U.S. President Donald Trump expressed disappointment on Thursday as Israel will hold new elections on Sept. 17 following Israeli lawmakers taking an unprecedented step on Wednesday to dissolve the Knesset.
“It’s too bad what happened in Israel,” the president told reporters. “More likely they’ll have to go back into election mode.”
On Monday, Trump tweeted his support for Netanyahu: “Hoping things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do!”
Hoping things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2019
The failure of Netanyahu to form a coalition largely came as a result of an impasse between former defense minister and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman and the ultra-Orthodox parties—Shas and United Torah Judaism—over a military draft bill.
