11 Sep 2019; MEMO: Former Chief of Staff of Israeli Army and fourth candidate on the list of Blue and White party, Gabi Ashkenazi, revealed yesterday that discussions are underway in the Likud camp over who will take over from incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Shehab news agency reported.
Ashkenazi stressed there would be no third election this year. In an unprecedented turn of events, Israel is holding its second election of the year next week after Netanyahu failed to agree a coalition government after winning April’s election.
Likud were quick to deny his remarks, however Ashkenazi said he would be proven right after the election results are announced next week.
Israeli Ministry of Energy Yuval Steinitz said: “Netanyahu is one of the best government heads in Israel and he has become one of the prominent leaders around the world.”
Regarding Iran, Ashkenazi said that Iran “is not a political issue” and warned of a situation that Israel “will stand alone in the face of Iranian threats and support for terror.”
“Europeans are not with us, Russia and China are not with us and even the US President [Donald] Trump does not rule out meeting the Iranian president,” Ashkenazi said.
He added: “We cannot ignore the fact that the US did nothing when Iran downed a drone and attacked oil tankers.”
Former Defence and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has previously said he has held talks with Likud members to discuss an alternative to Netanyahu.
