(NOTE: We usually don’t post international articles, but where Donald Trump and Jared Kushner have strong personal relationships with Mr. Netanyahu, and had been active in his re-election campaign, we felt it would be important to post.)
Less than two months after his biggest-ever electoral victory, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed in a desperate bid to form a new government. The Knesset has now voted to hold a new election on Sept. 17.
Why it matters: This is a huge political defeat for Netanyahu. It’s the first time since the founding of Israel that a prime minister has missed the deadline to form a coalition after winning an election. Netanyahu opted for new elections before Israel’s president offered one of Netanyahu’s political rivals an opportunity to form a government.
Context: New elections will prevent Netanyahu from passing laws giving himself immunity from three pending indictments for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
- Netanyahu’s plans to pass legislation allowing politicians to override Supreme Court rulings will also be hampered.
View the complete May 29 article from Barak Ravid of Israel’s Channel 13 News on the Axios website here.