After Israeli elections, Netanyahu starts building 'indictment-proof' coalition
By Loveday Morris and Loveday Morris Jerusalem bureau chief covering the Middle East Email Bio Follow Ruth Eglash Ruth Eglash Reporter covering Israel and the Palestinian territories Email Bio Follow April 15 at 9:00 AM JERUSALEM — As negotiations on the formation of a new Israeli government got underway Monday, almost a week after parliamentary elections, analysts said one issue is foremost in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s mind: building an “indictment-proof” coalition.
But Netanyahu will be looking to form a bloc that will stand by him regardless of whether expected indictments in three corruption cases against him proceed — or one that will even agree to pass legislation granting him immunity from prosecution. “The difficult thing for him is some of the legislation he’ll have to promise in return,” Wolfsfeld said.
As he met with political parties on Monday, Rivlin urged “courageous unity,” which some political analysts interpreted as a nod toward his preferred option — a unity government that includes Likud and its main rival, the Blue and White party.Final election results are scheduled to be released Wednesday, and they might be adjusted due to complaints of irregularities. But the current tally from the Central Elections Committee gives Likud 36 seats and Blue and White 35.
Part of the campaign platform of the United Right, a far-right faction that includes the extremist Jewish Power, was that it needed to be in the government to stymie any concessions that might come with President Trump’s peace plan. One potential road bump is Avigdor Liberman, who quit Netanyahu’s last government over the prime minister’s Gaza policy. Liberman has yet to back Netanyahu, and he is fiercely secular. He also represents a population in Israel that includes people not recognized as Jews by the ultra-Orthodox.
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