The results of the September 17, 2019 elections in Israel were a statistical tie, throwing the decision of who would be the new Prime Minister to Israel President Reuven Rivlin who gave first dibs to Benjamin Netanyahu.
Try as he may, try as he might, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed.
Next President Rivlin handed the mantle to Benny Gantz who also failed to form a government by the November 20 deadline.
Now Israel faces the prospect of having an unprecedented 3rd election in less than one year.
So, to avoid asking election-weary Israelis to go to the polls again in a few months, Israel’s parliament now has the option to nominate another lawmaker to try to put together a governing a majority coalition to govern.
Weighing in on this complex topic is a man who is no stranger to Israeli politics, David Rubin, former mayor of Shiloh, Israel, and author of “Trump and the Jews.”
Suggested Questions:
- David, who is President Rivlin likely to pick to try their hand at forming a governing coalition within 21 days, to avoid another early election?
Answer: That’s a great question. The answer is: I don’t know.
- Well, whoever is picked, is there any key political player who can tip the scales in securing the needed 61-seat Knesset member majority?
Answer: Avigdor Liberman is the kingmaker, but won’t be the king. He can’t garner enough support to be Prime Minister, but he does control the balance of power to form the needed majority IF they give him at least some of what he wants, which is avowedly secular-oriented legislation. But that’s a big IF since he has publicly insisted on a government without religious parties, a so-called “government without God”.
- Can you explain to our viewers/listeners the difference between the Israeli form of government and the U.S. government?
Answer: Of course. Israel has a rather unwieldy parliamentary system with a whole bunch of smaller parties. It’s a system in which the leader of the most popular party must form a majority coalition by appealing to smaller parties that will join his coalition. Of the smaller parties, Liberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party was considered a ‘major minority’ and he now is the biggest potential ‘kingmaker.’
- What are the options of Netanyahu or Gantz cutting a deal with Liberman?
Answer: Netanyahu and Liberman have had a very shaky relationship in the past. As for Gantz and Liberman forming a coalition, that is unlikely because they would need to include political parties that are believed to stand for the destruction of Israel. So, unless someone budges, it looks like we may see new early elections again.
- Since it looks like a Netanyahu government or new elections, what would another term of Netanyahu look like if he coalesces with Liberman?
Answer: The coalition would be more aggressive against Iran and the terrorist organizations and might declare Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (the so-called West Bank), as well.
- You have a new book out called “Trump and the Jews.” Where may we get a copy of it? Answer: At Amazon.com simply type in the words, “Trump and the Jews”.
Bio: David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews”. Rubin is the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack. He can be found at www.DavidRubinIsrael.com or at http://www.ShilohIsraelChildren.org
Reference article from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2019/11/20/781260650/israel-may-hold-new-elections-after-netanyahus-rival-fails-to-form-government
