Crucial deadline looms for Netanyahu’s bid to form government

On a day of extraordinary political theater in Israel, as the Knesset at noon Wednesday began debating a bill to dissolve itself a mere month after it was sworn in, the following 12 hours appeared to present three possible outcomes:

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu solves his government-building crisis and manages to sign up a 65-strong coalition;
• Netanyahu runs out of time, cannot form a coalition, and the Knesset votes for dissolution and new elections in September;
• Netanyahu fails to form a coalition, the Knesset does not vote for dissolution, and instead President Reuven Rivlin restarts the process of identifying the Knesset member with the best chance of putting together a majority coalition.

Negotiations on forming Israel’s new government are coming down to the wire, with newly reelected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu trying to form a coalition government before a midnight deadline.

Netanyahu was reelected prime minister on April 9, and he has been trying to form a coalition government during six weeks of difficult negotiations.

Via DW / Times of Israel