Here is a timeline of events that led to the emerging coalition deal between centrist Yair Lapid and the far-right Naftali Bennett, and what happens next. March 23, 2021 - Israel holds its fourth inconclusive election in two years. As in every previous vote, no party won a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu"s right-wing Likud emerges as the biggest party. Lapid"s centrist Yesh Atid (There is a Future) comes second. Bennett"s Yamina (Rightwards) party wins just six seats, but he emerges as kingmaker. April 6 - President Reuven Rivlin gives Netanyahu 28 days to form a new government. He woos smaller right-wing and religious parties, including Yamina, but fails. May 5 - Rivlin turns to Lapid , who tries to form a "government of change" from an unlikely coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties. Such a coalition would be fragile and require outside backing by Arab members of Israel"s parliament, who oppose much of the right-wing agenda of some in the group. May 10 - Fighting erupts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and unrest breaks out in many mixed Jewish-Arab cities in Israel. Coalition talks break down. May 21 - Ceasefire declared. Coalition talks resume. May 30 - Bennett announces he will join centrist rivals to unseat Netanyahu. June 2 - Deadline for Lapid to announce whether he has formed a majority coalition. If he fails, the president turns it over to anyone in the Knesset, Israel"s parliament. This could include Netanyahu, even though he has already had a shot. June 23 - If no nominee is chosen within 21 days, or if the nominee does not form a government, parliament automatically dissolves and a fifth election is held, probably in the autumn.

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