- Title: At home and abroad, Netanyahu faces backlash for far-right alliance
- Date: 24th February 2019
- Summary: ROSH HA'AYIN, ISRAEL (FEBRUARY 24, 2019) (REUTERS) AVITAL LEIBOVITCH, DIRECTOR OF AJC JERUSALEM, LOOKING AT COMPUTER LEIBOVITCH'S EYES (SOUNDBITE) (English) AVITAL LEIBOVITCH, DIRECTOR OF THE JERUSALEM OFFICE OF AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE (AJC), SAYING: "We usually do not interfere in elections. However, in this case, our voice needs to be heard. We care about Israel, we lo
- Embargoed: 10th March 2019 13:56
- Keywords: Israel Benjamin Netanyahu right USA AIPAC Jews
- Location: JERUSALEM / ROSH HA'AYIN, ISRAEL / HEBRON, WEST BANK
- City: JERUSALEM / ROSH HA'AYIN, ISRAEL / HEBRON, WEST BANK
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003A2XX4XZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touched off rare criticism from AIPAC, the largest U.S. pro-Israel lobby, over an election alliance with a far-right party loyal to the policies of the late anti-Arab rabbi, Meir Kahane.
Faced with a new merger of centrist parties that opinion polls show might defeat him, Netanyahu engineered the deal between Jewish Power and another ultranationalist faction, Jewish Home, on Wednesday (February 20).
Netanyahu has defended the merger as a way to improve his chances of forming a right-wing governing coalition led by his Likud Party, to serve for a fifth term after the April 9 vote.
Such a bloc, he said, would best protect Israel's security.
But criticism levelled by AIPAC and another major U.S. Jewish group, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), against Jewish Power dominated coverage in Israel on Sunday of the closely-contested race.
(Maayan Lubell, Rami Amichay, Dedi Hayun, Lianne Back, Rinat Harash) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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