The following are ways Netanyahu and Likud can draw Knesset members from other parties to reach 61 MKs and form a new government.
Archiv: party leavers / splits
Abbas‘ new Arab party may become kingmaker in Israel
The Joint List, an alliance of four Arab parties that won a record 15 seats in elections held last year, finalized the break up overnight in which three will run together and the United Arab List, a party led by parliament member Mansour Abbas, will strike out on its own.
One of the main points of the division was Abbas‘ openness to working with Netanyahu or other Israeli leaders to address longstanding issues like crime and housing in Israel’s Arab community, which makes up around 20% of its population.
Israel Election: Three of Four Joint List Factions Run Together, United Arab List to Go Solo
Three of the four factions of Joint List – Hadash, Ta’al and Balad – have signed an agreement for a united bid for Israel’s March election, parting ways with the conservative United Arab List after a prolonged period of disagreements.
Alliance of Israeli Arab Parties to Split Ahead of March Election
At this stage, it’s not yet clear whether Ta’al might even decide to run jointly with Hadash and Balad, which have agreed to run on a joint slate, or whether it would pursue a link-up with the United Arab List.
Blue and White’s Ashkenazi expected to quit party, leave politics
(29.12.2020)
The Blue and White party’s No. 2, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, is set to announce in the coming days that he is leaving the party and will likely take a break from politics, Hebrew media reports said Tuesday.
Ashkenazi will declare that he is not running in the coming March elections by Wednesday, according to Channel 12 news and Haaretz.
Gantz: Nissenkorn stabbed me in the back
(01.01.2021)
In a weekend interview with Yediot Aharonot, Gantz said „I felt him stabbing me in the back and turning the knife.“
Nissenkorn, whose resignation took effect Friday morning, wrote on Facebook afterward that Gantz made „crazy concessions“ that would have emptied the justice minister post of authority in an effort to keep the government together.
After joining Huldai, Nissenkorn resigns as justice minister
(30.12.2020)
After leaving Blue & White and joining Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai’s new The Israelis party, Avi Nissenkorn Wednesday resigned from his position as justice minister.
Netanyahu said planning to campaign hard for Arab vote in new election
In recent months, however, he appears to have formed a quiet alliance with the Joint List’s MK Mansour Abbas, to the chagrin of Abbas’s colleagues.
On Thursday during an unprecedented visit to the Arab town of Tirah to encourage vaccination, Netanyahu said he did not rule out placing an Arab lawmaker on his right-wing list.
Lone poll I’ve see has the conservative United Arab List at 1.1%, well below threshold. So Joint List very possibly will patch things up. But might not UAL’s departure actually pave way for an eventual left Arab-Jewish party?
(24.12.2020)
Most amusing development: The Joint List, a coalition of 4 Arab parties, is likely to split up. One of the parties, an Islamist Bedouin party called „United Arab List“ is likely going to run separately as pro-Netanyahu
(24.12.2020)
Some might be shocked at #Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin @Netanyahu ’s alliance with the Joint List’s Mansour Abbas, but this is unsurprising considering the PM’s other ties to right-wing, anti-liberal figures worldwide.
Ex-Foreign Minister Livni Mulls Joining Forces With Lapid Ahead of Israel’s March Election
As for Ya’alon, Lapid is convinced that he has very little electoral value and is disappointed in Ya’alon’s level of support. The Yesh Atid chairman has also concluded that the center-right, with which Ya’alon is identified, is too crowded and he plans to move leftward before the election.
Ally’s Brutal Betrayal on Live TV Shocks Israel and Mauls Netanyahu
In a speech far harsher than any delivered by a rival from the left, Elkin confirmed what Netanyahu’s fiercest enemies had been claiming all along: The prime minister had subordinated the good of the country, including its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, to his endless quest to avoid standing trial for criminal corruption.
Exodus Continues as Former Netanyahu Loyalist Resigns, Joins Rival Sa’ar
Ze’ev Elkin, who served in a range of posts including as Netanyahu’s coalition head, blasts ‘cult of personality’ ■ Naftali Bennett announces he will run for prime minister, criticizes PM’s handling of coronavirus crisis
This Israeli Election Season Will Feature Vaccines, Generals and Political Cannibalism
Netanyahu will flaunt COVID vaccines and peace, Kahol Lavan might fall into oblivion and the Joint List is facing a split as Israel gears up for its fourth election in two years.
Gideon Sa’ar’s Party Would Be Second Largest in Knesset, Election Poll Shows
A poll released by Channel 12 News Tuesday shows the party led by former Likud lawmaker Gideon Sa’ar surging ahead to become Israel’s second largest party, were elections held now.
The party led by Sa’ar, a rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would garner 21 seats, trailing Likud by just six seats.
Gideon Sa’ar Just Paid a High Price in Future Battle Against Netanyahu, but It’ll Be Worth It
There was some nervousness over the weekend at the Balfour Street residence. Someone close to the royals, employed in a very rewarding job at the Prime Minister’s Office as a “consultant on the outbreak of the coronavirus,” had written an article. Its convoluted thesis was that the deserter Gideon Sa’ar was leading a move which has party, community and governmental implications, aimed at turning back the 1977 overthrow of the long-reigning Labor Party by Likud.
The Master Plan: Clone Likud Without Bibi and His Sycophants
For several months the prime minister’s rival has been secretly spinning his web. Each week more advisers, lawmakers, mayors, key activists joined the secret circle
Gideon Sa’ar, Netanyahu Rival, Breaks With Likud to Start New Party
Other Potential candidates to join Sa’ar’s new party are lawmakers Yifat Shasha-Biton of Likud and former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
Israel: Gantz’s Blue and White faction finalizes split
The Blue and White alliance finalized its split Sunday, which saw Benny Gantz-led faction, set to form a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, divorcing fellow centrist parties Telem and Yesh Atid, who will remain in opposition.
After Blue & White split, Lapid slams Gantz for ‚betraying‘ voters, ‚capitulating‘ to Netanyahu
Lapid, who heads Yesh Atid, told journalists at a press conference that „Benny Gantz decided today to break apart Blue and White and crawl into Netanyahu’s government.“
„What’s being formed today isn’t a unity government and not an emergency government. It’s another Netanyahu government. Benny Gantz surrendered without a fight,“ he added.
Lapid: Gantz stole votes, gave them to Netanyahu
Lapid lambasted Gantz’s actions as „a betrayal to voters and a theft of votes.“
Blue and White splitting after Benny Gantz elected Knesset Speaker
In a dramatic turn of events, the Blue and White Party that served as the alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the March 2 election, broke up on Thursday after party head Benny Gantz decided to enter Netanyahu’s government.
After a vote according to new party lines of 74-18 with many boycotts, @gantzbe is now officially speaker of the Knesset. He will soon be foreign minister.
More drama: Yesh Atid formally requested to split out of Blue and White. @yairlapid : @gantzbe decided to crawl into a government with @netanyahu . @bogie_yaalon also breaking off.
In a dramatic turn of events, Blue and White is on the verge of breaking up after @gantzbe agreed to Likud’s demand for him to be the candidate to replace @YuliEdelstein in order to enable a unity government:
‘Nobody Likes Him’: Hillary Clinton Risks a Party Split Over Bernie Sanders
That split over what direction the party should take is now a major issue in the current primary, with Mr. Sanders arguing for the full-throated leftist agenda and others counseling moderation.
Brexit latest news: Change UK splits as six MPs quit and Anna Soubry appointed new leader
Change UK has spit with six of its 11 MPs quitting the party.
Interim leader Heidi Allen has left the party, alongside Sarah Wollaston, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith and Chuka Umunna.
Anna Soubry has been appointed the party’s new leader.
If May’s Brexit deal passes, then her troubles really begin
Brexit is breaking British politics. Both the traditional powers have been shipwrecked by this storm and show no signs of knowing how to repair their ruined timbers. This is the sort of thing everyone understands. If the Tories enjoy more support than Labour this is only because Labour is so very bad. It is not because Theresa May’s Government commands the confidence of the people. In any case, her party is slowly but surely devouring itself over Brexit. Again, everyone knows this.
Labour will table bid for second Brexit referendum within a fortnight, says John McDonnell
Theresa May has made clear she will bring her deal back for MPs to vote on by 12 March.
Mr McDonnell said this will be when Jeremy Corbyn puts the party’s amendment forward for a Final Say referendum on Brexit.
I can reveal Whitehall’s secret Brexit plan: stop it dead
Unfortunately, I must remain anonymous for fear of the backlash I would receive at my place of work. However, I can reveal that I am a senior policy professional within the civil service and work closely with numerous governmental departments.
David Davis MP: ‚Britain will get its Trump moment‘
MPs will vote again on Theresa May’s Brexit deal on Tuesday.
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis MP told the BBC’s Andrew Marr that MPs not delivering on the Brexit referendum would undermine belief in political parties.
David Davis Warns Britain Will Get Its Own ‚Trump Moment‘ If MPs Vote To Delay Brexit
The former Brexit secretary said any move to extend Article 50 would be a “democratic disaster” that would leave the Conservative Party “massively damaged”.
“It would absolutely undermine belief in democracy in this country and certainly belief in the establishment political parties,” he told BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
Chuka Ummuna tells Sky News he doesn’t want to see either a Tory or Labour government because ‚they are as bad as each other‘. The Labour movement gave this guy and millions like him every life chance he ever had. In his case, it also gave him a career. What an utter Judas.
Anna Soubry’s one careless comment says everything about the Independent Group
Soubry might not be quite as far Right as Jacob Rees-Mogg or Liam Fox but she is Right-wing, a Tory who left the Conservative Party but not Conservativism by justifying cruel welfare cuts which drove desperate people to the charity of Foodbanks just to eat.
Potential Labour defectors will now think twice before throwing in their lot with ex-Conservatives.
One of the joys of following politics over the coming months will be witnessing the reaction of the 11 defectors as it slowly dawns on them that, far from representing ‚millions‘, they represent no-one. Their brand of metropolitan liberal ‚centrism‘ is dying fast. Thank God.
Soubry: „The truth is the battle is over and the other side have won. Dear friends now former colleagues who share those one nation values and principles will deny it. But I believe in their heads and in their hearts they know it is over.“
Theresa May ‘saddened’ as Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston quit the Tories
Theresa May has said she is ‘saddened’ by the decision of Heidi Allen, Sarah Wollaston and Anna Soubry to leave the Conservative party and join the new Independent Group of MPs. In statement released in the past few minutes, the Prime Minister said:
Brexit latest news: Three Tory MPs defect to Independent Group – Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen
– Tory MPs Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen defect to Independent Group over Brexit
– Asa Bennett: Tory quitters have proved Independent Group is a Remainer revolt
– Markets: Pound slips on Westminster turmoil
– Theresa May to meet Jean-Claude Juncker at 5pm
– PM could hold meaningful vote next week to avoid ministerial resignations
– Data analysis: Farage’s Brexit Party has more obvious slot in UK politics than the Independent Group
If you want an example of UK electoral law loopholes: The Independent Group, which looks/swims/quacks a lot like a political party and is asking for donations, is actually a private company. So it isn’t subject to electoral law rules requiring them to declare financial backers.
The Independent Group Will Be an Unmitigated Disaster
Most importantly, the circumstances in which the Independent Group now finds itself, certainly compared to 1981, are perilous to say the least.
Those areas initially most susceptible to the rise of the SDP – university towns and wealthier metropolitan areas – now tend to be bastions of Corbynism, the social base of which is relatively straight-forward: public sector workers, BAME communities, university graduates who feel they’ve lost out, trade unions, older generations who drifted away from the party under Tony Blair, those deeply politicised by austerity.
What policies can we possibly glean about a new ‚centrist‘ party?
✅ Pro water privatisation
✅ Pro fracking
✅ Pro corporate lobbying
✅ Pro … Which? magazine
✅ Pro foreign wars for literally no reason What have I missed?
How hard-left populists took over the UK’s main opposition
The moral superiority of the left is often mocked as political correctness, but it is rarely questioned. But the resignation of Luciana Berger and six of her colleagues has brutally and publicly done exactly that.
When Berger said that she had come to the „sickening conclusion“ that the Labour Party was „institutionally anti-Semitic,“ she ripped open a conflict that is tearing the UK’s main opposition party apart.
I am disappointed that these MPs have felt unable to continue to work together for the Labour policies that inspired millions at the last election and saw us increase our vote by the largest share since 1945.
Politics is broken. Let’s change it.
The Conservatives are captured by their right-wing, Labour by their hard left, and all put their own party interests before what is best for the country.
It’s time we changed our old-fashioned politics for politics fit for the 21st century.
Labour split: seven MPs resign from the party – Politics live
The new “Independent Group” has launched its twitter account and a website.