Israel: Netanyahu and Gantz sign power-sharing deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Benny Gantz, announced that they signed a deal to form an "emergency" coalition government on Monday.

The deal between Netanyahu's conservative Likud Party and Gantz's centrist Blue and White Party ends a longstanding political deadlock, and means that Israelis won't have to hit the polls for the fourth national election in a year.

Terms of the agreement were not immediately announced in the joint statement issued by the parties, but local media said that it called for a three-year power-sharing deal, in which Gantz would take over for Netanyahu halfway through the three-year period. 

"I promised the State of Israel a national emergency government that would work to save the lives and livelihoods of Israeli citiyen. I will continue to do everything for you citizens of Israel," Netanyahu said on Twitter soon after the deal was reached.

"We prevented a fourth election. We will maintain democracy. We will fight corona and take care of all Israeli citizens," Gantz wrote to his supporters.

Three deadlocks, then a pandemic

The country’s third election in a row ended with neither party securing enough votes to secure a viable coalition, but Gantz and Netanyahu later agreed to form an emergency government due to the coronavirus crisis. 

Last week, the two parties missed a deadline to form a coalition. However, they were given more time to announce a deal as they claimed to be making "significant progress" in their negotiations. Had they not been able to come to an agreement, Israel would likely have had to face a fourth election. 

Gantz had previously vowed not to serve in a government under Netanyahu, whose premiership has been mired in scandal following his indictment for bribery, fraud and breach of trust late last year.

Read more:  Israel: Benny Gantz seeks unity with Netanyahu, as party disintegrates

However, the two agreed to emergency negotiations in the face of significant pressure to form a deal, so that the country could move forward with a more unified response to the coronavirus pandemic. Israel currently has over 13,600 confirmed cases and a death toll of 173. 

lc/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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