The Times of Israel reports: President Donald Trump chimed in Monday on the political turmoil in Israel, expressing hope that despite stalled coalition negotiations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be able to form a government in order to further strengthen ties between the countries.
Netanyahu has yet to ink a deal with any of his prospective partners, and progress has stalled amid an impasse between the secular Yisrael Beytenu party and ultra-Orthodox parties on the question of a bill regulating the military draft among the ultra-Orthodox.
As the Wednesday deadline for announcing a new coalition nears, the Knesset on Monday took the first step toward dissolving the parliament and calling a second round of elections within months, as a meeting between Netanyahu and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman failed to yield progress that could stave off another national vote.
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