BICOM

Israel’s political party chiefs yesterday agreed to hold a general election on 17 March as the Knesset took the first step towards dissolving itself ahead of the poll.

The date was agreed during a meeting between the heads of all factions and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. A preliminary vote then saw all Knesset members present vote in favour of dissolving with the formality of second and third votes scheduled for early next week. With the campaign wheels in motion, it did not take long for speculation to begin over potential electoral alliances. NRG news reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to cooperate with Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett, despite a history of acrimony between them. Such an arrangement would likely create an enhanced, unified right-wing bloc.

However, Ynet reports that the Labour Party, Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid and Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah are considering forming a unified “anyone but Bibi [Netanyahu]” bloc. Although this may not take the form of a single electoral list, the report predicts that the three parties will coordinate their campaign messages and pledge to remain in opposition rather than join a Netanyahu-led government.

In an alternative scenario, Haaretz and Channel Ten suggest that Lapid could join forces with Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu and the as yet unnamed party of popular former-Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon. According to the report, all are united in their dislike of Netanyahu, while Lapid and Lieberman have recently cooperated on legislation regarding religion and state.

At a press conference in Tel Aviv yesterday, Lapid attacked Netanyahu, saying he is “out of touch” with the public and that “for a long time you [Netanyahu] haven’t known who the people are and what really troubles them.” Meanwhile, Kahlon yesterday said that his new party will constitute a “new political entity,” which includes “honest, professionals, who are not afraid, who came to serve the public and not those in power.”