Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched his Likud party’s election campaign Monday night under the slogan, “Vote Likud to change the system.”
Speaking at the launch event in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said that 33 governments in 66 years was evidence that the current system made Israel hard to govern. He commented, “With so many parties, the Prime Minister functions as a kindergarten teacher in an endless game of musical chairs,” predicting that, “We will soon have to go to elections again if we don’t fix the problem of too many small parties.”
Netanyahu advocated that the leader of the largest party should automatically form a government, as opposed to the current situation where the leader of the party considered most likely to form a government is invited to do so by the President.
Netanyahu also suggested ensuring that a government can only be toppled in extreme circumstances. He said that these two changes “will lead to there being two large parties: the Likud and whatever Labour wants to call itself in each election.”
Moving focus to his main rivals for the 17 March general election, Netanyahu took aim at Labour leader Isaac Herzog and Hatnuah head Tzipi Livni, who have formed a joint list which polls indicate is neck and neck with Likud as the largest party.
Netanyahu said, “They won’t stand up to international pressure for even a moment,” explaining “not just because they’re weak, but also because they want to capitulate. They just want to withdraw and concede. That has been the left’s path for 20 years now.”
Herzog responded by calling the speech “disconnected” and argued that it showed Netanyahu is “stressed.” He went on to claim that, “we will lead Israel in a different direction … rather than intimidate the public.”