Likud infighting delays Israeli government swearing-in

Benjamin Netanyahu seeks until Sunday to deal with conflict over Cabinet posts

A protest against the swearing in of the new Israeli government outside the Knesset in Jerusalem before it was called off later on May 14, 2020. AFP

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former political rival Benny Gantz on Thursday postponed the swearing-in of their new government as the Israeli leader rushed to quell fighting within his Likud party.

The two men said they would hold a swearing-in ceremony on Sunday to give Mr Netanyahu more time to give coveted Cabinet appointments to members of his party.

After three deadlocked and divisive elections and more than a year of political paralysis, Mr Netanyahu had hoped to swear in the government on Thursday.

He and Mr Gantz, a former military chief, announced last month that they would put their differences aside to steer the country through the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout.

Mr Gantz's Blue and White party dissolved after he reneged on a key campaign promise not to serve under a prime minister who was scheduled to go on trial this month for corruption charges.

His power-sharing deal with Mr Netanyahu resulted in the most bloated government in Israeli history and new legislation to help the premier cling to power.

The agreement could only be realised after Israel's Supreme Court ruled it had no legal grounds to block it.

Despite the criticism, Mr Gantz said that teaming up with Mr Netanyahu was the only way to avoid a fourth election.

Just as the government was set to be sworn in late on Thursday under strict social distancing guidelines, the two men announced the delay.

The power-sharing deal calls for Mr Netanyahu to serve as prime minister for the government’s first 18 months, before being replaced by Mr Gantz for the next 18 months.

Their blocs will have a similar number of ministers and veto power over each other’s major decisions.

Mr Netanyahu's bloc includes several smaller parties, so he has a limited number of ministries to hand out to Likud members.

Yohanan Plesner, president of the non-partisan Israel Democracy Institute, said the new government's main achievement would be ending the longest political deadlock in Israeli history.

But Mr Plesner said the deep distrust between the opposing camps left doubts on how they could govern together.

“The jury is still out if indeed the political deadlock is over and if we have a broad government that will exercise its authority,” he said.

Mr Gantz will start out as Defence Minister, with party colleague and fellow retired military chief Gabi Ashkenazi as Foreign Minister.

Mr Netanyahu's top deputy in Likud, departing foreign minister Yisrael Katz, will become Finance Minister.

Yariv Levin, perhaps Mr Netanyahu’s closest ally, will become the new Parliamentary Speaker.

The coalition will include two ultra-orthodox Jewish parties and some defectors to hold up to 73 of the Knesset's 120 seats.

Critics have already accused the government of being out of touch by creating so many Cabinet posts when unemployment has risen to 25 per cent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

They also object to the newly created position of “alternate prime minister”.

The post that could allow Mr Netanyahu to remain in office even after the swap, and throughout his corruption trial and any appeals process.

The new position includes an exemption from a law that requires public officials who are not prime minister to resign if charged with a crime.

Mr Netanyahu has been indicted with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in scandals involving trading favours with wealthy media moguls.

He denies any wrongdoing and blames the charges on a media-orchestrated plot to remove him.

Since his indictment last autumn, Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly attacked the country’s legal system.

His legal problems and fitness to serve were central issues in the recent election campaigns.

Another hot topic will be Mr Netanyahu's intention for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank as soon as this summer.

The coalition agreement allows him to present an annexation proposal as early as July 1.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a one-day visit to Israel on Wednesday for talks that included discussions on President Donald Trump's Middle East plan.

The plan includes giving 30 per cent of the West Bank to permanent Israeli control.

The talks looked at "all the ways to move forward", Mr Pompeo told the pro-Netanyahu daily Israel Hayom on Thursday.

The Palestinians claim the entire West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as the heartland of an independent state.

Annexing parts of this territory would probably end the Palestinians’ diminishing hopes of a two-state solution and anger the international community, which overwhelmingly supports Palestinian statehood.

Mr Gantz said he would only support such a move with international backing.

Mr Netanyahu's nationalist base is eager to push for annexation before the US elections in November, after which Mr Trump could be replaced by Joe Biden, who said he opposed unilateral annexation.