Israeli PM Netanyahu loses vote on key parliamentary committee
- The defeat is a major setback for the premier as he tries to form a new government following an inconclusive election.
- After this defeat, Netanyahu has about two more weeks to try and bring together a ruling coalition.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to bring together a coalition government after a non-conclusive election last month.
Just yesterday he lost a key vote on who gets to join a powerful committee in parliament. The loss symbolizes how Netanyahu lacks majority support in the Knesset.
With this defeat, Benjamin Netanyahu has around two weeks to try and scrape together a ruling coalition in the 120-seat Knesset.
Monday's loss was a vote to decide who will join the Arrangements Committee - a body that controls the legislative agenda in the absence of a new government.
A motion pushed by Netanyahu's right-wing Likud was rejected in a close vote. Meanwhile, his centrist rival, Yair Lapid managed to pass his own motion providing stronger representation to the anti-Netanyahu bloc.
Even a small Islamist party that had expressed willingness to working with Netanyahu, voted with Lapid.
President Reuven Rivlin gave Netanyahu 28 days to form a government on April 6th. If unsuccessful, Netanyahu can ask Rivlin for a two-week extension. If Netanyahu still fails to do so, the president will tap another candidate or asks parliament to nominate one.
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