Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former rival Benny Gantz announced on Monday April 20 that an emergency government would be formed, ending the longest political crisis in the country's history in the midst of a pandemic. Covid-19 and removing the specter of fourth parliamentary elections in more than a year.
After sixteen months of transitional government, three parliamentary elections and many twists and turns, Benjamin Netanyahu, 70, and Benny Gantz, 60, found themselves in the evening just before the start of Yom Hashoah, the "Holocaust Day", which is held from sunset Monday to dusk Tuesday in Israel.
The talks were intended to seal the union between the two former electoral rivals after many unsuccessful attempts. This time was finally good.
"An agreement for the formation of a national emergency government has been signed" by Mr. Netanyahu, head of Likud (right), and Mr. Gantz, the leader of the Bleu Blanc party (centrist), said the formations of the two men in a statement.
After the legislative elections of March 2 – the third in less than a year, which were finally to decide between MM. Nétanyahou et Gantz -, the president, Réouven Rivlin, had entrusted the latter with the task of forming the next government.
Majority in Parliament
However, in a surprise turnaround, Gantz was finally elected president of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, Thursday, March 26, as part of a potential power-sharing agreement with the outgoing prime minister, who is playing for his political survival. after being charged with corruption in a series of cases.
Details of the agreement between the two men were not released immediately, but, according to Israeli media, could introduce a power-sharing timetable. General Gantz was negotiating a rotation agreement at the head of the government, which would see him succeed Mr. Netanyahu within a fixed period of time.
Last week, Gantz’s term had expired, and the President had mandated the Knesset to propose a new elected official in just under three weeks to try to form a government. In parallel, the teams of MM. Gantz and Netanyahu, who together have a majority of parliamentary votes, had continued their talks for the formation of a union government.
