[20190418]IN11103_内塔尼亚胡2019年4月大选胜利：对以色列领导层和美国政策的影响.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Netanyahus April 2019 Election Victory: Implications for Israels Leadership and U.S. Policy Jim Zanotti Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs April 18, 2019 In elections held on April 9, 2019, the Likud party of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu tied for the most Knesset (parliament) seats. Most observers assess that, in the context of Israels political system, Netanyahu will begin a fifth term as prime minister (1996-1999, 2009-present) after assembling a coalition government with his traditional right-leaning and ultra-Orthodox partners (see Figure 1). Netanyahus victory came despite a significant challenge from the new Blue and White partyled by former top general Benny Gantz and prominent politician Yair Lapid (a former finance minister)and a February announcement that Israels attorney general would probably indict Netanyahu for alleged corruption. The Israeli election and government formation process has implications for Israeli leadership and issues relevant to U.S. policy. Whether the attorney general indicts Netanyahu could depend on potential legislation in the new Knesset, and if indictme