Netanyahu mocked over party ‘loyalty pledge’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday faced harsh criticism and mockery by election rivals and a former cabinet colleague after members of his Likud party were asked to pledge support for his leadership.
The request for Likud politicians to pledge to support Netanyahu as prime minister after September 17 elections came with rivals in the opposition calling on members of his party to ditch him.
His opponents went as far as to accuse Netanyahu of engaging in “North Korea”-like tactics due to what some were labelling a loyalty pledge.
The veteran premier is engaged in a tough re-election campaign while facing the possibility of being indicted for corruption in the months ahead.
He failed to form a governing coalition after April polls despite his Likud along with its right-wing and religious allies winning a majority of seats.
The main opposition Blue and White alliance has called on Likud to abandon Netanyahu and form a unity government with them.
At the weekend, former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, of the hardline Yisrael Beitenu party, warned that the next vote has to produce a government, and if Netanyahu cannot do the job another Likud MP should step forward.
With Likud accusing Lieberman of trying to encourage rebels, Netanyahu loyalist David Bitan on Sunday enlisted the top 40 party candidates to sign up to a document saying that they would support only Netanyahu in a the next coalition-building attempt.
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