Issued on: 18/03/2020 – 18:42Modified: 18/03/2020 – 18:42
In a wide-ranging interview in Tel Aviv, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert discussed the country's ongoing formation of a government and openly criticised his successor and rival Benjamin Netanyahu who, he says, is "not capable of continuing". He also addressed the issue of Iran, which regularly threatens Israel.
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Speaking to FRANCE 24's Jerusalem correspondent Antoine Mariotti, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert expressed hope that Benny Gantz, the centrist former army chief who was this week tasked with forming a government, would succeed and change the Israeli political landscape.
Olmert claimed it was "obvious" that his successor and rival Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he accused of wanting to stay in power "at almost any cost", had to go: "A prime minister that failed three times, consecutive times, in one year to have enough support to form a government, hes not capable of continuing. He has to go home." Netanyahu's Likoud party won the most seats in the March 2 election but fell short of a majority and he has since not managed to form a government.
The former Israeli premier also addressed the corruption charges against Netanyahu. Olmert himself resigned over corruption allegations back in 2008 and later spent 16 months in jail, which he contrasted with Netanyahu'Read More – Source
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