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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for a long time, was reportedly on his way to address his supporters, when he abruptly stopped. Israel voted Tuesday for the fourth time in two years. And according to a new forecast, the long-awaited new term of the head of government, on which he had bet, could be very far away. The 71-year-old postponed his appearance and eventually refrained from delivering a classic victory speech. His party, the right-wing Likud, remains the strongest force with 30 seats, but has lost six seats compared to the March 2020 result.
Netanyahu’s chances of a new term in office are diminishing more and more, despite the rapid corona vaccination campaign that he relied so heavily on during the election campaign. On Wednesday it became clear that the country remains deeply divided after the elections, which amounted to a referendum on Netanyahu, who was indicted in a corruption trial. At the moment, there is no way out of the stagnation and political crisis. No budget has been approved since 2019.
Allies are missing on both sides
Netanyahu currently wants to avoid other elections and called for the formation of a stable government that night. But whether this wish is realistic is another matter. For Netanyahu’s desired alliance of right-wing and religious parties, it is not enough to have a majority in parliament, the Knesset. He relies on more support, like his far-right rival Naftali Bennett from the Yamina party, even if the latter has so far declared Netanyahu’s replacement a target. Netanyahu’s problem is that the formation of a right-wing government is unlikely to go well with America’s new liberal government.
The 71-year-old Netanyahu could benefit from the fact that he caught the Israeli Arabs in a U-turn to his previous politics in the election campaign. Because Raam’s young party could tip the balance. It seems that you can enter the Knesset with five seats. However, a coalition in which both Raam and the radical right-wing religious-Zionist party sit would be extremely problematic. These include supporters of the murdered extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, who incited the Palestinians and called for a Jewish theocracy. In the 1980s, the Kach party was banned.
Similar difficulties exist in the anti-Netanyahu bloc. The runner-up in the elections, former opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Future Party (18 seats), would also have to try to get Bennett on his side. But his settler-friendly Yamina has, among other things, differences with the Israeli Arab parties, which Lapid should also address. So far, Lapid has rejected a coalition with Netanyahu.
So a lot will depend on Bennett in the coming weeks. So far, he has not allowed himself to look at the cards. The specter of a fifth election in less than two and a half years could put enormous pressure on him. It is questionable whether he would accept the potential scapegoat role.
As of Wednesday, more than a dozen parties or lists would be represented in the Knesset. The formation of a coalition is only possible with the participation of a large number of them. A head of government should take many special interests into account.
More clarity could emerge after all votes are counted. However, this was not expected until Friday. The official result will be published eight days after the election.
Netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009 and is the country’s oldest head of government. For some Israelis, it is time for a change. The numerous votes of the last years caused discontent with the policy. According to preliminary figures, voter turnout was only 67.2 percent. The last time it was lower in 2009. Also, many people have not forgotten the failures of the government at the beginning of the pandemic, which is why Netanyahu could not get more points with the vaccination campaign. The conflict with the Palestinians played almost no role in the election campaign.(dpa / what / red.)
