Netanyahu calls on Gantz to form unity government together
Jerusalem: Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called on his main challenger Benny Gantz to form a unity government with him to avoid a third election, after no clear winner emerged in the unprecedented repeat polls.
With nearly 95 per cent of votes counted Thursday, Gantz's Blue and White party stood at 33 seats in Israel's 120-seat Parliament. Netanyahu's Likud stood at 32 seats.
"During the elections, I called for the establishment of a right-wing government, but, sadly, the results of the elections have shown that this is not possible," said Netanyahu, pointing out that the nation did not definitively side with either bloc.
"The Right cannot form a coalition and there should be as broad a unity government as possible," he said.
"Therefore, there is no choice but to establish a wide unity government as wide as possible that's made up of all the officials that Israel called on," The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying.
Netanyahu also asked Gantz, 60, to meet with him as soon as possible to start the process.
"I call on you MK Benny Gantz. Benny, it's on us to establish a wide unity government today. The nation expects us, the both of us, to work together. Let's meet today. At any time, at any moment. In order to begin this process that is demanded of us at this time," said Netanyahu.
"We cannot and have no reason to go to a third election. I oppose it. The call of the hour is to form a broad unity government today, he said.
Netanyahu, 69, called the snap election after failing to form a governing coalition with a viable majority after April's vote.
His victory in the April 9 polls securing him a record fifth term proved temporary in the face of a logjam between potential coalition partners over a military conscription bill governing exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students.
With no clear winner, some analysts here see the chances of a coalition government coming in place quite bleak at the moment. A columnist in daily Ha'aretz has raised the question if Israel would be pushed towards a third round of polls.
The right-left distinction has never been so rigid in Israel.
The country has always had a coalition government and never seen a single party rule since its independence. The religious parties, themselves a divided lot but definitely on the Right side of the political spectrum, have always been a part of the coalition governments except one led by Ariel Sharon.
Labour party leader Amir Peretz and Democratic List leader Ehud Barak have served in governments led by Netanyahu at different times during the last ten and a half years. Then what has changed so much that the religious Right and the Left parties suddenly are reluctant to join hands.
Netanyahu to a great extent has been responsible for creating this divide and is now having to pay for it. While dealing with his own personal issues emanating from alleged charges of corruption against him, he went on a spree branding everybody who was opposed to him as a Leftist as if it was a stigma being on the "Left", the columnist wrote.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Country seething in anger against BJP, its 'dictatorial' rule to end on June 4, says Kejriwal
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed the entire country is seething in anger against the BJP and will end its "dictatorial" rule on June 4, the counting day of the Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing several street meetings at different locations in West Delhi, he claimed the BJP would soon arrest AAP leaders such as Raghav Chaddha, Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj to crush the opposition.
The AAP national convener made the comments on the day his aide Bibhav Kumar was arrested in connection with the alleged assault on party MP Swati Maliwal. He held 'Nukkad Sabhas' in Najafgarh, Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Hari Nagar and Madipur soon after addressing a press conference over Kumar's arrest.
Kejriwal said that he and all AAP leaders would go to the BJP headquarters on Sunday and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrest all of them at once.
The chief minister appealed to the people to vote for his party to stop him from going to jail again. "It's in your hands. If you want me to go to jail choose the BJP, otherwise choose the AAP."
"They (BJP) are after us, they arrested Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and me. Today they arrested my PA, now they will arrest Raghav Chadha, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj," he added.
Kejriwal said the Lok Sabha poll results will prove to the BJP that the entire country is angry with its "dictatorial" rule. He exuded confidence that people will oust the BJP from power.
"People of the country are angry with them. People are fed up with inflation, unemployment and corruption," the AAP national convener said.
AAP's West Delhi Lok Sabha seat candidate Mahabal Mishra was also present during the street meetings.
Kejriwal, who was arrested in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, has been granted interim bail till June 1 by the Supreme Court to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls. He will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2, a day after the last phase of polling in the general elections.
