Netanyahu’s disparate rivals try to nail down pact to unseat him

Islam News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rivals on Monday sought to finalize a unity coalition that would unseat the veteran Israeli leader, but political commentators saw a bitter fight ahead.

Centrist opposition chief Yair Lapid secured support on Sunday from ultranationalist Naftali Bennett for a “change” government of ideologically disparate rivals.

The deal, in which Bennett would serve first as prime minister under a rotation with Lapid, must be finalized by a deadline of midnight on Wednesday.

Netanyahu, 71, is the dominant political figure of his generation and his challengers have little in common – save a desire to emerge from his divisive shadow and from unprecedented turmoil which has seen four deadlocked elections in two years.

Hoping to discredit Bennett and other rightists now negotiating with Lapid, Netanyahu has cast them as committing “the fraud of the century” which would, he said, imperil Israel.

Source: Alarabiya