Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to win a snap election in September after he failed to meet the deadline to form a coalition government and the parliament, for the first time in history, voted to dissolve itself.

"We will run a sharp, clear election campaign which will bring us victory. We will win, we will win and the public will win," Netanyahu told reporters in a brief statement after parliament voted to dissolve itself. The vote of 74 to 45 in favor of dismantling the Knesset will send the country into yet another election on September 17.

After more than a month of futile attempts to form a coalition government following last month's election victory, Netanyahu made a last-ditch effort to strike a deal between ex-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman and ultra-Orthodox parties on military draft exemptions. But that attempt has failed, with Lieberman blaming Netanyahu for dragging the country into another election because of the Likud's party's refusal to vote on a bill to draft the ultra-Orthodox Jews into mandatory military service.

Netanyahu hit back at his former commander, claiming that Lieberman misled his voters just to drag Israel into a new election "just because he wants a few more votes, which he won't get." The PM also accused Lieberman of being a man of the left who "brings down right-wing governments."

Meanwhile the leader of the opposition, Benny Gantz, who previously argued that his Blue and White party should be given the chance to form a coalition if Netanyahu fails, slammed the Prime Minister as well.

"Bibi proved again - not Israel before all. Bibi over everything," he said on Twitter. "Bibi was a prisoner of the legal fortress and trying to avoid prison. The people will have to pay for Bibi's failure."

Iran 'almost certainly' attacked Saudi tankers

US National Security Advisor John Bolton claimed this week that Iran was "almost certainly" behind a recent attack on ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, in the Gulf of Oman. Not one for detail, Bolton declined to offer actual evidence to back up the allegation.

'Highly likely' Russia poisoned Skripal

British Prime Minister Theresa May barely waited until the doctors had examined Sergei and Yulia Skripal before accusing Russia of being behind their poisoning last March. May quickly rallied Western governments, prompting a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats without providing any actual evidence of Moscow's guilt. She emphatically told Parliament that Russia was"highly likely" the culprit. Mainstream media, of course, instantly jumped on that bandwagon and dissenting voices were banished from the airwaves.

Beluga whale 'most likely' spying for Putin

In April, Western media was hysterical over the discovery of a Beluga whale "with suspected Russian military ties." The whale, spotted by a fisherman in Norwegian waters, was wearing a harness, which led to suggestions that some nefarious Russian activity was going on. One expert at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsoe took a leaf out of the CIA's book, telling the media that the whale was "most likely" trained by Russia for military purposes. The claim was repeated ad nauseam until it was countered by another Norwegian report that the whale could actually have been trained to entertain children. Oops!?

Assad 'highly likely' responsible for Douma

Syrian President Bashar Assad was "highly likely" responsible for a chemical attack on the city of Douma in 2018, according to the British government. The incident was used as an easy pretext for US, British and French bombing in Syria. Surely, they would never lie to us? Well, a report leaked by OPCW engineers earlier this month contradicts the official narrative on the Douma attack, its findings implying that it could have been a staged provocation designed to justify Western bombing.

NotPetya cyber attack 'almost certainly' Russia

Both the US and British governments also blamed Russia (surprise!) for the so-called NotPetya cyber attack which hit companies and government systems around the world in 2017, with London saying Moscow was "almost certainly" behind it.

Several Russian companies were also targeted in the attack and officials never gave evidence or explained why the attack was instantly blamed on Russia.

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Israel's Mossad provided the US with false intelligence that ballistic missiles were being carried on wooden boats, as though Iran doesn't have enough deserts and places to hide its missiles. Incredibly enough, the Mossad was believed.

This is just one illustration of Israel's power to manipulate the US government into a lose-lose scenario, while Israel can only win-win. The US will lose prestige from backing down, but will lose much more if it is backed into a senseless and catastrophic war. The 12 demands Netanyahu has persuaded the US to make on Iran are impossible for Iran to comply with, as Israel well knows. If Iran were to submit, it would be a victory for Israel. If not, the US will try to go to war or will impose more sanctions - both beneficial to Israel's position. Israel can push the US to a confrontation and push Iran to its limits because Netanyahu has nothing to lose in a situation where the US military assumes the risks of his reckless strategy; Israel has no skin in the game. It is Trump confronting the Iranians not Netanyahu. Israel can sit back, eat popcorn, and watch events unfold. It will consider itself the winner whatever the consequences. Israel's influence over Trump's incompetent administration is the greatest threat to peace today.

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