Netanyahu Urges Push for Coalition as Knesset Votes on Dispersal

(Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Monday to do all in his power to form a new government by a Wednesday deadline as parliament gave preliminary approval to a bill to dissolve itself and hold new elections.

The proposal to dissolve parliament, which must pass several more votes before it becomes law, was seen as a last-ditch effort to persuade two potential partners to put aside their differences over a military draft law. Without the support of both parties, Netanyahu can’t form a majority government in the 120-seat parliament by the deadline of midnight Wednesday.

“There’s no reason to drag the nation to unnecessary elections,” Netanyahu, who was tapped to form the government after April 9 elections, said in a special address to the Knesset. “If there’s a will and a readiness, we can resolve everything in two minutes.”

By calling new elections, Netanyahu would block President Reuven Rivlin from choosing another lawmaker to form a coalition. Netanyahu met Monday evening with former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, who heads one of the recalcitrant parties, in an attempt to resolve the impasse, but the meeting ended without results.

Trump’s Support

Even President Donald Trump weighed in via Twitter, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

“Hoping things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever,” Trump tweeted. “A lot more to do!”

Opposition leader Benny Gantz said Monday that his Blue & White bloc should now be given the chance to form a government. However, Netanyahu prefers to “keep his handle on events” and will disperse the Knesset rather than watch someone else form the government, said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute research center.

Past negotiations have often taken the full six weeks, with brinkmanship rising as the deadline approaches.

“We still have 48 hours. We can do many things in 48 hours,” Netanyahu said, urging Liberman to reconsider his position.

Playing Chicken

The prime minister may be hoping the threat of early elections will bring potential coalition partners into line.

“They’re playing chicken, waiting for the other to succumb,” Plesner said.

Liberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party wants ultra-Orthodox men to serve in the military, as secular Israelis do. The United Torah Judaism bloc of ultra-Orthodox parties wants to maintain draft exemptions for devout men who study religious texts.

Complicating Netanyahu’s coalition-building efforts is a threatened indictment on corruption charges. The attorney general last week postponed until October a hearing where Netanyahu can plead his case to try to avert indictment.

Liberman said Monday the pressure on him to compromise on the Orthodox draft bill only makes him more committed to his position. His resignation as defense minister last November -- when he accused the government of being too soft on Gaza militants -- set in motion the last government’s collapse.

To contact the reporters on this story: Gwen Ackerman in Jerusalem at gackerman@bloomberg.net;Alisa Odenheimer in Jerusalem at aodenheimer@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Michael S. Arnold

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