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The behind-the-scene negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz have reportedly sealed a deal that paves the way for ending a protracted political deadlock in Israel.
Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, was chosen Thursday as the speaker of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in a surprise move that has cleared the path for what appears to be a unity government between the two former political rivals.
Under the deal, Netanyahu will remain at the helm for another 18 months before handing over the reins to Gantz, Israeli media reported.
Gantz will reportedly hold either the defense or foreign affairs portfolio. But his move led to the collapse of his Blue and White party as his two political partners refused to join a unity government with Netanyahu, who faces corruption trial soon.
This leaves Gantz with 15 members from his faction, who will join a coalition with Netanyahu-led right-wing Likud, which together holds 58 seats in the parliament.
"It will not really be a unity government, because most of its members are from the right-wing bloc," said Gideon Rahat, a professor from the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
"But apparently Gantz has been offered things that give him veto-power," Rahat told Xinhua.
The reported agreement came after Israel held the third parliamentary elections within a year, as the previous two elections failed to form a government due to the deep-rooted differences between Netanyahu and Gantz, who previously rejected joining a Netanyahu-led government.
It was believed that the raging novel coronavirus has become a game-changer this time. Otherwise, the country was destined for a fourth election within a year.
"Everyone was looking for a ladder to climb down the tree from," said Eran Vigoda-Gadot, a professor of political science and governance at the University of Haifa.
"Most of the actors could not think of a fourth election...but the longest ladder was the coronavirus which essentially saved the country from a fourth election," Vigoda-Gadot said.
As of Thursday, eight Israelis have died from the virus with over 2600 others infected. The country has been under an almost complete lockdown for several days.
The anti-Netanyahu sentiment was the only glue that held the three factions together under the umbrella of the Blue and White party, which quickly collapsed after the details of the Gantz-Netanyahu deal emerged.
"These are not regular days and they demand irregular decisions. Therefore, as I said, I intend to examine and advance in every way the establishment of a national emergency government," Gantz said at the Knesset on Thursday.
Unless the pandemic further postpones the opening of Netanyahu's trial, he is scheduled to make his first appearance in court in May. Gantz's supporters, attracted by his promise not to join a government with Netanyahu, could ask the former military chief-turned politician tough questions.
"In politics, anything is possible," Vigoda-Gadot said. "The crisis will take a while to blow over and at the very least it will keep the government in place for the first 18 months."
Gantz's advisers and partners have warned him against trusting Netanyahu's promise to hand over power in 18 months.
"If there will be no loopholes, such an agreement is possible," said Vigoda-Gadot, "It could be upheld by a law."
The media reported that this will be included in the coalition agreement to guarantee Gantz becoming prime minister during 2021.
Netanyahu has repeatedly called for a unity government. His latest appeal came in a televised speech on Wednesday, after he outlined the latest restrictions for Israelis in light of the COVID-19 threat.
"We need to put the divisions aside. We must put an end to this. We are one people. We are one state and the order of the day is unity. I reiterate my call to immediately establish a national emergency government to deal with the crisis," Netanyahu said.
Gantz is a political newcomer who entered politics in order to oust Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving prime minister.
"This is the first time Gantz is a player in the political arena," said Vigoda-Gadot, "Netanyahu is a master manipulator and he leads a very strong, cohesive bloc. This is Netanyahu's strength."
The political picture in Israel will become clearer in the coming days, as more details of the Netanyahu-Gantz deal are expected to be disclosed.
But for Israeli politics, where a few days could change a whole lot, nothing is certain. According to the Israeli law, a coalition agreement needs to be ratified by the parliament which is scheduled to reconvene on Monday.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
