Thanks to a devoted base of supporters and a public that tends to agree with his world view, he is most likely to emerge as prime minister after the April 9 vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he delivers a statement at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, on Feb. 28, 2019.Just over a month before elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks more vulnerable than ever.
The most serious charge is bribery, for allegedly promoting regulatory changes that helped Shaul Elovitch, the head of telecom giant Bezeq, reap a hefty financial windfall. In exchange, Elovitch allegedly had Bezeq’s popular news site, Walla, publish favourable items about Netanyahu and his family, while promoting negative coverage of some of Netanyahu’s rivals.
That means Netanyahu can continue to lead his Likud Party into elections, even with a cloud of scandal over his head.Like his good friend Donald Trump, Netanyahu enjoys the staunch support of a loyal base that has remained firmly behind him during the past few years of police investigations. In addition, lawmakers in Netanyahu’s Likud Party have lined up behind him. Thursday’s announcement by Mandelblit is unlikely to change that.
Even with all his troubles, Netanyahu and his political allies, a mixture of hard-line religious and nationalist parties, appear to be best positioned to form the next parliamentary coalition, reflecting a broader shift toward the right in public opinion over the past two decades.Netanyahu, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term, faces a challenger unlike any he has seen before.
Even so, polls forecast an extremely tight race in which Gantz could struggle to cobble together a majority coalition with his centrist and leftist allies, particularly if Arab parties, which have never sat in government, are excluded. The picture will become clearer in the coming days as opinion polls indicate whether support for Netanyahu has eroded.In order to win, Gantz will have to lure moderate Likud supporters who may be willing to give a more centrist candidate a chance to govern. If Gantz can maintain a solid lead, he will likely be given the first crack at putting together a coalition.
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