Benjamin Netanyahu rolls the dice by calling early elections
An election campaign billboard shifts between images of Israel’s Labour Party leader Isaac Herzog, left, and Likud Party leader and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
All eyes to the Middle East this week and Tuesday’s crucial election in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party has dropped to a close second in the polls, trailing behind the Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni.
Polls over the past three days have given the challenging alliance a three or four seat lead over Likud, a vital bump that could give them the edge when the inevitable coalition negotiations begin. President Reuven Rivlin has said though that he will invite the leader with the best chance of forming a government to try, not necessarily whoever finishes first.
Despite appearing to have more options for coalition-building, those figures nonetheless will make for uncomfortable reading for Likud. It was Netanyahu of course who, back in December, called the early election in a bid to strengthen his position.
A lot could happen in the final days of campaigning and with a ban on polling over the final four days, momentum may still shift.
Some may look at Israel and assume that the Palestinian question would be the biggest issue on the table. Or Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which Netanyahu addressed so relentlessly on his questionable trip to address the US Congress earlier this month.
The PM has certainly been keen to focus his campaign on security. The country’s media however are saying that domestic issues are on voters’ minds — the economy, house prices and debt.
A lot could happen in the final days of campaigning and with a ban on polling over the final four days, momentum may still shift. And with unpredictable coalition talks lying ahead, everything is still to play for. When the smoke clears, Netanyahu will be hoping he’s not left to rue his December decision.
@urlgoeshere
An edited version of this column was published in the Buenos Aires Herald, on Sunday, March 15, 2015 as part of the ‘Perceptions’ series.
Link: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/184342/a-crucial-election