About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

1 1 (April 18, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govzke0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 







              Congressional
           *.Research Service






Netanyahu's April 2019 Election Victory:

Implications for Israel's Leadership and U.S.

Policy



April  18, 2019

In elections held on April 9, 2019, the Likud party of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu tied for
the most Knesset (parliament) seats. Most observers assess that, in the context of Israel's political system,
Netanyahu will begin a fifth term as prime minister (1996-1999, 2009-present) after assembling a
coalition government with his traditional right-leaning and ultra-Orthodox partners (see Figure 1).
Netanyahu's victory came despite a significant challenge from the new Blue and White party-led by
former top general Benny Gantz and prominent politician Yair Lapid (a former finance minister)-and a
February announcement that Israel's attorney general would probably indict Netanyahu for alleged
corruption.
The Israeli election and government formation process has implications for Israeli leadership and issues
relevant to U.S. policy. Whether the attorney general indicts Netanyahu could depend on potential
legislation in the new Knesset, and if indictments come, Netanyahu's coalition partners may determine
whether he continues as prime minister or is replaced. In turn, how Netanyahu responds to his partners'
policy demands could affect Israeli decisions on key matters of U.S. interest, especially possible Israeli
unilateral moves to annex settlements in the West Bank.


Government Formation and Israeli Leadership

In mid-April, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin concluded that Netanyahu was the Knesset member with the
best chance of forming the next government, and assigned him that task. Based on Israeli legal
requirements, Netanyahu will have until mid-May to assemble a government representing a Knesset
majority (at least 61 seats out of 120), or he could seek an extension until late May if necessary.






                                                             Congressional Research Service
                                                               https://crsreports.congress.gov
                                                                                  IN11103

CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most