Is Netanyahu headed for setback in Israel election? No Trump endorsement raises eyebrows

Be jami
Neta yahu
has
yet
to
be
e do sed
by
Do ald
T ump

Is aeli
P ime
Mi iste

Be jami
Neta yahu’s
Likud
is
t aili g
fo me
Is ael
Defe ce
Fo ces
(IDF)
chief
Gadi
Eise kot’s
oppositio
Yasha
pa ty
ahead
of
the
Octobe
27
pa liame ta y
electio s,
acco di g
to
a
p e-electio
su vey,
aisi g
the
p ospect
of
a
setback
fo
the
vete a
leade .Although
eithe
side
is
p ojected
to
secu e
a
majo ity
i
the
120-seat
K esset,
Eise kot’s
Yasha
is
expected
to
wi
25
seats—fou
mo e
tha
Neta yahu’s
Likud—if
electio s
we e
held
today,
acco di g
to
a
poll
published
by
The
Times
of
Is ael’s
Heb ew
siste
site,
Zma
Yis ael.Ove all,
the
poll
showed
little
cha ge
i
the
p ojected
st e gth
of
the
p o-
a d
a ti-Neta yahu
blocs.
Neta yahu’s
oppo e ts
a e
p ojected
to
wi
58
seats,
th ee
sho t
of
a
majo ity,
while
pa ties
backi g
him
a e
p ojected
to
secu e
50
seats.Behi d
the
two
leadi g
pa ties,
the
ce te – ight
B’Yachad
wo
13
seats
i
the
Zma
Yis ael
poll,
followed
by
the
hawkish
Yis ael
Beyte u
with
11
a d
the
left-wi g
Democ ats
with
i e.
All
th ee
a e
pa t
of
the
a ti-Neta yahu
bloc.They
we e
followed
by
a
st i g
of
p o-Neta yahu
pa ties.
The
Ha edi
factio s
Shas
a d
U ited
To ah
Judaism
would
each
wi
eight
seats,
while
the
fa – ight
Otzma
Yehudit
a d
Religious
Zio ism
would
take
seve
a d
six,
espectively.

T ump
stops
sho t
of
e do si g
Neta yahu

I
a othe
setback
fo
Neta yahu,
US
P eside t
Do ald
T ump
stopped
sho t
of
e do si g
him
du i g
the
Is aeli
p emie ’s
July
28
visit
to
the
White
House.Acco di g
to
Axios,
T ump
desc ibed
Neta yahu
as
his
“ow
wo st
e emy”
a d
asked
about
his
p ospects
i
the
upcomi g
electio ,
i cludi g
how
he
was
pe fo mi g
i
opi io
polls.
Whe
Neta yahu
hesitated,
o e
of
his
aides
i te jected:
“M .
P eside t,
he
is
wi i g.”A
official
told
Axios
that
Neta yahu’s
weak
sta di g
i
p e-electio
polls
was
pa tly
why
T ump
had,
“so
fa ,”
ef ai ed
f om
e do si g
him.The
epo t
also
said
that
while
T ump
emai s
pe so ally
fo d
of
Neta yahu,
the
Republica
p eside t
has
g ow
“f ust ated”
with
some
of
the
Is aeli
leade ’s
ece t
policies
a d
decisio s,
pa ticula ly
ega di g
I a ,
Leba o ,
a d
Gaza.T ump
has
p eviously
a d
epeatedly
u ged
Is ael’s
p eside t
to
“fully
pa do ”
Neta yahu
o
halt
the
co uptio
t ial
agai st
him.
Neta yahu
is
seeki g
a
fou th
te m
i
office
i
electio s
scheduled
fo
Octobe .

Is ael’s
Shi
Beit
weighs
p ovidi g
Eise kot
with
secu ity
detail

Mea while,
with
Eise kot
i c easi gly
eme gi g
as
Neta yahu’s
leadi g
challe ge ,
Shi
Bet,
Is ael’s
i te al
secu ity
age cy,
is
epo tedly
weighi g
whethe
to
p ovide
him
with
a
a med
secu ity
detail,
despite
the
fo me
IDF
chief
ot
bei g
e titled
to
state
p otectio
because
he
is
ot
co side ed
a
“symbol
of
the
state.”Shi
Bet
chief
David
Zi i
was
co side i g
the
move
as
the
electio
campaig
i te sifies
a d
amid
i dicatio s
that
I a
has
stepped
up
effo ts
to
ta get
Is aeli
leade s.Alte atively,
Zi i
could
seek
to
a a ge
p otectio
fo
Eise kot
th ough
the
IDF
o
the
K esset
Gua d,
acco di g
to
the
epo t.I
Ju e,
Eise kot’s
field
di ecto
w ote
to
Zi i
sayi g
the
Yasha
leade
had
bee
fo ced
to
hi e
p ivate
bodygua ds.
Acco di g
to
epo ts,
those
gua ds
a e
u a med.The
lette
wa ed
that
Eise kot
would
be
“pa ticula ly
exposed”
as
the
campaig
gathe s
pace,
oti g
that
the
Yasha
leade
egula ly
makes
public
appea a ces
whose
details
a e
a ou ced
i
adva ce.

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