Skip to main content

Bibi's rivals suffer scandals

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is surrounded by rivals trying to topple him, yet two of them, Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, must concentrate on their own political survival.
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman leaves after giving a statement to the media at his Jerusalem office December 2, 2014. Israel appeared to be heading on Tuesday towards an early election after right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his major centrist coalition partner failed to patch up differences. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party, told a news conference, "An election is a now a fact."  REUTERS/ Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) -
Read in 

The Israeli election campaign continues to astonish and generate strategic developments, each of which can become a watershed around which all players can create a totally new order. The “Anyone but Bibi” coalition took several hard hits at the end of December, blows that undermined the equilibrium, stability and chances for success of said coalition in the elections to be held March 17. All is not yet lost, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position today, 77 days before Election Day, looks a lot better than it did a week ago. The list of politicians who joined together to replace him (Labor Chairman Isaac Herzog, former Minister Tzipi Livni, former Minister Yair Lapid, former Minister Moshe Kahlon, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri) is on the defensive.

Several of its members (Liberman and Deri) are taking hard electoral and public hits.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.