Blow to Benjamin Netanyahu who appeared to come out ahead in recent election

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Israeli political parties have backed the opposition leader, Benny Gantz, to form a government, in a shocking blow to Benjamin Netanyahu after he appeared to come out ahead in an election held earlier this month.

The dramatic news came as a Jerusalem court postponed the prime minister’s corruption trial due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Leaders of the main parties met Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, on Sunday, giving Gantz the slimmest advantage of 61 recommendations from of a total of 120 lawmakers.

The endorsement does not end Netanyahu’s chances or guarantee Gantz will lead Israel’s next administration. Before that can happen, he has up to six weeks of negotiations to forge a majority coalition in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.

The success of that scenario remains far from certain. While Gantz will be officially picked by the president as prime minister-designate on Monday, some of the politicians who backed him on Sunday may not also agree to join his government.

Fifteen of the recommendations came from an alliance of Arab parties, who may have only supported Gantz to damage their political nemesis, Netanyahu. It remained unclear if the Joint List group, a merger of politicians predominantly representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, would join an administration led by Gantz, a former army chief with whom they have deep ideological differences.

Gantz also won support from former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the far-right, ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party. Lieberman has repeatedly stated he would never join a government with Arab legislators, complicating Gantz’s path to power.

The dramatic news came at the end of a day in which Netanyahu’s prospects appeared to be improving. A Jerusalem court announced that the long-awaited first hearing for the prime minister’s corruption trial, scheduled for Tuesday, would be postponed until 24 May due to fears of the spread of the coronavirus in courthouses.

About 210 people have been infected in Israel, with no deaths. Battling the outbreak, Israel has already imposed a series of stringent restrictions nationwide during the past few days, including barring gatherings of more than 10 people and shutting down schools, hotels, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and malls.

The upcoming trial – in which Netanyahu faces damning charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust – had been hanging over the 70-year-old leader and was set to start right as political negotiations were to begin.

For a year, Israel has been in a state of political paralysis following three inconclusive elections, the latest of which was held on 2 March. In that time, both Netanyahu and Gantz have been picked to form governments and failed. Throughout the crisis, Netanyahu has remained interim prime minister.

With neither Netanyahu or Gantz commanding a majority of support, the president has urged them to agree on a power-sharing unity deal. He summoned them for an emergency meeting on Sunday night in the hopes of breaking the deadlock.

“We must establish a government as soon as possible that will lead our people at this complex time,” Rivlin said.

After months of acrimonious election campaigning, it is unclear if politicians will be able to break the stalemate.

In a clear attempt to block his rival, Gantz has pushed for legislation to bar anyone indicted for a crime from heading an administration.

Meanwhile, temporarily freed from his legal woes, Netanyahu has urged Gantz and other politicians to fall in line, arguing that the coronavirus outbreak meant the formation of an “emergency government … led by me” was all the more vital.

Under Israel’s current caretaker administration, the government is restricted in its ability to tackle any major crisis. For example, it cannot pass a budget.

Netanyahu said his proposed emergency government could last six months, or that he and Gantz could agree to a four-year unity administration. In that case, Netanyahu would remain prime minister for the next two years.

“The state of Israel needs it. The people of Israel expect it,” Netanyahu said.

Gantz accused the prime minister of manipulation during a public health scare. “When you get serious, we can talk,” he said.

Separately, in an opaque move that raised immediate privacy issues, Netanyahu announced on Saturday night that he intended to use technology developed for counter-terrorism to track people with the coronavirus digitally.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Netanyahu faces damning charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Photograph: Reuters

“Up until today I avoided using these measures in the civilian population but there is no choice,” Netanyahu said in a televised news conference.

The announcement, which needs further approval, prompted accusations of mass surveillance.

Noa Landau, who works for the progressive local Haaretz newspaper, wrote an article on Sunday against what she called the “politicisation of the health crisis”.

“Israel is already on the edge when it comes to violations of individual rights. The foundations of our system of government must not be undermined under the auspices of a viral outbreak,” she wrote. “This really is an emergency – over the protection of democracy.”

Q&A: Netanyahu corruption allegations

Israel’s attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, indicted Netanyahu in November. It was the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been charged with a crime.

The 70-year-old leader, the longest-serving in the small country’s history, could face more than a decade in prison if convicted. He faces three separate inquiries, including charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Case 1,000

The first case, known as case 1,000, involves allegations of receiving gifts such as cigars, champagne and jewellery, from billionaires, including the Hollywood businessman Arnon Milchan and Australian casino operator James Packer, allegedly in exchange for favours. Milchan and Packer are not facing any charges.

Case 2,000

In case 2,000, Netanyahu is accused of colluding with the country’s top-selling newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, to hurt its competition in exchange for favourable coverage.

Case 4,000

In the third and most serious case, case 4,000, the prime minister is accused of offering incentives worth close to £200m to the Israeli telecoms provider Bezeq in exchange for positive stories on an online news website it owns.

How has he responded?

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, alleging he is the victim of a politically-motivated witch-hunt.

Is that it for his legal woes?

No. There was also a separate case not involving Netanyahu, but his wife, Sara, who was convicted in June of illegally misusing thousands of pounds of public funds for lavish meals, despite having an in-house cook provided by the state.