JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli President on Tuesday handed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the difficult task of trying to form a government out of the country’s fragmented parliament, giving the controversial leader a chance to extend his lengthy tenure while on trial on charges. of corruption.
In his announcement, President Reuven Rivlin acknowledged that no party leader had the necessary backing to form a majority coalition in the Knesset with 120 seats. He also noted that many believe Netanyahu is not fit to serve in the face of his legal troubles.
Nonetheless, Rivlin said nothing in the law prevented Netanyahu from serving as prime minister. After consulting with the 13 parties in the newly elected parliament, Rivlin said Netanyahu had the best chance of any candidate to form a new government.
“No candidate has a realistic chance of forming a government that will have the confidence of the Knesset,” Rivlin said. But, he added, Netanyahu is “slightly more likely” to be able to do that.
“I’ve decided to entrust him with the task,” Rivlin said from Jerusalem. Netanyahu now has six weeks to try to bring a coalition together during his trial.
The decision put forward the twin dramas of the country’s future and Netanyahu’s fate, giving Israel’s longest-serving prime minister another chance to try to save his career.
A court decision can take months or even years. The proceedings are expected to take place three days a week, an embarrassing and time-consuming diversion that will overshadow Netanyahu’s calls to his rivals.
Netanyahu has the most support – 52 seats – in Israel’s Knesset. But that’s still short of a majority of 61 seats. He will likely use his powers of persuasion to try to lure a number of adversaries, including some former close associates who have vowed never to serve under him again, with generous offers from powerful ministries or legislative committees.
Parties representing 45 members supported Yair Lapid, while Yamina, with seven seats, nominated his own leader, Naftali Bennett. Three parties with a total of 16 seats have not made a recommendation.
Rivlin’s decision brings together questions about Netanyahu’s legal and political future in what may be the greatest political challenge of his career.
In court, he is charged in three separate cases with fraud, breach of trust and bribery. Proceedings resumed on Tuesday, although the prime minister would not appear in court.
A star witness on Monday cast Netanyahu as an image-obsessed leader who forced a prominent news site to help his family and infect his opponents.
Netanyahu has denied all charges and accused prosecutors in a nationally televised speech of prosecution in an attempt to oust him from office.
“This is what a coup attempt looks like,” he said.
Monday’s court hearing focused on the most serious case against Netanyahu – in which he is accused of promoting regulations that brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for telecom company Bezeq in exchange for positive coverage on the company’s popular news site Walla.
Ilan Yeshua, Walla’s former editor-in-chief, described a system in which the owners of Bezeq, Shaul and Iris Elovitch, repeatedly pressured him to publish favorable things about Netanyahu and infect the prime minister’s rivals.
The explanation he got from the couple? “That’s what the prime minister wanted,” he said.
Kellman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
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