The Takeaway: US, Israel to show united front on Iran during Biden visit
Netanyahu sees path back to power; Israel's Arab parties split on government collapse; Turkey still not giving in on Sweden, Finland NATO bids; US, Iran mixed messages on nuclear talks; Egypt skeptical of Ethiopia call for renewed GERD talks; and more.
Our take: Biden visit could benefit Lapid in possible fall showdown with Netanyahu
Israel is headed to its fifth election in just over three years after the collapse of its fragile coalition government. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s surprise decision to step down and disband the Knesset comes weeks before he is due to meet with President Joe Biden, who arrives in Israel on July 13.
As we report below, the collapse of the coalition sets the stage for a possible return of Israel’s longest-serving prime minister — Benjamin Netanyahu, now the Likud Party opposition leader in the Knesset, whom the Bennett-led coalition ousted from power a year ago.
The conventional wisdom is that the coming election may be a showdown between Netanyahu and Bennett’s outgoing coalition partner, current Foreign Minister (and soon to be interim Prime Minister), Yair Lapid, head of the centrist There is a Future (Yesh Atid) Party, as Mazal Mualem reports.
