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coalition negotiations
President Reuven Rivlin (L) and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz meet at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, November 16, 2019 (Mark Neiman/GPO)
PM tells Likud Gantz is going for ‘insane’ minority government backed by Arabs
By TOI staff and Alexander Fulbright
Netanyahu warns of ’emergency,’ says such coalition would be ‘historically dangerous’; Gantz meets Rivlin, says he wants unity, adds that the ’emergency is hundreds of rockets’
President Reuven Rivlin (L) and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz meet at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, November 16, 2019 (Mark Neiman/GPO)
November 16, 2019, 6:10 pm
PM tells Likud Gantz is going for ‘insane’ minority government backed by Arabs
Netanyahu warns of ’emergency,’ says such coalition would be ‘historically dangerous’; Gantz meets Rivlin, says he wants unity, adds that the ’emergency is hundreds of rockets’
By TOI staff and Alexander Fulbright
President Reuven Rivlin (R) and Blue and White party chief Benny Gantz at the state memorial ceremony for former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, November 10, 2019. (Heidi Levine/Pool/AFP)
November 15, 2019, 6:21 pm
Gantz to meet Rivlin Saturday, calls for breakup of right-wing negotiating bloc
Likud, New Right throw cold water on entreaty from Blue and White chief, who is struggling to form government before November 20 deadline
By Alexander Fulbright
Retired General Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White political alliance, is pictured after paying his respects in front of the coffin of the recently deceased former Supreme Court president Meir Shamgar, in Jerusalem on October 22, 2019. (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
November 15, 2019, 9:37 am
5 days before deadline, Gantz’s chances of forming coalition seen as fading away
With no breakthrough in negotiations with Likud, internal disagreements in Blue and White, and expectations of coming indictment against PM, political deadlock persists
By TOI staff
From R to L: President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Supreme Court President Esther Hayut and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz attend a memorial ceremony for late president Shimon Peres, at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on September 19, 2019. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
November 14, 2019, 11:59 pm
Unity talks stalled over Netanyahu immunity demand — report
Blue and White’s Benny Gantz said unwilling to share power with PM unless he commits to stepping aside if indicted, and not seeking parliamentary immunity to avoid doing so
By TOI staff
Then-Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (R) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visit the IDF's West Bank Division, near the Israeli settlement of Beit El, on January 10, 2017. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
November 14, 2019, 6:16 pm
Netanyahu and Liberman snipe at each other online, after PM offers a meeting
No word from Yisrael Beytenu chief whether he’ll accept invitation to meet Sunday, four days before Gantz’s time to form a government runs out
By TOI staff
Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz (L) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, on October 27, 2019. (Elad Malka)
November 14, 2019, 2:41 pm
Fragile Gaza ceasefire signals resumption of Gantz-Netanyahu political battle
Still not quite accepting president’s unity plan, Blue and White leader claims PM ‘charging toward elections,’ does not really want to negotiate; Netanyahu holds his fire, for now
By Raoul Wootliff
Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz meets with Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi on November 13, 2019. (Elad Malka)
November 13, 2019, 8:30 pm
Gantz dismisses claims Gaza violence could force unity government
Amid speculation fighting in Strip could end political deadlock, Blue and White chief suggests coalition ‘should serve more than a specific event’
By Raoul Wootliff and TOI staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz at a memorial ceremony marking 24 years since the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in the Knesset on November 10, 2019. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
November 12, 2019, 6:22 pm
By design or not, Gaza escalation increases chance of unity government
Benny Gantz claims nothing’s changed, but he knows an operation limits his options and bolsters Netanyahu, while putting nail in coffin of Plan B, an Arab-backed minority coalition
By Raoul Wootliff
(iStock)
November 12, 2019, 12:14 pm
Pick-up sticks, political tricks, and the power of definition
OP-ED: There’s a pathway to a unity government, but first we need to know what ‘unity’ means, and then we need to create a new (Likud) party
By Barbara Pfeffer Billauer and Norman A. Bailey
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz at a memorial ceremony marking 24 years since the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in the Knesset on November 10, 2019. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
November 11, 2019, 10:16 pm
Gantz and Netanyahu may be closing in on deal for unity government: report
TV cites sources in Likud, Blue and White saying rivals are discussing idea of a prime ministerial rotation in which Netanyahu will serve for first year, but step aside if indicted
By TOI staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a conference organized by the Makor Rishon newspaper and the Bnei Akiva youth movement at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, November 11, 2019. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)
November 11, 2019, 8:13 pm
PM: Government backed by Arabs would be a ‘slap in the face’ to IDF soldiers
Netanyahu again accuses Gantz of planning minority coalition propped up by Joint List, implores him to abandon the ‘insane idea’
By Michael Bachner and TOI staff
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the Yamina party headquarters on election night in Ramat Gan, on September 17, 2019. (Flash90)
November 11, 2019, 2:15 pm
Smotrich: Having Arabs in government defies Israel’s Jewish, democratic nature
Hardline transportation minister says vast majority of Israelis don’t want ‘those people’ in charge of country, laments that ‘hatred of Netanyahu leading to such an extreme’
By Tamar Pileggi
Blue and White chair Benny Gantz (C) meeting with leaders of the Joint List alliance, Ayman Odeh (L) and Ahmed Tibi, October 31, 2019. (Ofek Avshalom)
November 11, 2019, 1:01 pm
Poll finds Blue and White voters split over possible Arab-backed government
Most Israelis want Gantz to cobble together a coalition, but few support any of his limited options for doing so
By TOI staff
Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman speaks at the National Labor Federation conference in Jerusalem, September 4, 2019. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
November 10, 2019, 4:15 pm
Liberman’s ultimatum has a glaring problem, and no one is talking about it
Yisrael Beytenu chief says Gantz must accept president’s plan for Netanyahu to serve first as PM and take a leave of absence if indicted. Israel’s Basic Law begs to differ
By Raoul Wootliff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, on November 10, 2019. (Photo by Abir SULTAN / POOL / AFP)
November 10, 2019, 3:55 pm
After ultimatum, Netanyahu claims Liberman ‘fully coordinated’ with Arabs, Gantz
In cabinet meeting, PM accuses Yisrael Beytenu of plotting minority government with Joint List, says Liberman’s demands are in essence only of Likud, not Blue and White
By Raoul Wootliff
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