Israel's change coalition: What happens next?
Here’s what could happen next as the Knesset gears up to vote on a governing coalition aiming to unseat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An unlikely coalition of Israeli political parties has reached a deal to form a governing coalition in an 11th-hour bid to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power. A vote of confidence in the new government is needed before a swearing-in can occur, and Israel’s embattled prime minister is mounting a last-ditch effort to prevent his removal after 12 years in office.
“We expect the Knesset will convene as soon as possible to ratify the government, as required,” outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tweeted late Wednesday.
Ticking clock: Parliament speaker Yariv Levin, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, is tasked with scheduling the confidence vote. He's expected to wait as long as is constitutionally possible to do so, meaning a vote might not take place until June 14.
With Levin expected to drag his feet, the new coalition is pushing to replace him with Yesh Atid’s Mickey Levy. Ousting the speaker would require the vote of a simple majority in the Knesset, and the so-called “change bloc” on Thursday submitted the required 61 signatures to schedule a vote next week. But the effort unraveled after Yamina lawmaker Nir Orbach pulled his support.
