By Owei Lakemfa.
Three hippie-like and unconventional leaders of the world; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, American President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are occupying the centre stage of world politics. While Netanyahu, staring electoral defeat, is too dazed to leave Jerusalem for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) his two allies made it to the UNGA only to receive not too palatable news of possible impeachment. Johnson particularly is floating in the air with his coup against the British Parliament reversed by the Supreme Court and running out of tricks and theatricals.
Netanyahu, a consummate warmonger and unscrupulous politician had partly ridden to prominence on the back of his brother, Yonatan who was killed on July 4, 1976 while commanding the Israeli Entebbe Raid to free hostages. He rose higher espousing extremist views with disregard for the lives of Palestinians and non-Jewish Israelis. Promoting wars including recent clashes with the Lebanese Hezbollah forces, he had strived hard to work up the Israeli voters and feed them on a diet of fear. When such antics seem to be wearing out, he dramatically moved the Israeli capital to Jerusalem claiming Palestinian lands in the process. He upped the ante by announcing the annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights. When even these did not seem to fetch him more supporters, he announced that if re-elected he would seize – the better word is steal – more Palestinian lands and give them to Jews.
Despite these desperate and warmongering measures and endorsement by Trump, Netanyahu’s Likud Party in official results released Tuesday night managed to win only 32 of 120 Knesset (parliament) seats including a controversial one retrieved from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism Party, which now has seven seats. Despite this, Netanyahu is one seat behind his main rival Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan. Gantz was Israeli Defence Forces Chief of General Staff for four years from 2011.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin Wednesday invited Netanyahu to form the next government given the fact that he has recommendations from 55 parliamentarians against Gantz’s 54. Currently, he has the backing of nine lawmakers from the Sha, and seven each from the United Torah Judaism and Yamina lawmakers. On the other hand, Gantz has endorsement from 10 Joint List lawmakers