Israel Appears to Be Facing Unparalleled 4th Round of Elections

Although it’s being received by voters across the political spectrum as perhaps the worst idea in generations, Israel appears to be headed for an unprecedented fourth round of elections. At the moment, a stalemate remains over passage of the state budget. If the parliament fails to approve it by Monday, the legislature will be dissolved and another round of voting set. The unity government that was set up three months ago to solve the impasse has shown virtually no sign of success, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz apparently finding it impossible to cooperate on the smallest of issues. Last week’s blockbuster revelation of a peace deal with the United Arab Emirates was totally kept from Gantz and company despite significant elements that would seemingly require “unity” among the nation’s leaders. The bill over which the legislature is stuck is about extending the deadline for passage of the budget, but the subject of the legislation appears to be secondary to the overall inability to get the job done. Nevertheless, with his corruption trial hanging overhead, nonstop anti-Netanyahu demonstrations filling the streets and the idea of a fourth election extremely unpopular, pundits warn that Netanyahu stands to be the big loser this time around.