As Israel goes to the polls on 17 March, Netanyahu goes to war against Lapid and Livni
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Israel will hold fresh elections on 17 March after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved parliament. His decision was made after he fired two ministers whom he accused of a "putsch" against him.
For some time, Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, representing centrist parties, have been at odds with the prime minister, whose power base is in Israel's right-wing and ultra-Orthodox camps.
Netanyahu accuses Lapid of being soft on Iran, the Palestinians, as well as the law that would recognise Israel as the homeland "of the Jews" with all of Jerusalem (including Palestinian East Jerusalem) as the "eternal capital" of Israel.
The prime minister accuses Livni of making "irresponsible" comments after she criticised illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories.
For Israeli media, Netanyahu called the election early to save himself from failure by trying to win another election through the support of the most hawkish elements in Israeli society.
Some analysts point to the prime minister's long list of failures: his anti-Iran campaign backfired after Tehran began showing flexibility; his iron fist against the Palestinians rekindled terrorism, even in Jerusalem; his intransigence pushed Europe - especially Sweden, Great Britain, Spain and France yesterday - towards recognising a Palestinian state.
At the same time, the economy, as he himself admitted Tuesday, is in a bad shape.
For Lapid, the country needs an economic policy that helps young couples own a home through subsidies and tax cuts. Instead, Netanyahu's plan favours disproportionately military spending and offers little to ordinary Israelis.
What is more, recent polls show that most Israelis blame Netanyahu for the government's collapse, considering new elections a waste.
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11/06/2021 14:32
31/05/2021 14:44
