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Israel Heads to New Elections as Government Collapses

Associated Press

   JERUSALEM - Israel's divided government collapsed early Wednesday,
   triggering the country's fourth election in under two years and
   bringing an unprecedented threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
   lengthy grip on power.

   Netanyahu, who is used to labeling his opponents as weak leftists,
   finds himself confronted by a trio of disgruntled former aides who
   share his hard-line ideology, led by a popular lawmaker who recently
   broke away from the prime minister's Likud Party. Whether Netanyahu can
   fend off these challengers or not, the country is almost certain to be
   led by a right-wing politician opposed to concessions to the
   Palestinians, complicating hopes of the incoming Biden administration
   to restart peace talks.

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