JERUSALEM: Israel’s president on Sunday turned down a request from Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz for a two-week extension to form a new coalition government.
The announcement by President Reuven Rivlin means that Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a midnight deadline Monday night to reach a power-sharing deal. If they fail, the country could be forced into a fourth consecutive election in just over a year.
Gantz asked Rivlin for the extension on Saturday night, claiming he was close to a deal with Netanyahu. But in his response, Rivlin said the extension would not be possible under the “current circumstances.”
Gantz last month was given the task of forming a government by Rivlin, after a narrow majority of lawmakers said they backed him to become prime minister. But in an abrupt about-face, Gantz later announced he would instead try to form an “emergency” government with Netanyahu’s Likud party to deal with the country’s coronavirus crisis.
Since then, negotiations on a power-sharing agreement between Gantz and Netanyahu appear to have stalled. At the same time, Gantz’s Blue and White alliance has fragmented, leaving him with a shrunken version of his original party and few viable options.
The crisis has given the embattled Netanyahu, who is set to go on trial for serious corruption charges, a new lease on life.
Netanyahu’s hand-picked justice minister last month shuttered the court system, delaying the prime minister’s trial until at least May. And by persuading his rival to seek a unity deal, Gantz put on hold plans to pass legislation that would have prevented Netanyahu from serving as prime minister in the future. With Blue and White in tatters and the clock ticking, it is unclear whether Gantz can revive his legislative agenda.
In a statement, Blue and White said negotiations were ongoing. It quoted Gantz as telling Netanyahu that he remained committed to agreements they have already reached, with the hope of “forming the national emergency government that the country wants and needs.”
Rivlin’s office said he made his decision after speaking to Netanyahu as well. It noted that Netanyahu gave no indication that an agreement was near. He said he would reconsider if both sides together requested an extension in order to finalize a deal.
Netanyahu’s Likud party put out a statement asking Rivlin to give Netanyahu an opportunity to form his own coalition. This would give him an extra month to continue to pursue a deal with Gantz, but from a much stronger negotiating position.
If Netanyahu can win the backing of a majority of lawmakers in the 120-seat parliament, he would then get a chance to form a government. After recruiting one defector from the opposing camp, Netanyahu currently has the backing of 59 lawmakers. He needs two more to eke out a majority.
But if Netanyahu is unable to do so, the Knesset, or parliament, would then have 21 days to select an alternative prime minister. A failure to agree on a candidate would plunge the country into its fourth consecutive election in just over a year.
Israeli president rejects request for coalition extension
https://arab.news/m3ydc
Israeli president rejects request for coalition extension
- Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have a midnight deadline Monday night to reach a power-sharing deal
- Gantz last month was given the task of forming a government by Rivlin
Washington presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecom systems
- Syria is exploring the possibility of procuring Chinese technology
- It was unclear whether the United States pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so
DAMASCUS: The United States has warned Syria against relying on Chinese technology in its telecommunications sector, arguing it conflicts with US interests and threatens US national security, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The message was conveyed during an unreported meeting between a US State Department team and Syrian Communications Minister Abdulsalam Haykal in San Francisco on Tuesday. Washington has been coordinating closely with Damascus since 2024, when Syria’s now President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ousted longtime leader Bashar Assad, who had a strategic partnership with China.
Syria is exploring the possibility of procuring Chinese technology to support its telecommunications towers and the infrastructure of local Internet service providers, according to a Syrian businessman involved in the procurement talks.
“The US side asked for clarity on the ministry’s plans regarding Chinese telecom equipment,” said another source briefed on the talks.
But Syrian officials said infrastructure development projects were time-critical and that Damascus was seeking greater vendor diversity, the source added.
SYRIAN OFFICIALS CITE US EXPORT CONTROLS AS TELECOMS BARRIER
Syria is open to partnering with US firms but the matter was urgent and export controls and “over-compliance” remained an issue, according to person familiar with the meeting in San Francisco.
A US diplomat familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the US State Department “clearly urged Syrians to use American technology or technology from allied countries in the telecoms sector.”
It was unclear whether the United States pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so.
Responding to Reuters questions, a US State Department spokesperson said: “We urge countries to prioritize national security and privacy over lower-priced equipment and services in all critical infrastructure procurement. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
The spokesperson added that Chinese intelligence and security services “can legally compel Chinese citizens and companies to share sensitive data or grant unauthorized access to their customers’ systems” and promises by Chinese companies to protect customers’ privacy were “entirely inconsistent with China’s own laws and well-established practices.”
China has repeatedly rejected allegations of it using technology for spying purposes.
The Syrian Ministry of telecommunications told Reuters any decisions related to equipment and infrastructure are made “in accordance with national technical and security standards, ensuring data protection and service continuity.”
The ministry said it is also prioritizing the diversification of partnerships and technology sources to serve the national interest.
Syria’s telecom infrastructure has relied heavily on Chinese technology due to US sanctions imposed on successive Assad governments over the civil war that grew from a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011.
Huawei technology accounts for more than 50 percent of the infrastructure of Syriatel and MTN, the country’s only telecom operators, according to a senior source at one of the companies and documents reviewed by Reuters. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Syria is seeking to develop its private telecommunications sector, devastated by 14 years of war, by attracting foreign investment.
In early February, Saudi Arabia’s largest telecom operator, STC, announced it would invest $800 million to “strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and connect Syria regionally and internationally through a fiber-optic network extending over 4,500 kilometers.”
The ministry of telecommunications says that US restrictions “hinder the availability of many American technologies and services in the Syrian market,” emphasizing that it welcomes expanding cooperation with US companies when these restrictions are lifted.
Syria has inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, with network coverage weak outside city centers and connection speeds in many areas barely exceeding a few kilobits per second.
