Israel Votes in Fourth Election in Two Years, Deeply Divided by Netanyahu
Published Date: 3/23/2021
Source: Bloomberg Quicktake: Now
Israelis head to voting stations on Tuesday in an all-too-familiar ritual that could deepen the country’s political impasse. Polls show neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor any of his rivals securely forming a coalition after the fourth election in two years. The nation is fiercely divided over his leadership, which has been tested by graft charges against him and a coronavirus outbreak curbed but not quelled by the world’s most aggressive vaccination campaign. With 13 parties in serious contention to enter parliament, Israel’s political system has become more fragmented and personalized, allowing extremists on both right and left to punch above their weight, said Yedidia Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a research center. “The likelihood is that even if a coalition is formed after the election, it will be vulnerable and fragile, and its chances of surviving over time are not good,” Stern said in a pre-election statement. Israel has been engulfed by political turmoil as regional and global turbulence mounts. Tensions with Iran and its proxies flared repeatedly, and while the Israeli economy weathered the coronavirus better than many others, risks are piling up. Joblessness, including furloughs, is towering at 18%. The national budget hasn’t been updated since March 2019, impeding key policy action like improving outdated infrastructure. And the government is watching warily as U.S. President Joe Biden works to rejoin the Iran nuclear accord and reset relations with the Palestinians that foundered during Donald Trump’s era. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BloombergQuickTakeNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicktake Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicktake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicktake