Israel’s main opposition party has split after its leader, Benny Gantz, was elected speaker of parliament with the support of his rivals, including Benjamin Netanyahu, in a stunning plot twist to a year-long political crisis.
Gantz’s surprise move was widely interpreted as a precursor to a power-sharing deal with the prime minister to form an emergency government. The coronavirus pandemic, including more than 2,600 confirmed Israeli cases, has added urgency to break a stalemate between the two leaders.
Whatever the outcome, Gantz took a risk by nominating himself. Throughout three elections, the former head of the army has run campaigns squarely focused on promises to oust Netanyahu, who is under indictment for alleged corruption.
Now, Gantz’s Blue and White party looks on the brink of disintegration, with factions within it refusing to back his candidacy for speaker, and several moving to break away. Both the Yesh Atid and Telem parties, which hold more than half of Blue and White’s seats, filed to break away from the alliance.
Tamar Zandberg, a member of the leftwing Meretz party allied with Blue and White, accused Gantz of abandoning millions of voters who sought an alternative to Netanyahu.
“You’ll end up a rug under the feet of an alleged crook, an inciter and racist,” she said in a speech to the session. “We are overwhelmed by the depth of the deceit and disgrace that has plagued today.”
More details soon …
source https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/benny-gantz-elected-israeli-speaker-signalling-deal-with-netanyahu
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