Blue & White Party’s Benny Gantz and Likud Party’s Benjamin Netanyahu sign an agreement for a coalition government Monday; Netanyahu to remain PM for 18 months before Gantz takes over.
Monday – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White Party’s Benny Gantz have signed an agreement to form a unity government. This will leave Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm for another 18 months before Benny Gantz takes over. It is reported that Netanyahu will serve as the vice prime minister under Gantz beginning in the Fall of 2021.
As part of the new agreement, Israel will annex the Jordan Valley as well as all of the Israeli settlements in Judea & Samaria (also called the West Bank) by the beginning of July. This means that the Jewish State will exercise sovereignty over this region for the first time in nearly 2,000 years. Netanyahu stated that the one condition for this to take place is the approval of the White House, which is likely to happen given their recognition in recent months regarding the legality of Israeli settlements in the region.
Also included in the agreement is that Benny Gantz will serve as defense minister and deputy prime minister.
Despite the political closure that comes from this unity government, Gantz is facing backlash from a lot of his base after signing the agreement, which his supporters see as further enabling Netanyahu. Individuals from the Blue & White Party are reported to believe that a system of checks and balances is present within the agreement, which gives different realms of authority to both Gantz and Netanyahu.
