Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held on to his job on Wednesday, announcing that he had hammered together a new coalition government just ahead of a midnight legal deadline, but with a knife-edge majority of just one seat in the 120-member parliament, expectations were that he would have to expand the ruling alliance beyond his natural religious and rightist partners or battle for survival at every vote.
“I am leaving here to call the president and the speaker of the parliament to inform them that I have been able to build a government,” Netanyahu said in remarks at the Knesset after marathon talks with Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett. “We need to launch it next week and we shall do so.”
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s office said he had sent a written note followed up with a telephone call.
Photo: AFP
“I am honored to inform you that I have been successful in forming a government, which I will request is brought before the Knesset for its approval as soon as possible,” Rivlin’s office quoted the note as saying.
“The negotiations are over,” Bennett said on Twitter. “Now we get to work.”
The news came just over an hour ahead of a legal deadline at midnight after which the task of forming a government would have been given to another party leader — most likely Isaac Herzog, head of the center-left Zionist Union, which won 24 seats in the March 17 election, behind 30 for Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud.
The deal with Bennett leaves Netanyahu in command of 61 Knesset votes, bought at the cost of major concessions to his partners.
Analysts say he will be at the mercy of rebels, caprice, or even a bad cold the first time the coalition faces a crucial vote.
He would then be forced to expand the ruling alliance beyond his natural religious and rightist partners, and turn reluctantly to the Zionist Union, which has so far said it will sit in opposition.
“Netanyahu is left with an unmanageable situation,” Tel Aviv University political scientist Emmanuel Navon said.
“The first thing he’ll do tomorrow... is take his phone and start working on a coalition with [the Zionist Union],” he said.
Netanyahu “is a general without soldiers,” the Maariv daily wrote.
Netanyahu himself said he hoped to expand the alliance, without elaborating.
“I have said that 61 is a good number and 61-plus is better still, but it starts at 61,” Netanyahu said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old