Trump Peace Plan Fails to Make Much Political Hay for Netanyahu

(Bloomberg) -- The unveiling of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which includes approval for the Israeli annexation of West Bank territory, hasn’t given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the boost he needs to stay in office, the latest polls show.

Netanyahu, who is facing a third election in less than a year on March 2, still won’t be able to muster enough support to form a coalition government, according to three polls released on Wednesday by Israeli television stations. The prime minister, who’s been dogged by corruption suspicions, already failed to build a government after two elections held last year.

While Netanyahu’s Likud party enjoyed a bump in the polls, so did former military chief Benjamin Gantz’s Blue and White bloc. Blue and White retained its lead in three polls, with 34-35 of parliament’s 120 seats against Likud’s 33-34.

Netanyahu’s right wing-religious camp was either neck and neck with the center-left-Arab bloc that supports Gantz, or slightly behind. Neither commands a majority in parliament.

A fourth poll gave Likud the lead over Blue and White, with 35 seats to 33.

After the polls were taken, Netanyahu scored another diplomatic victory, by winning the release of an Israeli-American backpacker jailed in Russia. But not all news has been positive for the prime minister this week.

The same day the peace plan was unveiled, Netanyahu scrapped his bid for parliamentary immunity from corruption charges because he couldn’t marshall majority support. Hours later, he was formally indicted on charges of bribery and breach of trust, paving the way for the start of his trial.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alisa Odenheimer in Jerusalem at aodenheimer@bloomberg.net

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

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