Phil and Cooper record their first remote podcast due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on recent political intrigue in Israel. After three rounds of elections, there may finally be a successful attempt at forming a new Israeli government, with opposition leader Benny Gantz having been tasked with building a coalition. But sitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has his own ideas, and he’s using the coronavirus outbreak as a political cudgel. Al-Monitor contributor Ben Caspit joins us remotely from Israel to discuss this and more.

• Netanyahu's target: to isolate coronavirus, Benny Gantz (Ben Caspit)
• Netanyahu, Gantz get closer to reaching unity government (Mazal Mualem)
• Netanyahu's coronavirus strategy erodes Israel's democracy (Ben Caspit)
  
• Netanyahu wants an emergency government of Jews only (Afif Abu Much)

• Netanyahu's chief rival promises 'broad' government 'within a few days' (Elizabeth Hagedorn)

Extra Listening:

• Episode #78,  Honey I Shrunk My Coalition (11/29/2018): Phil, Cooper, and Danny Zaken discuss Netanyahu’s political majority falling apart after the departure of Avigdor Liberman along with threats of other cabinet members leaving.

• Episode #95,  Breaking Benjamin (4/12/2019): The first round of elections are called by Netanyahu in an attempt to hold onto power in the face of impending indictments.

• Episode #101,  Panic! At The Knesset (6/7/2019): Netanyahu fails at forming a majority government and calls snap elections for September.

• Episode #113,  Déjà-Yahu (9/20/2019): The second round of Israeli elections in 2019 show Gantz barely leading Netanyahu, but always signals another political stalemate.

• Episode #120,  Gantz Hardly Wait (12/6/2019): After failing to form a majority government for a second time, a third round of elections are called in Israel.
  
  

Music: Reines Girls - “We’ll Stay Friends” ( Spotify)