LEBAK PORTAL – The United States government is reportedly in contact with the Israeli opposition in line with the possibility of a change in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. This follows increasing differences in views between the United States and Israel.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday, June 21, that officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration believe that Netanyahu’s government could potentially be replaced.
In this regard, the US began to establish informal contacts with opposition figures, such as Naftali Bennett, leader of the Together Party, and Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party.
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“The US government has expressed concern about hardliners in Netanyahu’s government and is seeking to build a new base of public support ahead of the election,” the Channel 12 report said.
The report also added that the Israeli opposition in recent months has attempted to build ties with the US administration, but results have been limited, especially among officials critical of Netanyahu’s policies.
“America’s move aims to take advantage of political opportunities amidst the current crisis of confidence in the Israeli government,” the report continued.
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The US also sees the need to establish a “new informal trust mechanism” with Israel, although Trump has not given support to other Israeli political figures.
Meanwhile, an opinion poll published by the Maariv daily on Friday showed that the Israeli opposition had a chance of forming a government if elections were held now. The opposition is expected to win 61 seats in parliament, while Netanyahu’s bloc will only get 49 seats.
The survey also shows that Arab parties have the potential to win 10 seats in the elections scheduled to take place next October.
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This report comes at the same time as a meeting between the US and Iran in Switzerland mediated by Pakistan to end the military conflict sparked by the US-Israel attack on Iran in February.
The proposed interim deal calls for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. However, the Israeli government refuses to link the Iran issue with Lebanon.
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will not withdraw from the territory it occupies in southern Lebanon. According to official Lebanese data, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed nearly 4,000 people and injured more than 12,000 others.***
