Economics

Israel’s Moshe Kahlon Emerges From Election as Key Player

Moshe Kahlon.

Photographer: Gali Tibbon/AFP via Getty Images
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Moshe Kahlon, an economic populist running for the first time as a party leader, emerged from Israel’s elections as a likely key player in the next government.

The 54-year-old Kahlon became a consumer champion as communications minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he allowed new competitors into the cellular phone market, cutting the cost of mobile phone calls by 90 percent. He later broke with Likud over economic policy and last year founded his Kulanu party, which won 10 seats in Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial resultsBloomberg Terminal.