Lapid’s name was announced by president Reuven Rivlin after the 28-day deadline for current prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a majority coalition government expired on Tuesday
Today we take a look at a nationwide shutdown led by farmers in India, a controversial voting bill passed in Georgia, US, the annual Peasant March in Paraguay, the results of Israel’s parliamentary elections, and reports of the Indian government placing restrictions on exports of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
In the results announced today, no party or coalition, even after the fourth election in two years, has reached the majority mark of 61 seats in the 120 member Israeli parliament Knesset
Though there is widespread frustration against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government due to corruption cases, a strong hegemony of the right-wing in the country’s politics and the absence of a real left alternative may help him hang on to power
Parliament was dissolved after the government could not pass the budget in the stipulated time. The upcoming elections in March will be the fourth election in less than two years
The new government with a three-year term has the highest number of ministers in Israeli history. It also includes some novel experiments such as designating Benny Gantz as the “alternative and future prime minister” of Israel
No coalition or party was able to secure majority support in the two previous elections, held in April and September of last year
The third round of elections in less than a year will be held on March 2, 2020. This follows the breakdown of talks to form a national unity government on the issue of Benjamin Netanyahu’s immunity from prosecution
In the upcoming Israeli elections, there are no real alternatives to Netanyahu’s hawkish neo-liberal policies and no party that will challenge the illegal and violent occupation of Palestine