Israel appears to be heading for elections after talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid Monday night failed to conclude with an agreement. The talks were meant to address the crisis threatening the fragile coalition, Ynet news reported.
Talks broke down late Monday after Lapid, chairman of the Yesh Atid party, refused to accept Netanyahu’s demands to retract his opposition to the Jewish nationhood bill, stop undermining the government over construction in Jerusalem, free up funds for the IDF’s planned relocation to southern Israel and transfer NIS 6 billion to the defense budget for training and procurement. Moreover, Netanyahu wanted Lapid to freeze his flagship bill for new legislation that would eliminate the value added tax on new apartment purchases by first-time homeowners – a hallmark of Lapid’s economic policy agenda.
Lapid told Netanyahu that he could not accede to the demands – paving his way to leave the coalition, according to Haaretz.
These reports signal that the country is heading towards early elections less than two years after Netanyahu formed a coalition in which Lapid headed the second-biggest party. Opinion surveys have indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party would again emerge as the largest party in a fresh poll, giving him a fourth term as Prime Minister.
The talk of early elections and coalition meeting on Monday followed threats from Tzipi Livni, the justice minister, and Lapid to resign from the coalition if the bill to declare Israel “the nation state of the Jewish people” becomes law. The prime minister says the law is necessary to counter Palestinian opposition to Jews’ right to live in Israel. The cabinet approved this bill a week ago and sent it to parliament for discussion and a subsequent vote.
In a conference call hosted by The Israel Project, Israel Channel 2 television political affairs reporter Amit Segal said that if the Knesset- Israel’s parliament- votes to dissolve and hold elections, the most likely dates for a national vote would be March 17 or 24, 2015.
[Photo: 10 Downing Street / Flickr ]