as to all kinds of violations to the extent that if you can't even report it the regime here is the same as the one in syria. those in power in lebanon are close to the authorities in the syrian capital damascus leading some to accuse them of being driven by political motives and treating refugees as a security threat senekal their beirut. again i'm fully back to bill with the headlines on al-jazeera israelis have voting in their 4th election in just 2 years it's not seen as a referendum on prime minister benjamin netanyahu the campaign has been dominated by its now is corruption cases economy and the coronavirus pandemic that name has more from jerusalem the general consensus among pollsters and analysts and it appears voters is that the status quo will remain in this election this is

a essentially a referendum on prime minister benjamin netanyahu he is expected to prevail but when i say he is expected to prevail what i mean is he will not get that magic 61 seats in the knesset that is needed to form a government outright it's expected he'll get about 30 maybe $33.00 seats and then once again as he's had to do in previous elections have to cobble together a coalition as we've seen in the 3 previous elections that coalition has been so wobbly it has not made it to a 4 year terms. russia and china say western sanctions against beijing are unacceptable and have warned against politicizing human rights issues the us e.u. e.u. u.k. and canada have imposed sanctions on chinese officials for human rights abuses against legal muslims in change on mars military leadership has expressed regret at the loss of life in the ongoing protests against last month's school this comes a day after the european union imposed sanctions on the german town at least 7

people have been killed and thousands left homeless after a major fire at a refugee camp in bangladesh it tore through camp in cox's bizarre raising hundreds of tents of people are without shelter australian authorities are warning they may need to order more evacuations as heavy rains continue across the east coast hundreds of people have been rescued in more of and thousands more evacuated in the state of new south wales is to worst flooding in decades with several paces declared natural disaster areas and covered 1000 cases are surging again in india for the 1st time since november the country recorded more than 40000 new infections in the last 24 hours the health ministry is warning that huge crowds gathering for a hindu festival could lead to a further spike in cases. those are the headlines coming up next here inside story stay with us. teaching the which is the real english streamline

on you tube channel the lost thousands of our crew cams will be tweeting documentaries and didn't. subscribe to you tube would slosh al-jazeera english. we at reelection with you know clear with us now the israelis going to the polls again to i guess the whole sense to end the standoff that's gripped the conference or group that votes make a difference and won't believe benjamin netanyahu this is in silence or us. because. they're welcome to the program came to know israel's 4th round of elections in less than 2 years is aimed at ending its prolonged political crisis but opinion polls

suggest the vote could yield inconclusive results yet again and the coalition governments that could soon collapse prime minister benjamin netanyahu is again at the forefront of the elections he's already been in power for 12 consecutive years netanyahu believes he and his right wing allies can get an edge this time and lead the government for a 6th term he's being challenged by fractured group of political content as powerful as it sets up a discussion with this report. in 3 consecutive elections benny gantz presented the strongest challenge benjamin netanyahu had faced in years. the former army chief head of the blue and white alliance helping deny netanyahu a viable coalition but failing to form one of his own his decision last year to split his alliance and break his central campaign promise by joining that in yangon government has seen his standing crumble i'm not only fast moving we into the government despite netanyahu not for netanyahu we into the government because there was

a health economic and social crisis one of the biggest israel has ever seen and we are not outside is all of us the soldiers for this country now he's campaigning for perhaps half a dozen seats on the basis that they can block legislation allowing us to escape his corruption trial dancers collapse has left a fragmented field of possible alternatives to netanyahu leading the pack is yeah peed dances form a partner in blue and white a former finance minister in an earlier netanyahu government and now the number one target of netanyahu his campaign that by now he didn't start this way but now is this complete cynic and he says this is the tool of they've worked in the us. from the things he doesn't want us to talk about. peter's try to downplay his own prime ministerial ambitions wary of netanyahu as attempts to cost the election is a $2.00 horse race in which the pete becomes the scary left winger gideon rod of the israel democracy institute says a split field makes it more difficult for the prime minister that don't you know

would like us to choose between 2 good chocolates but you have to face many chocolates let's say and if you think about the voter as a consumer this is much more problematic for him and then yell in the unlikely chocolate box of israeli politics natalee bennett would be found well to the right of the prime minister he rules out working with lockheed but leaves the door to joining netanyahu at least partially open not so good on some are who share your. different than the painful truth is that netanyahu prefers his own personal interests over the interests of the country his decision to leave the couldn't challenge him from the right at the head of his new hope party was the big news is the campaign began with his promised late surge in the polls has failed to happen. for all that's changed in terms of the lineup of challenges one thing has remained constant throughout this 2 year political crisis it really is all about benjamin

netanyahu ari force at al-jazeera west jerusalem. let's bring in our guests and westerners and then we have gayle hoffman chief political correspondent at the jerusalem post in london we have michael berg senior consulting research fellow at chatham house very well welcome to you both thanks for joining us here on out there is inside story i'd like to begin with you gil. and take that statement posed by our correspondent turn it into a question are these elections really now just about benjamin netanyahu. unfortunately you know i would have loved it if the election would be about serious issues like the economy and matters of religion and state then where israel's final borders should be and the goshi ation of the palestinians that are inevitable take place under joe biden but no there are about the person who is our

minister now longer than any president and his role in 3 who is abroad bigger who has people you love or hate and as long as you have majority of people in israel who agree with that all but a majority of people of israel who go out to remain in office especially under criminal indictment we seem doomed to continue with political. together is that the only factor at play here explain to our international audience if you can how the country got to this point all that all just think about netanyahu well we were supposed to have a government that was up for years and that now officiated an early election and the and the funny thing is that the place in april 29th and then that no government could be formed a couple times that a government that only lasted a year and that's what led to us proving on time period that the. doing the think thing over and over and over and over again and expecting

a different result you'll see michael that will that be a different result. well i don't think we can expect and i met cliff you know physically so as i think it is a way to a lot of chicks thing to look at the mountains because you're talking about their 2 blocks and the and it's not even between the height and left anymore between anyone by the b.b. all the one only b.b. and this case was left and i fully agree we giggle about this analysis is that it's almost an accidental and about about nathaniel but when he said a friend of mine that i know is in it and you know the person the way he handles himself in his apartment he stood by the same time also he's likable the very things that there's no mentioned just before the election of the palestinians shoes but there can only if the way they hold the face mantling which one of arms has

been. you need say that it's a dead end of the day so the elect today as i said if the info election so you're already there voted exactly very similarly the pattern is so similar how the expects to get defense this us we'll see but the most important thing is to look by the end of tomorrow well that of there is any shift in the blocks and to go again not necessarily your logic oh but it's more those who want 'd to see the end often it and you know there are those and those who try to keep cleaning up get off that what do you think if netanyahu is calculation here i mean obviously he's hoping that a greater majority will give him more power but what would that mean for his fighting the corruption charges that he's facing. so trial has finally started after being pushed off and pushed off and there's no doubt that if you're in any country

if you are in power when you're going to trial and an average citizen. if we keep on going to elections by israeli law the caretaker government between elections still led by the prime minister and it's technically possible that if you don't reach the funny get out ahead of the last election the alternative prime minister could result in him taking power but right now as you know has a legal interest staying in power as long as the cattle and if other calculations you know use that word. over here the vaccine we've had 44000000 500000 israelis vaccinated in a country of $9000000.00 people of which a 3rd are under 16 and too young to be vaccinated so we're leading the world in back nations and you know i don't think the people of israel to thank them for that and so right shoulder when they go to. we can now bring in akiva eldar

with intel of a few little analyst. i keep al to i want the same question to you do you think that this deadlock and repeated elections has has shaped the way the vote is in israel will vote now is it in any way about policies for the vote. i think it's more a. lot of this was not done you know oh hey just business and you know it's own this and if you remove an intern you know the person and you know from the equation 1st of all we wouldn't have the force that has and i'm not sure that this is the last one this year it's people cannot be indifferent and they don't talk about patients they don't talk about him calling me yes some people are grateful that he wrote the vaccines but there are many people who lost the jobs almost double relatives due to his. problematic i would say mud's 'd the.

dog to the 19th and. i really got fed up and they. say it's wrong oh go to the beach is getting very warm here are nice outside and many young people believe that it's going to be business as usual why the false time will be different so i'm discerned the 2nd oh the 1st time my granddaughter is still 19 and this is to say that she is going to visit a betting station and i have to work very hard to convince her to take the effort. you'll think michel that i might come back to you what is the impact of having all of these an action. why discourage constant instability in israel the

inability to come to a to move away from the and you know to take different the 2 actually thinks that you clearly or 'd in so many the issue really isn't you so please don't you wish me 10 you know full glass full of eagles has been under the investigation and on the thing we discussing is really the only time you know susan gross and whether it's accuser says that people are in love with him a long tough. love you freeman of the other half whimsically to see him go but at the same time though dire consequences there cannot be consequences of quote we need to be addressed the highest unemployment level. those that are obviously the usual don't you patient and do need to sort what unfolds 'd in the discriminant based on 2 state solution to the issues with the other students you know and so many other issues but the send them then attend you know issue compromised bt to

actually to add to this any serious issue of concern for the citizens and this can be healthy for when these things get hoffman talked me through netanyahu his main challenges are what they bring to the table and how much of a threat they really pose well it would have been a lot harder for him and it would and that his main competitor in this race were be a challenger right and look why there would be a main challenger by his or her opponent aren't. bennett built up credit is real when he focused on coronavirus in a very a way 1st minister. but then he lost. and then came along and he could mess them up and you don't start 1 with the former education very. and it's there and for a while he was the main challenger and now he's lost more than how or that he had

won this election was all and that's one of the he who is a centrist the former journalist anchorman who is a former finance minister coming from the center and prevent the respective center he makes him very easy competitor against that. and that's a go for so many decades in politics and trying to make a left wing about her to the citizens of israel and it's pretty easy to do that with the ied for netanyahu to be defeated you would have to have a strong heart of a he saw our adam bennett together and it remains to be seen whether that's ok what does all of this political deadlock i guess is the would mean for the smaller posses including for the arab parties might they end up being the make or break the future coalition it. would have to. use and before busy we

opened the balancing stations we can say all the qualities of losing because people don't believe in desists. june. we need to see the believe the trust in democracy they see that it's business as usual they get used to the idea that a person who is indicted in a very severe charges can get the man that sold the 1st time all of the. well he got it seems these previous times well you know the 1st time can get it from the president is that people even say that. they can deal with. this and get their support in voting for him to be the next president so as president rivlin will finish his term. 'd i think that the fact that it's

a neocon vince israeli arabs who he has diligent in mice so many years to so. i think that this is another slap in the face of 'd the efforts he's ready and tell him that we believe that we can tell you again i think that someone who doesn't believe in for existence was the is what can be your leader so i think that. looking. lost trust people was the conduct during the 19 the crisis i think that he could do this losing because you don't see many bigoted others so we are not for political parties it's either you hope for the 1st.

time you know oh mr pete and it's not a boat issue yeah but i want to i want to bring in i want to get your feedback will back on this point why has the left been unable to provide a credible alternative to benjamin netanyahu. one i think we need to look at it too so it's clear and i think the label wasn't to be drawn from $977.00 not even so close the biennale i think they lost the bill the mention of the vote to lex to arms for many years and it became a very kind of even if you lie about t.v. which appears instead of the working classes and other privilege if in the society they actually appeared to their mother's house and not limited to a scintilla of even doing to be against and so it's well defended the response of the hopefuls on and as a result between the label the and medals are going to come based basic you for peace and instead of actually having the ability to reach out to the why do

population that you would expect. sense i think that i should you know of the left good news that isn't tolliver the so sure can omit want and yell though he has done nothing for the working classes and under privileged is a society they see him as though the present at the and also i think their local color is to set a little tail of the if when it comes to the relation the post game is the fact that even the label part is not loaded to talk about or few patients use the word of the few patients doing the selection so that they lost their way there a lot to the police sent in those tendencies it's always 'd tell it even also to be patient by resenting this other than the it to fight not only the selection but the next in the election until this kind of skin of the ability and won't do why the population of the moment became an issue the biggest was that a few people in ok kill hoffman we haven't even mentioned benny gantz i mean he was

meant to be coming out as prime minister and the rotating prime ministership is if the election going to be the last we hear of him i agree but again. ready. very frustrated with what he had been through over the previous year year and a half in israeli politics the army to be a lot more pleasant situation he said of the army when you kill your opponent they don't come back but it is really politics they do. but again so big components of the kind of thing you know that aims to bring them down and i want to be a little bit more optimistic then both the other speakers here 1st of all i want to differ with you know the on the labor party in iraq the new labor chairwoman is reviving the party she's doing what jesus did in reviving the dead and it's been very impressive to see that the whole party get new allies and want to differ with

the keeper when it comes to israel the arabs they're going to fascinating change among israeli arabs months or across the leader of the united arab league party want to cooperate with the israeli government no matter where it is on the political spectrum in order to help the israeli arab citizen print decades israeli arab parties said no with the weight but it's really possible 1 to be so that when you have the interim accords and they felt that you ran that aren't waiting for the palestinian conflict to be solved that israeli citizens of israel don't have to wait either and it could be will be that also be the king maker in this election and this will result in the infrastructure in the education system is finally being true in that arab sector and them being the big winners of this race like a valve that 2 palestinians can or about the is right elections i think that the. israeli. would rather spend his time to morrow and

impeach then standing in line and the better to expect. people who just don't care so much and. i will offer you a dialogue a good yada day between 2 is where it is if this will come up good one said you know. who else to do you have any other candidate as was mentioned before you have an alternative. and the other guy said you know but what happens if you know who is now 71 1 going on 72 or that means if he is gone we have but this is not been good you know like when i came back in just the way and there was a replacement. the cemetery. leaders who were laid were in place and so the guy said i could but you said well so it was his son was succeed so

as i mentioned before and he was serious about it ok went on i've discussion i want to come back and ask you again. what about palestinian do palestinians care about the israeli election. that they're going to see means lost completely though hope and change and i'll add to the discussion demurred connections they were hoping to hear something for president the new american president biden. beauteous actually this is the 1st time in the last 4 elections that antonio doesn't have his american friends on his side too so was moving an embassy you all approving and they sanctioned no he's ours. if you will. to i.c.c. the international. criminal court above the indicted no investigation.

group. offenses you can see that but i couldn't tell that. i didn't hear that he and the palestinians to reopen their embassy in washington so i think they lost the only hope and this is where they lost hope in the oh well you see what's happening in the gulf countries they welcomed their east this gulf we came by is the most popular tourist trade is the expression for these weapons he's. ok i want to say we are we are coming to the end of time i want to bring in 9 your feedback about we i think everyone seems to be on agreement that the palestinian issue doesn't seem to be a factor in these elections why is that is it because you know voters have already got their entrenched positions where they stand about the illegal occupation of

palestinian territories how they feel about cumin rights or is it that it's just simply not being talked about. i think though it was people listen so it's a small decision you know one so-called successes of the time you know and he's our lives he's their ability to marginalize the issue and it's really society lives in complete denial about the fact that they decline a nation out of their lives or so that their own nation and their and the consequences of an intentional action that if i speak ill of their basic human rights so this is one thing at the same time the international community shows nearly into they see what's happening in palestine under the current situation settlements out of all of spending the jewish population in the west bank in the jaws alone is going we saw how did militarily its civilian population of the settlers and the international community does basically nothing with the

exception for instance now there are you see if you add to the east there is a sense at all so diligent settlers get out them on the palestinians and the divisions among them so that they get the to find common ground between the hamas and the fact that the west bank and the west bank and guns out there is a really should hear back whatever happens these are still going to be affected but by what happened when the palestinians and vice a versa of course they haven't happened it's right it's the situation is not going away and it's needs a peaceful solution we are going to have to leave it there for a time my apologies thank you very much to what i get to join us here on inside story and keep al the hoffman and you off the medical bag and thank you for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting our web site to their dot com and for the discussion go to our facebook page that's facebook dot com for the inside story you can also join the conversation on twitter our handle is at

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israelis head to the polls for the 4th time in just 2 years in any election seen as a referendum on a minister benjamin netanyahu. i'm fully back to boyer watching al-jazeera live from doha also ahead russia supports china in condemning western sanctions on beijing over its alleged abuse of waco muslims. at least 7 people lurk.