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.
The Israeli election appears to be deadlocked, judging by exit polls. Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has the upper hand with 31 or more seats, far more than the nearest competitor, per the polls, but the anti-Netanyahu parties have as many as 60 seats, or half the parliament.
The last polls before March 23 election show Netanyahu with commanding position. 45 percent of voters think he is the best candidate for prime minister, nearly double the number of the hope of American liberal Zionists, centrist Yair Lapid. And Likud polls at 20 seats, way out ahead of Lapid’s party at 18.
Rightwinger Naftali Bennett is the kingmaker in Israeli election next week, and signals, correctly, that the Israeli right should not be fearful of Yair Lapid. For Lapid’s party states in Hebrew that it is for the settlement project, though it scrubs that section from the English version intended for US liberal Zionists!