West Bank & Jerusalem
Ultra-Orthodox party withholds support, weakening Netanyahu's position
Image credit: Al-Monitor
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Benjamin Netanyahu's grip on the Israeli premiership loosened Thursday when an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party refused to back any nominee for prime minister, according to Al-Monitor. The move complicated Netanyahu's efforts to assemble a governing coalition following recent elections and raised questions about his ability to retain the office.
The ultra-Orthodox party's decision to withhold support removed a key pillar from Netanyahu's coalition calculations at a critical juncture in post-election negotiations. The timing threatened to derail his path to forming a government with sufficient parliamentary backing.
