Winds of Change in Israel | Daily News

Winds of Change in Israel

“A Jewish Nationalist but not really dogmatic. A bit religious, but certainly not devout. A military man who prefers the comforts of civilian urban life and a high-tech entrepreneur who isn’t looking to make any more millions. A supporter of the Greater Land of Israel but not a settler. He may well not be a lifelong politician either.”

This is how the Israeli newspaper Haaretz described Israel’s new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a hawkish right-winger who cobbled together a coalition to oust former Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving leader who has been at the helm on and off since 2009. Bibi has been in the hot seat for so long, he had a momentary lapse of memory and actually sat in the Premier’s chair in the Knesset even after being ousted.

Bennett’s ultranationalist Yamina party won just seven seats in the 120-member Knesset in March elections — the fourth such vote in just two years. But the urge to finally see the back of Bibi was so great in Israeli politics that a coalition of eight parties, under the leadership of veteran Opposition politician Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, managed to do just that. Bennett, the kingmaker in this set up, got to wear the PM’s crown. Significantly, the coalition includes an Arab party in a governance structure for the first time. Until last year, Arab parties were considered untouchables by the mainstream Jewish parties. But now, the United Arab List (Ra’am), which has four MPs, has officially joined the coalition, breaking a political separation wall.

However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. There may not be a significant change in Israel’s position with regard to Palestine or regional issues, as Bennett is inclined even more to the right of Netanyahu. He is opposed to Palestinian independence (in other words, a two-State solution) and strongly supports Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. This stance is of course seen as by Palestinians and much of the international community, even by some allies of Israel, as a major obstacle to peace. In fact, just a day after Bennett became PM, Israel launched attacks aimed at Gaza, violating the ceasefire, in response to incendiary balloons sent from that direction.

It would also be interesting how Bennett approaches the US, Israel’s biggest supporter and benefactor on the international stage. US President Joe Biden was among the first world leaders to congratulate Bennett. Political observers noted that this contrasted sharply with Biden’s treatment of Netanyahu – Biden took almost five weeks to call him after his inauguration on January 20. In fact, Biden had called his biggest adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, before calling Netanyahu.

Biden has made no secret of his desire to see a two-State solution to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, who recognised Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights and moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, part of which could become the future capital of a Palestine State. In any case, it is hard to think that Biden will form something that even comes close to the ‘Trump-Bibi’ bromance with Bennett. Most analysts believe that the US influence in Israeli domestic politics will wane and that the US might even take a tougher line with regard to Israeli settlement and annexation plans.

But do count out Bibi in this equation at your own peril. Hemmed in by corruption and fraud allegations and having lost his Prime Minister’s immunity as an Opposition MP, he will be fighting for his survival. Indeed, in Israel’s fractious political landscape, Netanyahu has been known as the master of survival and a grandmaster of Machiavellian politics. But the last thing he needs now is a prison term – and sheer disgrace. There could also be a challenge to his leadership position from within his Likud Party itself, though this could be a remote possibility. Worse, the Gaza fighting appears to have weakened his position among his right-wing allies, who alleged that his Government surrendered to the Hamas by agreeing to the ceasefire.

No matter what, Netanyahu will fight every step of the way to get back into power, knowing very well that Bennett’s coalition, with its conflicting ideological views, remains fractious and feeble. But that does not diminish the importance of the political changes that will be under way. The country has seen four elections in the last two years, with no party winning a majority on its own in any. Right now, Israel needs political stability locally and credibility at international level.

Israel under Netanyahu did score a few brownie points internationally, most notably the Abraham Accords under which Israel began diplomatic ties with several Muslim-majority African and Gulf countries. Again, the nexus between Trump and Netanyahu played a major role in this diplomatic triumph. But much of the world, including all the Western allies of the US, is still against Israeli policies regarding settlements and annexation. Although Bennett may be a hawk, the international community, with the US taking the lead, must try to turn him into a dove.


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