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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Wed May 6, 2015, 01:00 PM May 2015

Benjamin Netanyahu Struggles to Form Israeli Government as Deadline Nears

Source: New York Times

By JODI RUDORENMAY 6, 2015

JERUSALEM — Facing a midnight deadline to form a government or step aside, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was under intense pressure on Wednesday from the conservative Jewish Home party over powerful ministerial posts and contentious policy positions.

Mr. Netanyahu, who exulted in what looked like a strong mandate for a fourth term after the March 17 elections, instead was scrambling to form a coalition with the slimmest possible majority in Parliament. Many analysts said such a coalition would be able to do little and would be unlikely to last long.

Israeli news organizations reported on Wednesday that Mr. Netanyahu had yielded to Jewish Home’s demand for the Justice Ministry, which the party could use to weaken the Supreme Court, emphasize Israel’s Jewishness and restrict leftist advocacy groups.

If Mr. Netanyahu cannot enlist at least 61 of Parliament’s 120 members into his coalition, President Reuven Rivlin must turn to another lawmaker to try to form a government over the next month. If that attempt fails as well, a third Parliament member would be given a chance; after three failures, new elections would be called.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/world/middleeast/likud-jewish-home-party-negotiate-on-forming-israel-coalition.html?_r=0

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Benjamin Netanyahu Struggles to Form Israeli Government as Deadline Nears (Original Post) Purveyor May 2015 OP
He'll give the hilltop nutters what they want and that will be that. geek tragedy May 2015 #1
I predict a new election before the year is out leftynyc May 2015 #2
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha lark May 2015 #3
+1 Well said. BeanMusical May 2015 #4
So it's 10 pm there now starroute May 2015 #5
No, looks like he got his 61 starroute May 2015 #6
Netanyahu caves in, slated to give justice portfolio to MK Ayelet Shaked former9thward May 2015 #7
What does he expect? Nt Dealra May 2015 #8
 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
1. He'll give the hilltop nutters what they want and that will be that.
Wed May 6, 2015, 01:02 PM
May 2015

It will be very interesting to see how people who claim that there's nothing inconsistent between progressivism and blind support of Israel will react to having a genocidalist racist as Israel's chief law enforcement officer.

 

leftynyc

(26,060 posts)
2. I predict a new election before the year is out
Wed May 6, 2015, 01:09 PM
May 2015

A 61 seat majority is too weak for anyone to govern. Couldn't happen to a nicer asshole.

lark

(23,003 posts)
3. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
Wed May 6, 2015, 01:16 PM
May 2015


So glad to see the little murderer is having a hard time forming a goverment and is being held hostage by the even crazier RWers. New government coming there soon. Hopefully one not so batshit partisan and racist.

starroute

(12,977 posts)
6. No, looks like he got his 61
Wed May 6, 2015, 03:13 PM
May 2015

Fun times.

http://mondoweiss.net/2015/05/netanyahu-palestinians-government

Netanyahu needed a majority of seats in the 120-member Knesset in order to form a government. Bennett refused to have HaBayit HaYehudi—which had the extra eight seats needed, beyond the 53 Bibi had already established, for a majority—join unless Shaked was given the justice ministry position. Netanyahu conceded, on the conditions that she does not appoint rabbinical judges and does not head the committee overseeing the nomination of new judges. . . .

Netanyahu’s fourth government is even further to the right of his previous ones. Many Israelis are concerned, and have characterized the new government as “Bibi’s all-time worst coalition.”

In response to Netanyahu’s appointment of Shaked, head of the Peace Now organization Yariv Oppenheimer commented, “Shaked as Justice Minister is like placing an idol in the Temple. No less.” MK Nachman Shai, of the Zionist Union, remarked “the demand to give Ayelet Shaked the Justice portfolio is like giving the Fire and Rescue Services to a pyromaniac.”

former9thward

(31,805 posts)
7. Netanyahu caves in, slated to give justice portfolio to MK Ayelet Shaked
Wed May 6, 2015, 03:16 PM
May 2015


The Likud agreed on Wednesday to a Bayit Yehudi demand to give the justice portfolio to MK Ayelet Shaked, according to Channel 2.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to present his 61-member coalition to President Reuven Rivlin later today, as his effort to form a new government has reached its final day permitted by law. Talks with Bayit Yehudi continued late into the hours of Tuesday night.

By law, if Netanyahu does not form a government by midnight on Wednesday, Rivlin will be required to call upon another MK to form a government or initiate a general election. Rivlin could ask Zionist Union chairman Isaac Herzog or an MK in the Likud to attempt to form a government in the event of a Netanyahu failure.

The prime minister has coalition deals with Kulanu, United Torah Judaism and Shas, which together with the Likud’s 30 lawmakers, make up 53 MKs. He only needs the eight MKs of Bayit Yehudi to reach the required majority of 61 required to form a coalition.


http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-caves-in-slated-to-give-Justice-portfolio-to-MK-Ayelet-Shaked-402244
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