Israel : Unity Government in Gestation

The leader of the Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu and that of the Blue and White Benny Gantz have agreed to form a unity government. The agreement which comes on the heels of the surprise election of Benny Gantz as speaker of Parliament (Knesset) on Thursday, March 26, 2020 puts an end to a year-long political impasse which has seen no duly-elected government in Israel since December 2018, due to an unprecedented three inconclusive elections in 11 months.
According to media reports, the agreement stipulates that, Netanyahu would continue to serve as Prime Minister for the next 18 months before handing over the reins to Gantz (in September 2021), who before then had left the post of President of Parliament to serve as Foreign Minister. Other details of the deal being discussed include, the Blue and White member and former IDF Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi replacing Naftali Bennett of the Yamina party as Defence Minister, and Gantz loyalist Yehiel “Hili” Tropper to serve as Justice Minister in the place of Likud’s Amir Ohana.
The march towards a national unity government began on March 12, 2020 when Netanyahu called for the formation of unity government in order to meet the challenge of the emerging coronavirus crisis. The Blue and White party had insisted that it would never join a government led by a prime minister under indictment. Netanya...