Israel’s possible next prime minister Naftali Bennett would need to deliver to his base, with anti-Palestinian provocation. Which makes it unlikely that a non-Netanyahu government can stem the tide of pro-Palestinian sentiment which followed the last massacre in Gaza. Though this is what hasbara-ists, in the US and Israel, are hoping for.
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s “Change bloc” that may form the next Israeli government is not ideologically very different to a Likud bloc. It might not have the extreme right Kahanist faction of Jewish Power in it, as the right bloc did, but the Change bloc really is about Jewish power anyway: the Zionist dominance of Jewish power.
Rightwinger Naftali Bennett, 49, who boasted of killing Arabs, will replace Benjamin Netanyahu under a deal reached tonight with centrist Yair Lapid, Israeli media are reporting.
The international delegitimization of Zionism has begun. Palestinian resistance to further ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem has been answered with a cascade of mainstream voices saying that Israel practices “apartheid” and Palestinians deserve equal rights, not missiles.
As of yesterday, Benjamin Netanyahu is officially a loser. He lost four elections in a row, and failed to form a government – the one time he managed it, a year ago, he did so on Benny Gantz’s mandate. That, however, does not mean Yair Lapid, who received the mandate to try to form a government yesterday from Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, will do any better.
Israeli centrist Yair Lapid will forswear an alliance with Palestinian political parties if he gets the nod to form the next government. Instead he will court a rightwing religious Jewish party.
Many seem to see Netanyahu as an illiberal, corrupt, anti-democratic leader. But we must also see, that he is part of a regime that itself is illiberal, corrupt and anti-democratic. It’s always been the case. Who is the new hope? Gideon Sa’ar who is even to the right of Netanyahu? Naftali Bennett who is even to the right of Sa’ar? Or Yair Lapid, who is to their left, alas with the “principle” which says “maximum Jews on maximum land with maximum security and with minimum Palestinians”?
Following Israel’s fourth election in two years, Benjamin Netanyahu’s base is more vulnerable and more extreme than ever before. But this time a coalition with Arab parties could tip the scales.
The news from Israel’s four elections is that there is little ideological debate in Israel. Israeli Jewish voters are overwhelmingly rightwing. They are deeply divided over Netanyahu, but nearly 80 of the 120 members in the new parliament are rightwingers, dedicated to keeping the entire “land of Israel,” and Palestinians be damned.
Phil Weiss speaks to Yossi Gurvitz to unpack the March 23rd Israeli election results. Yumna Patel discusses the upcoming Palestinian elections with Dr. Yara Hawari and Dr. Haidar Eid.