Israeli President Taps Netanyahu to Form Hardline Coalition

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

President Rivlin defied precedent, choosing head of the Knesset's second largest party, Netanyahu, to try forming a ruling coalition — despite little prospect he'll succeed.

After urging Likud's Netanyahu and Blue and White's Gantz to form a unity government, talks broke down over the prime minister's unacceptable demands — wanting to retain power, making him less vulnerable to prosecution and conviction on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges.

With evidence against him damning, it's touch and go on whether he can avoid accountability — even if remaining prime minister.

Haaretz editors slammed Rivlin's breach of responsibility. Before tapping Netanyahu over Gantz, extending him a possible lifeline to avoid justice, they said:

"It isn't clear by what rights Rivlin took it upon himself to extend the boundaries of presidential discretion and implore the sides to renege on their promises to their voters." 

"Rivlin is both mistaken and misleading when he describes not wanting to join a government with Netanyahu as a boycott." 

Blue and White "was established for the purpose of offering an alternative to Netanyahu and his corrupt and corrupting government."

Rivlin is obligated "to assign the job of forming a government to the person with the best chances of being able to do so…" It's not Netanyahu, his support seats short of a 61-MK majority.

After tapping Netanyahu over Gantz, Haaretz editors said Rivlin gave him more time than the customary 100-day limit to form a ruling coalition.

His improper action "seeks to subordinate the state to the legal predicament of the man at its helm" — instead of " fulfilling the president's traditional role: giving the task to the" leading vote getter, Benny Gantz.

During his reelection campaign, Netanyahu used every dirty trick in the book to retain power and avoid justice.

Haaretz editors: "Rivlin is meant to protect the state from such assaults, not serve as the national mediator because the people don't want new elections."

Like the US and other Western states, Israel is a fantasy democracy, never the real thing from inception.

Israeli occupation, colonialism, and apartheid, worse than South Africa's, defy what democracy the way it should be is all about.

Each election cycle, the vast majority of Knesset members reject it. Israeli Arab citizens, over one-fifth of the population, are enfranchised in name only.

Powerless, they have no say over Israeli governance. Mistreated as fifth column threats, their Knesset representatives are marginalized, disrespected, scorned, and at times abused.

War-mongering fascists, Zionist ideologues, and religious fundamentalists run the Jewish state, Arab citizens and Occupied Palestinians held hostage to their hostile to peace, equity and justice agenda.

Gantz's only redeeming attribute is he's not Netanyahu. If the prime minister can't form a ruling coalition, what's most likely, an unprecedented third election looms next year.

Holding Netanyahu accountable for civil crimes too egregious to ignore is the only way out of the impasse.

On October 2, his pre-indictment hearing begins. Attorney general Mandelblit earlier said he'll indict the prime minister, pending its outcome.

He's empowered to hold him accountable, ending his political career and personal freedom by doing the right thing.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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