FOCUS: Netanyahu's Trump-Style Campaign to Stop Israel's Transfer of Power |
Written by <a href="index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=59656"><span class="small">Barak Ravid, Axios</span></a> |
Wednesday, 09 June 2021 11:37 |
Ravid writes: "On the verge of being replaced after 12 years in power, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waging a desperate, Trump-style campaign to de-legitimize the incoming government and accuse its leaders of perpetrating 'the fraud of the century.'" Netanyahu's Trump-Style Campaign to Stop Israel's Transfer of Power09 June 21
n the verge of being replaced after 12 years in power, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is waging a desperate, Trump-style campaign to de-legitimize the incoming government and accuse its leaders of perpetrating “the fraud of the century." Why it matters: The situation has become so tense — with members of the Israeli Knesset facing death threats and demonstrations from angry Netanyahu supporters outside their homes — that the director of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency issued a rare warning of potential political violence. The backstory: Netanyahu failed to form a government after Israel's fourth consecutive election in March, after which Naftali Bennett — a right-wing former Netanyahu protege — cut a power-sharing deal with the "anti-Netanyahu bloc" to become the next prime minister.
What they're saying: Netanyahu initially refused to condemn the incitement against Bennett and his allies, but on Monday afternoon he condemned the violent rhetoric on "every side" and falsely claimed that the media had refused to cover similar incitement against his family.
In Monday's speech, Netanyahu also doubled down on his attacks against Bennett and said his power-sharing government with opposition leader Yair Lapid was “the biggest election fraud in history."
The other side: Bennett responded with a speech of his own during the evening news, echoing the tone used by Joe Biden on Jan. 6 and calling on Netanyahu to commit to a peaceful transition of power.
What to watch: Bennett and Lapid need to survive a confidence vote in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, to ensure they take power.
What’s next: If the confidence vote succeeds, the swearing in of the new government will take place on Sunday at 9am ET. Netanyahu is expected to give a speech beforehand attacking the incoming government.
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