Trump's Middle East Plan Dealt Another Blow With Israel Turmoil

  • U.S. president was already showing frustration with Netanyahu
  • Israeli leader’s coalition holds bare parliamentary majority

Benjamin Netanyahu

Photographer: Dario Pignatelli/Bloomberg
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Israel’s political turmoil isn’t just a problem for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: It’s the latest blow to President Donald Trump’s hopes to unveil a grand Middle East peace plan his son-in-law has spent almost two years on.

Netanyahu’s coalition now holds a bare majority of 61 of 120 parliamentary seats after his political rival, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, pulled his faction out of the government Wednesday. If other parties leave the coalition -- and some are already threatening to do just that -- Israel could head into elections this winter even as Netanyahu is facing corruption probes in three different cases.