Israel | Life after “Bibi”

For the first time in a long time, Benjamin Netanyahu was not the face of the Israeli government. With a narrow victory in parliament, the new coalition has shown the door to the controversial politician, though he has promised to return “soon”. The new Prime Minister will have to do a lot on his side to continue the coalition representing the radical right, left, center and elected representatives from the right, especially in Israel.

Eric-Pierre Champagne
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A small hit to knock out “Bibi”

In the parliamentary assembly, the Nestl coalition agreed to appoint 49-year-old Naphtali Bennett as prime minister to replace Benjamin Netanyahu. Recognized as a radical right-wing Yamina party leader and former leader of the opposition, centrist Yar Lapid, will be prime minister until 2025, if the coalition is not toppled by then. The vote to reject “Bibi” was very strong, although 60 supporters voted in favor of the “coalition of change”, while 59 voted against. Many experts believe the coalition will disintegrate before the end of his mandate, especially if Netanyahu is the leader of the opposition.

“This Dangerous Left Government”

Shortly after the Knesset voted, Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he was determined to “bring down this left-wing government, this scandalous government quickly.” According to the former prime minister who ruled the country between 1996 and 1999, from 2009 to 2021, the only thing that unites the members of the coalition is “hatred, rejection and a thirst for power.” However, the Knesset vote was the first to oust Netanyahu, according to Uriel Abuloff, a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University. “These are very few people, though they have decided to say no to ‘Bibi’. Amer, a politician facing allegations of corruption, kidnapping and abuse of power, said he had been deceived by party leaders who supported him.

The first test this Tuesday

The new government comes to the test on Tuesday as it plans a controversial moderate march in the Palestinian territory of East Jerusalem. A scene of violent protests last May against the colonial government that led to the 11-day conflict between Hamas and Israel, Hamas has promised revenge if demonstrators approach the mosque esplanade. However, the Palestinian question remains an explosion for Mr. Bennett and his government, who are pushing for more unified issues in the population. “This walk was a very difficult challenge from the start,” said Uriel Abuloff.

Receive the budget

One of the first challenges, according to Abuloff, who is currently a visiting professor at Cornell University, is to adopt the budget. However, no agreement has been reached over the past two years to approve the budget, which is a necessary step for the government, which wants to prioritize economic recovery. This challenge is crucial for an alliance of eight ideologically divided parties, with two left parties, two from the center, three from the right and three Arab parties. “They agreed to expel Netanyahu. Not that they agree with everything. But in my opinion they still learned to work together for two years. They have a lot to lose if it doesn’t work. Another challenge is to confront the former prime minister who is not trying to unleash a new challenge.

New hope

Many Israelis have welcomed the end of the rule of Benjamin Netanyahu, who appears to be a polar politician who uses tensions to stay in power. This is especially the case with Shirley Le Penne, a French woman of Jewish descent who is completing a doctorate in political theory at Cornell University. “It simply came to our notice then that Netanyahu’s term was over. This is very promising, says a young woman who lived in Israel between 2009 and 2019. I have friends in Tel Aviv who say they will never vote for Naphtali Bennett, but they are relieved. For most people, this is nothing more than Netanyahu! Many now hope for true social cohesion in the country. “It simply came to our notice then^{To me} The Penny. Nine women have been appointed to the cabinet! ”

With Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press