Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rivals on Monday sought to finalise a unity coalition that would unseat the veteran Israeli leader, but political commentators saw a bitter fight ahead.
Centrist opposition chief Yair Lapid secured support on Sunday from ultranationalist Naftali Bennett for a “change” government of ideologically disparate rivals.
The deal, in which Bennett would serve first as prime minister under a rotation with Lapid, must be finalised by a deadline of midnight (2200GMT) on Wednesday.
Netanyahu, 71, is the dominant political figure of his generation and his challengers have little in common – save a desire to emerge from his divisive shadow and from unprecedented turmoil which has seen four deadlocked elections in two years.
Hoping to discredit Bennett and other rightists now negotiating with Lapid, Netanyahu has cast them as committing “the fraud of the century” which would, he said, imperil Israel.
Lapid’s riposte was restrained.
“A week from now, the State of Israel can be in a new era. Suddenly it will be quieter. Ministers will go to work without inciting, without lying, without trying to instil fear all of the time,” he said in a televised address.
via Reuters
