JERUSALEM (AP) – Barring a nearly unfathomable about-face, Israel was headed Wednesday toward an unprecedented third election within a year – prolonging a political stalemate that has paralyzed the government and undermined many citizens’ faith in the democratic process.
Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief challenger Benny Gantz have for weeks insisted they want to avoid another costly election campaign that is expected to produce similar results. But neither has been willing to compromise on their core demands for a power-sharing agreement. Netanyahu’s recent indictment on corruption charges has added a murky legal imbroglio to the saga.
Following September elections, both men failed during their officially mandated time to form a governing coalition on their own. Then, in a final three-week window, they could not join forces to avoid another vote.
Both sides said they were working until the last minute to find some way out of the deadlock. However, a breakthrough seemed highly unlikely.
With a midnight deadline looming Wednesday, both sides submitted legislation to dissolve parliament and schedule new elections on March 2. If the bill isn’t passed by the deadline, new elections will automatically be triggered on March 10.