Barring last minute surprise, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is one step closer to leaving the government after 12 consecutive years at the helm
The heterogeneous Israeli opposition has agreed to propose an alternative government to the Likud, an initiative led by the centrist politician Yair Lapid, who leads the largest opposition force, and which up to eight parties of the ultra-fragmented Israeli parliament have signed.
“I have announced to the President of the State, Reuven Rivlin, that I have successfully completed the task of forming a government. I promise that this government will work in the service of all Israeli citizens, those who voted for it and those who did not. He will respect his opponents and will do everything in his power to unite and connect all parts of Israeli society, “Lapid wrote a few minutes ago on his Twitter account.
Netanyahu made this moment. First, by turning all his former allies and proteges in to rivals. Second, by cynically negotiating himself with Mansour Abbas, thereby legitimizing him for the rest of the right-wing. He’s the master politician but he’s sowed the seeds of his downfall pic.twitter.com/fjTAyT93Ty
– Anshel Pfeffer אנשיל פפר (@AnshelPfeffer) June 2, 2021
The pact is signed by eight parties from across the ideological spectrum: the leftist Meretz, the Social Democrats of the Labor Party, the right-wing nationalists Israel Beitenu, the White and Blue coalition and Yamina; Lapir’s party, Yesh Atid; and the Arabs Ra’am and United Arab List.
If the government finally prospers, it will become the first coalition in the country’s history to add to Arabs, ultranationalists and the left in the same executive.
The distribution of positions is still unknown, but it is already known who will be the prime minister. During the first two years, the chief executive will be Naftali Bennett, the leader of the right-wing ultra-nationalist force Yamina, which has only seven seats. After the biennium, Lapid will replace Bennett.
Naftali Bennett is an old acquaintance of Israeli politics. A successful technology-changing businessman and former army commander, he began his political career in 2006 as Netanyahu’s chief of staff. Although years later he would leave the Likud to join other right-wing movements, he has held ministries such as Education, Economy or Defense in Netanyahu’s mandates.
His positions on Palestine – he rejects the two-state solution and compared the country to “a piece of shrapnel stuck up his ass” – have finally been no obstacle to bringing the Arab forces together. The rejection against Netanyahu, surrounded by several serious causes of corruption, has weighed more.
