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| Israel Faces Prospect of New Election as Netanyahu’s Coalition Talks Stall | Israel Faces Prospect of New Election as Netanyahu’s Coalition Talks Stall |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Israel was in political turmoil on Wednesday as a midnight deadline approached for the formation of a new government, without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party having managed to form a coalition. | JERUSALEM — Israel was in political turmoil on Wednesday as a midnight deadline approached for the formation of a new government, without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party having managed to form a coalition. |
| The Parliament was debating a bill to disperse itself only a month after being sworn in, paving the way for a new election, barring an 11th-hour coalition deal. | The Parliament was debating a bill to disperse itself only a month after being sworn in, paving the way for a new election, barring an 11th-hour coalition deal. |
| What had appeared to be a sure victory for Mr. Netanyahu after the April 9 election — his conservative Likud party seemed poised to easily form a coalition with its past right-wing and religious allies — threatened to turn into a stunning debacle. | What had appeared to be a sure victory for Mr. Netanyahu after the April 9 election — his conservative Likud party seemed poised to easily form a coalition with its past right-wing and religious allies — threatened to turn into a stunning debacle. |
| Facing possible corruption charges, Mr. Netanyahu had less political wiggle room to turn to more liberal parties, and has found himself at the mercy of secular ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox factions engaged in a power struggle over proposed legislation on military service. | Facing possible corruption charges, Mr. Netanyahu had less political wiggle room to turn to more liberal parties, and has found himself at the mercy of secular ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox factions engaged in a power struggle over proposed legislation on military service. |
| In a sign of his desperation, he approached the center-left Labor Party but was rebuffed, Avi Gabbay, the party’s leader, said Wednesday night. | |
| President Reuven Rivlin had given Mr. Netanyahu six weeks to form a government, the maximum allowed by law. With hours to go before the deadline of midnight in Israel, Mr. Rivlin addressed an increasingly baffled Israeli public via social media to try to explain what could happen next. This would be the first time in Israel’s history that a new election had to be called so soon after a previous one because of a failure to agree on a government. | President Reuven Rivlin had given Mr. Netanyahu six weeks to form a government, the maximum allowed by law. With hours to go before the deadline of midnight in Israel, Mr. Rivlin addressed an increasingly baffled Israeli public via social media to try to explain what could happen next. This would be the first time in Israel’s history that a new election had to be called so soon after a previous one because of a failure to agree on a government. |
| “If the government is not formed by midnight tonight I have two options and I must take one of them within three days,” Mr. Rivlin said. | “If the government is not formed by midnight tonight I have two options and I must take one of them within three days,” Mr. Rivlin said. |
| “The first option is to entrust any other member of Parliament with forming a government, except for a member of Parliament who has already had the opportunity and has not succeeded,” he said, referring to Mr. Netanyahu. | “The first option is to entrust any other member of Parliament with forming a government, except for a member of Parliament who has already had the opportunity and has not succeeded,” he said, referring to Mr. Netanyahu. |
| Mr. Rivlin, an old rival of Mr. Netanyahu’s, said he would consult with representatives of all the parties before making any decisions. He also said he would do all he could to prevent new elections, signaling his disapproval of Likud’s move to disperse Parliament. | Mr. Rivlin, an old rival of Mr. Netanyahu’s, said he would consult with representatives of all the parties before making any decisions. He also said he would do all he could to prevent new elections, signaling his disapproval of Likud’s move to disperse Parliament. |
| His second option, he said, “is to inform the speaker of the Parliament that there is no possibility of forming a government and that there is no alternative to calling elections.” | |
| Even then, a majority in the Parliament could then decide to give the chance of forming a government to any other candidate, or to give Mr. Netanyahu another opportunity. | |
| Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud has tried to pre-empt any other candidate by advancing its own bill to disperse the Parliament and prepare for a new election. The bill passed a first reading late Monday but still needed to be put to a final vote, presumably by midnight, or at least before Mr. Rivlin makes any other move. | |
| Yet nothing was certain. The opposition was threatening a filibuster and it was not entirely clear that the bill had majority support. The parties were already sparring over a proposed date for a new election, which would be likely to take place in about three months. | Yet nothing was certain. The opposition was threatening a filibuster and it was not entirely clear that the bill had majority support. The parties were already sparring over a proposed date for a new election, which would be likely to take place in about three months. |
| The main stumbling block to forming a coalition has been Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the secular ultranationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu. | The main stumbling block to forming a coalition has been Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the secular ultranationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu. |
| With Likud, the ultra-Orthodox parties and other right-wing allies commanding only 60 parliamentary seats — one short of a majority — Mr. Lieberman’s five seats qualified him as a kingmaker. He sought to position himself as the champion of Israel’s secular right and a bulwark against the growing influence of the ultra-Orthodox parties. | With Likud, the ultra-Orthodox parties and other right-wing allies commanding only 60 parliamentary seats — one short of a majority — Mr. Lieberman’s five seats qualified him as a kingmaker. He sought to position himself as the champion of Israel’s secular right and a bulwark against the growing influence of the ultra-Orthodox parties. |
| Mr. Netanyahu has long been nicknamed “the magician” for the political wizardry that has kept him in office continuously for the last decade, in addition to three years in the 1990s. | Mr. Netanyahu has long been nicknamed “the magician” for the political wizardry that has kept him in office continuously for the last decade, in addition to three years in the 1990s. |
| But he is facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases, and those legal troubles have hampered his chances of forming an alternative government, lessening his leverage in coalition negotiations. | But he is facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three corruption cases, and those legal troubles have hampered his chances of forming an alternative government, lessening his leverage in coalition negotiations. |
| The main opposition party, the centrist Blue and White, which won 35 seats in April, the same number as Likud, has refused to be part of a government with a prime minister facing indictment. And Mr. Netanyahu had little interest in pursuing such a partnership, since Blue and White would not have agreed to legislation guaranteeing him immunity from prosecution while in office. | The main opposition party, the centrist Blue and White, which won 35 seats in April, the same number as Likud, has refused to be part of a government with a prime minister facing indictment. And Mr. Netanyahu had little interest in pursuing such a partnership, since Blue and White would not have agreed to legislation guaranteeing him immunity from prosecution while in office. |
| Mr. Netanyahu was given the mandate to form a government by Mr. Rivlin in April, on the recommendation of 65 legislators, including those from Mr. Lieberman’s party. Mr. Lieberman says he still supports Mr. Netanyahu for the premiership, and no other candidate, but will enter a Netanyahu government only on his terms. | Mr. Netanyahu was given the mandate to form a government by Mr. Rivlin in April, on the recommendation of 65 legislators, including those from Mr. Lieberman’s party. Mr. Lieberman says he still supports Mr. Netanyahu for the premiership, and no other candidate, but will enter a Netanyahu government only on his terms. |
| Even as his party advanced the process of dispersing the Parliament, the prime minister blamed Mr. Lieberman for the political impasse. In a televised address Monday night at prime time, Mr. Netanyahu said, “There is no point in dragging the country to elections, which will cost a fortune and paralyze us all. Another six months? What have we turned into, into what Italy used to be?” | Even as his party advanced the process of dispersing the Parliament, the prime minister blamed Mr. Lieberman for the political impasse. In a televised address Monday night at prime time, Mr. Netanyahu said, “There is no point in dragging the country to elections, which will cost a fortune and paralyze us all. Another six months? What have we turned into, into what Italy used to be?” |
| Mr. Lieberman, an unpredictable tough-talker with a penchant for political drama, has a long history of rivalry with Mr. Netanyahu, as well as periods of close cooperation. | Mr. Lieberman, an unpredictable tough-talker with a penchant for political drama, has a long history of rivalry with Mr. Netanyahu, as well as periods of close cooperation. |
| Mr. Lieberman brought his party into the last Netanyahu government in 2016, a year into its term, stabilizing an administration that previously had a parliamentary majority of only one. Mr. Lieberman insisted on being defense minister. He then resigned from the post in November, citing what he described as the government’s soft policy toward Gaza and calling for early elections. | Mr. Lieberman brought his party into the last Netanyahu government in 2016, a year into its term, stabilizing an administration that previously had a parliamentary majority of only one. Mr. Lieberman insisted on being defense minister. He then resigned from the post in November, citing what he described as the government’s soft policy toward Gaza and calling for early elections. |
| The policy he objected to — facilitating transfers of millions of dollars of cash from Qatar to Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, to maintain a fragile calm — has not changed. | The policy he objected to — facilitating transfers of millions of dollars of cash from Qatar to Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, to maintain a fragile calm — has not changed. |
| At the core of the latest political crisis was a sharp disagreement between Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies over legislation to replace a military draft law that exempted ultra-Orthodox men. Israel’s Supreme Court has set a deadline of late July to replace the draft law. | At the core of the latest political crisis was a sharp disagreement between Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies over legislation to replace a military draft law that exempted ultra-Orthodox men. Israel’s Supreme Court has set a deadline of late July to replace the draft law. |
| Mr. Lieberman has insisted that a new law that would set modest quotas for enlisting ultra-Orthodox men must pass without alteration. The religious parties, which have 16 parliamentary seats, insist it must be softened. | Mr. Lieberman has insisted that a new law that would set modest quotas for enlisting ultra-Orthodox men must pass without alteration. The religious parties, which have 16 parliamentary seats, insist it must be softened. |
| The issue of unequal conscription has long roiled Israeli society and politics. Most Jewish 18-year-olds are drafted for more than two years. But Mr. Lieberman has also said that the military draft law is just a “symptom” of a broader battle over the character of the country. | The issue of unequal conscription has long roiled Israeli society and politics. Most Jewish 18-year-olds are drafted for more than two years. But Mr. Lieberman has also said that the military draft law is just a “symptom” of a broader battle over the character of the country. |
| In a Facebook post late Tuesday, he denied that he was involved in any personal “vendetta” against Mr. Netanyahu or was seeking to topple him, as some commentators had suggested. | In a Facebook post late Tuesday, he denied that he was involved in any personal “vendetta” against Mr. Netanyahu or was seeking to topple him, as some commentators had suggested. |
| He wrote: “I am for the state of Israel, I am for a Jewish state, but I am against a state based on Jewish religious law.” | He wrote: “I am for the state of Israel, I am for a Jewish state, but I am against a state based on Jewish religious law.” |