Israel Could See New Government if Confidence Vote Passes - WSJ
By: Dov Lieber (WSJ)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
TEL AVIV—A new Israeli government is set to be sworn in later Sunday if a coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opponents passes a confidence vote in parliament, which would bring an end to the leader's 12-year run in power as the country faces a sluggish economy and security challenges from Hamas.
Naftali Bennett of the right-wing Yamina party will be prime minister if the new, wide-ranging coalition passes the final hurdle. It is made up of parties from across the political spectrum, including an independent Arab party for the first time in Israel's history. Mr. Bennett and his partners put together their alliance after Mr. Netanyahu failed to cobble his own coalition following national elections in March.
Mr. Bennett's eight-party coalition has the backing of 61 lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset and is expected to pass the confidence vote by a simple majority.
If the vote passes, Mr. Bennett would take power at a pivotal moment in the country's history. Four inconclusive elections since 2019 have left Israel deeply polarized. Now, Israeli politicians must try to mend those rifts even as they confront divisive issues ranging from settlement construction and empowering the country's Arab citizens to state assistance for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
More immediately, the government needs to take steps to boost the economy after several lockdowns last year to contain the spread of Covid-19 while also negotiating a longer-term truce deal with Gaza ruler Hamas after the two sides fought a deadly 11-day conflict in May.
The new government would also inherit a series of foreign-policy challenges. Israel is engaged in a complex battle with Iran’s military proxies in Syria and elsewhere in the region and is also trying to contain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The government will also face an unstable and combustible period in Palestinian politics, as well as a softening of bipartisan support in Washington .
The breadth of the challenges could strain the ties that bind Mr. Bennett’s government-in-waiting.
“The main challenge will be to hold on,” said Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem-based think tank the Israel Democracy Institute. “This is the most heterogeneous government in the history of Israel.”
The disparate parties in the coalition are united in their opposition to Mr. Netanyahu. They accuse Israel’s longest-serving prime minister of putting his personal interests before the country. Mr. Netanyahu is currently battling corruption charges in court. He denies any wrongdoing .
The different parties have deep ideological differences. They said they wouldn’t attempt to solve major pre-existing issues but would focus instead on improving the everyday lives of Israeli citizens.
The new coalition published Friday the terms of its agreements, which show it would focus primarily on rejuvenating the ailing health, transportation and education systems of the country and bringing down the cost of living. The eight parties also agreed to pass a law limiting prime ministers to two terms or eight years. It isn’t clear if the legislation would be retroactive, and whether it would prevent Mr. Netanyahu from running again for the office.
Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party received the mandate to form a government last month after Mr. Netanyahu failed to do so. Mr. Lapid agreed to a partnership with Mr. Bennett in which the latter would become prime minister first for two years, followed by Mr. Lapid.
The coalition agreements divide power equally among the right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties, giving each bloc a veto. Additionally, Messrs. Bennett and Lapid won’t be able to fire ministers from each other’s blocs.
Mr. Bennett’s party controls seven seats in the Knesset compared with Mr. Lapid’s 17. But right-wing Jewish Israelis who previously supported Mr. Netanyahu’s governments might find him a more politically palatable candidate as prime minister.
The new coalition includes two other right-wing parties, New Hope and Yisrael Beiteinu, as well as the left-wing Labor and Meretz, the centrist Blue and White and the Islamist party Ra’am.
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Arguably the best Prime Minister Israel ever had. I think of two things when I think of his two stints as PM (1996-1999 and 2009 - Today), I think of the creation of key economic reforms, which led to a free market system and the safety & security that Israel has relied on.
There has also been another side to the man that involves corruption, thus we find this unlikely coalition from right and left with only one goal -defeating Netanyahu! I say that is a terrible reason for a campaign.
Today we may find out if Israel puts appearance over the interests of the nation.
Looks like they did both.
Looks like they did what America did.
Looks like both did not want a whiner.
The rating of all Israeli PMs by Haaretz.
Bibi doesn't fare well.
Bibi was ousted today.
Many of us can think for ourselves.
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3 removals in a row! I'm impressed.
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UPDATE:
A new Israeli coalition government led by commando-turned-tech entrepreneur Naftali Bennett ended Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run in power.
PS
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his final speech in front of the Knesset Sunday to vow a swift return to office, attack his replacement and call out the Biden administration’s effort to revive the nuke deal with Iran.
Netanyahu, 71, stepped aside for the new coalition government led by Naftali Bennett who became the new prime minister after a 60-59 vote. President Biden quickly congratulated the new government.
Bennett’s office said he later spoke by phone with Biden, thanking him for his warm wishes and longstanding commitment to Israel’s security.
Netanyahu described Bennett, who was once his ally, as a political lightweight who does not have the talent to handle the job.
Netanyahu went on to talk about the challenges in dealing with the U.S. He said "the administration" in Washington had asked him "not to discuss our disagreement on Iran publicly."
"But with all due respect, I can’t do that," Netanyahu said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The paper said Netanyahu compared the attempt by the U.S. to return to the Iran nuke deal to the decision by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt not to bomb the train tracks that led to Auschwitz—the concentration camp—when there was an opportunity in 1944.
"The prime minister of Israel needs to be able to say no to the president of the United States on issues that threaten our existence," he said. The report said Netanyahu recalled his 2015 speech in front of a joint session of Congress to voice his dismay over the Obama-era nuke deal.
The White House did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News.
The speech was supposed to take 15 minutes but continued for more than a half-hour, according to the Times of Israel. A senior Israeli diplomat told Axios that Netanyahu "decided to damage the U.S.-Israel relationship for his own personal interests and is trying to leave scorched earth for the incoming government."
Netanyahu said Iran is "celebrating" his loss because "they understand that starting today there will be a weak and unstable government that will align with the dictates of the international community ."
The Times of Israel pointed out that Bennett has also spoken out in opposition to the U.S. return to the nuke deal.
Netanyahu has been clear about his concern about the U.S. rejoining the nuclear agreement with Iran. Last month, after a ceasefire was announced between Israel and Hamas after a deadly 11-day conflict, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu held a joint press conference with the top diplomat and said, "I can tell you that I hope that the United States will not go back to the old JCPOA because we believe that that deal paves the way for Iran to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons with international legitimacy," Netanyahu said, referencing the acronym for the nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"We also reiterated that whatever happens, Israel will always reserve the right to defend itself against a regime committed to our destruction, committed to getting the weapons of mass destruction for that end," the Israeli prime minister added.
Netanyahu remains head of the largest party in parliament. The new coalition is a patchwork of small and midsize parties that could collapse if any of its members decide to bolt. Bennett’s party, for instance, holds just six seats in the 120-seat parliament.
The driving force behind the coalition is Yair Lapid, a political centrist who will become prime minister in two years in a rotation agreement with Bennett, if the government lasts."
Netanyahu's parting shot was well taken.
You seem to like losers who whine alike.
Another Bibi lie. Not surprised, he was prone his own facts in high school too.
Footnote;
Auschwitz supplied workers to a light oil plant nearby which was targeted by the Allies without regard to the forced labor they knew to exist there.
Coincidentally on one bombing run, due to our terribly inaccurate bombing abilities, the SS barracks in the Auschwitz Camp
were accidentally destroyed, killing 15 SS officers, injuring 17. They also killed 40 prisoners.
Deliberate attempts to cut the rail lines would probably have just missed, killing more cows and trees.
I think there is a difference between bombing Auschwitz itself and the train tracks leading to it.
The question for the people of Israel is not whether Bibi got it right/wrong or even lied about it. It is strictly about what Bibi can do to protect and serve the nation.
That would be the most valid reason for not bombing such a location - we simply did not have precision bombing in WWII.