NETANYAHU WON THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE

The votes for the Likud were first and foremost an expression of support for PM Benjamin Netanyahu and a protest at the legal system and media enlisting to topple him

By Gideon Allon

Israel Hayom
March 3, 2020

The fact that, according to Monday's exit polls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to increase the Likud's electoral share to 36-37 seats – despite the three indictments against him, despite the venomous criticism of him from Blue and White/Labor-Gesher-Meretz/Avigdor Lieberman, despite the media efforts by journalists who long ago stopped being fair and objective analysts and turned into pundits whose goal was to see Netanyahu go to jail – is a huge achievement.

Netanyahu has won the fight of his life for the public's trust. Even though his trial is scheduled to begin on March 17, he walked out of the election head held high. The large section of the public who went out to support the Likud were first and foremost putting their faith in Netanyahu. They were voting to protest the indictments against him, the legal system and the police force and all the other parts of the system that have ignored his many successes as prime minister and dared to claim that he was working solely on his own behalf to avoid prison.

Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, on the other hand, scored a painful failure. Theoretically, he managed to maintain Blue and White's electoral strength at 33 seats. But he, along with the other members of the party cockpit Gabi Ashkenazi, Yair Lapid, and Moshe Ya'alon, couldn't convince the public that they were capable of governing. Gantz's lack of political experience and recent reports about his company were his downfall.

Polls tell us that the election results will make it difficult for Netanyahu to form a government, because he only has the support of about 60 MKs from the Likud, Yamina, United Torah Judaism, and Shas parties. Still, the center-left has only 39-41 seats (counting Blue and White and Labor-Gesher-Meretz). Even if Lieberman joins them, they'll still only have about 47. If the Joint Arab List were to cooperate with Gantz, it would give the latter 60 MKs at best.

One thing is certain, President Reuven Rivlin won't have to hesitate next week about whom to entrust with forming a governing coalition. Netanyahu is the only possibility, and he has more than one option for success.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Netanyahu, like Trump, has been hounded by the opposition parties, a hostile AG, and a media strongly biased against him.
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A CLEAR WIN: ISRAEL HAS DECIDED
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resounding win was an equally ringing failure for Blue and White and Benny Gantz. The people have spoken

By Mati Tuchfeld

Israel Hayom
March 3, 2020

Based on the early results, which point to Benjamin Netanyahu as the big winner in these elections, statements saying he cannot serve as prime minister are no longer legitimate.

Despite a campaign that went on for over a year and three rounds of voting, during which the prime minister's legal situation went from bad to worse, and during which the main opposition party voiced the single message that Netanyahu cannot be prime minister because of public norms that they invented for this scenario, the public voted the way it voted, and no message can be clearer. The law says that Netanyahu can serve as prime minister while he is on trial, and on Monday, the public gave him a mandate to do so.

This is an almost unprecedented personal coup – a comeback the like of which Israeli politics has never seen. Remember, this isn't some shiny new candidate who managed to attract a large following, but the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history who has reinvented himself.

But Netanyahu's victory is also a victory for identity, for those who refused to follow the media, academia, the signers of petitions, and above all, a legal system that did everything it could to bring about the opposite result of what took place on Monday evening. Many voted as a form of protest against the enlistment of the entire system – in the past few months, former State Attorney Shai Nitzan, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, Liat Ben Ari, and their friends threw off any restraint or shame and started using the system entrusted to them to make their own political vision a reality, ignoring the cries from a camp that wants justice no less than the other side. On Monday, these cries and that pain turned into a rain of ballots cast for the Likud and the other right-wing parties, and the rest is history.

The size of the prime minister's victory translated into an equally massive failure for Benny Gantz and Blue and White. When the exit polls were announced, the main opposition party cried about losing their lead, but the root of their embarrassment anti-Netanyahu movement to heights no opposition leader in the past had ever known – not Tzipi Livni, not Isaac Herzog, not Avi Gabbay. In effect, Gantz was mere steps from the Prime Minister's office. But he decided to give it up. If he had accepted the rotation deal Netanyahu offered him, he'd be in the Prime Minister's Office a month from now. But Gantz couldn't stand up to the pressure his comrades were putting on him, and he gave up. Even then, while it was all unfolding, it was clear this was a moment that wouldn't return.

Over the course of a year, Gantz transformed himself from an esteemed if not particularly successful IDF chief of staff to a failed and battered politician who hasn't had a single proud moment since he entered politics and won't have one until he leaves, which will probably be soon.

Blue and White was and remains a failed initiative that was established for one purpose only, and which failed to achieve that purpose on Monday. So there is no longer any reason for it to exist. Without the tailwind from the media, and without its leader hiding facts and ignoring things and conducting himself in an improper – possibly criminal – manner, it would have broken apart long ago. As of Monday, it looked like the party had lost its flak jacket. It's only a matter of time until it collapses entirely.

According to the exit polls, Netanyahu did not secure an absolute victory, but rather 59 seats for the Right. That is not enough to form a government. A similar number caused the Knesset to dissolve itself less than a year ago. But the numbers are different now than they were then. A fourth election would be too bizarre for anyone to take responsibility for causing one. Members of Blue and White, Yisrael Beytenu, or Labor could step in and save the situation. If the final results stay the same, we have long, tense days ahead.

The prime minister spoke with the leaders of right-wing parties and effectively revived the bloc, which increased from 55 seats to 60 overnight. The message was clear: that he was not seeking a unity government or to install left-wingers in place of right-wing officials. The bloc is alive and kicking, and needs Netanyahu as much as Netanyahu needs it.

So Yamina leader Naftali Bennett can relax, even though his list scored only six seats. He'll hold onto the defense minister job. His relationship with Netanyahu still isn't great, but Netanyahu doesn't have many options for a government without Bennett.

Actually, it's not only the right-wing parties that matter now. In a government of 61 seats, if one is formed, everyone is powerful. Everyone can make demands, extort, threaten, and get what they want. Everyone holds the keys to the coalition.

But a 61-seat coalition like the one that existed in 2015 is different from the one we are potentially seeing now. We have just held three elections. Anyone who dares make trouble and threaten to bring down the government and lead us into another election faces being trampled by an angry mob. Such a narrow government can't last long, but after it is formed, there will be opportunities for more players to join it. We can bet on there not being another election this round, even if the Right only has 60 seats. Now we just have to wait to see what will save us and lead us to a stable government.
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NETANYAHU-HATERS PLANNING TO SPIT IN FACES OF ISRAELI VOTERS
Left exploring ways to prevent Netanyahu from serving as PM

Israel Hayom
March 4, 2020

Meretz Chairman Nitzan Horowitz on Wednesday called on Blue and White to form a government on the basis of a law that would prevent a prime minister under indictment from forming a government.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing corruption charges in three cases and his trial is set to begin on March 17, the move clearly seeks to block his path to office.

The Central Election Committee is still tallying up the ballots cast in Monday's elections. Exit polls so far have given the Likud a clear win, with 36 seats, while challenger Blue and White has won 33 seats. The right-wing bloc has 58 seats and the Center-Left bloc – 40.

The Joint Arab List won 15 seats and Yisrael Beytenu won seven mandates and remains the key to a potential coalition.

According to Horowitz, "The new Knesset has an absolute majority [62 MKs] that would back a law barring a prime minister facing criminal charges from taking office. That is the right thing do to, politically. It reflects the wishes of the majority of voters and it is also morally appropriate."

Joint Arab List MK Ahmad Tibi also joined the initiative, saying: "We will support a bill that prohibits a criminal defendant from forming a government."

Blue and White MK Ofer Shelah noted that "the most important thing right now is to make sure that Benjamin Netanyahu does not form a government. Then we will see how we move forward."

Yamina Chairman Naftali Bennett said in response: "The initiative by Ahmad Tibi and Ofer Shelah to pass the 'Netanyahu's disqualification law' is an extremely anti-democratic move, which spits in the face of half of the Israeli public.

"The elections were held only two days ago and already there are those who are trying to circumvent the will of the people by improper means. Yamina will absolutely oppose this move and fight it with all our might."