There is virtually no chance, and if there is no dramatic breakthrough in negotiations, Israel will be facing its third general election in a year, senior political officials from the Likud, Blue and White, Yisrael Beytenu, and the New Right were saying Monday.
According to one official, the two sides are farther apart than ever, particularly since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokespeople were questioned by police last week.
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The same official said that Blue and White was waiting for Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to decide whether or not to indict Netanyahu. Mendelblit is expected to make his decision in early December. For Blue and White, even if Mendelblit were to drop the count of bribery, any indictment would be the final nail in the coffin of any possibility of forming a government with Netanyahu, he explained.
On the other hand, the official said, Netanyahu wants to remain prime minister, even if he is indicted. Therefore, he will not step down, and will apparently retain the support of the Likud and the smaller right-wing parties when and if he is under indictment.
The official said that as of Monday night, it was clear that neither the Likud nor the right-wing bloc would oust Netanyahu and would prefer to hold a third election, even at their detriment.
He also said that Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's position was shaky and even if he wanted to adopt the compromise put forth by President Reuven Rivlin, he would not be able to negotiate it.
"A unity government is dead, and Israel is on its way to a third election," the official said.
Moreover, since the option of a minority government that would depend on support from the Arab parties has dried up because of opposition from Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman and Blue and White MKs Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Hauser, the only possibility that remains would be for Lieberman to rejoin the right-wing bloc. According to the official, such a move by Lieberman would be the only development that could prevent a third election.
The clock is ticking. Gantz has two weeks left to form a government. When the two weeks are up, either 61 MKs can recommend a candidate to serve as prime minister, a possibility that appears highly unlikely and would only occur if one of the blocs were to split, or an election will be called.
On Monday evening, Netanyahu and Gantz met at a memorial for the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and spoke in favor of unity. But shortly thereafter Netanyahu informed right-wing party leaders that Blue and White had withdrawn from negotiations with the Likud.
"We agreed to a lot of concessions. I asked Gantz for his response and haven't heard and answer to any question. Our negotiating team has been trying to meet with the Blue and White team for two days, but Blue and White puts them off every day. No meeting has been set," Netanyahu told them.
Blue and White issued a response to Netanyahu's remarks, saying that "Netanyahu's conduct proves that he doesn't want unity, he wants a government [that will give him] immunity."
Senior Blue and White officials are claiming that negotiations are at an impasse. In recent days, they are saying, their party has changed course from trying to form a unity government with the Likud to trying to establish a minority government with the left-wing bloc and the Arab parties.
"As far as we're concerned, there was a real attempt at a unity government, but it didn't work," a top Blue and White official told Israel Hayom.
"Everyone is sick of Netanyahu and we don't trust him. That leaves us with one option – to get along without the Likud, and hope that Lieberman won't steer us into an election and will be the savior," the official said.
