Netanyahu calls for resistance to future government
“Netanyahu still has tricks up his sleeve”
Israel’s opposition leader Lapid has announced a coalition of eight parties. WELT correspondent Christine Kensch says Benjamin Netanyahu will now do everything possible to topple this new government.
Israel probably has a new government: Jair Lapid of the Future Party has formed a multi-party coalition. It should be introduced into office as soon as possible – still out of concern about the Prime Minister’s actions.
IIsrael’s outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on lawmakers to resist a future government on Twitter. He criticized his nominee Naftali Bennett from the far-right Zamina Party on Thursday.
Netanyahu wrote on Twitter: “Any Knesset MP elected with the right votes should oppose the dangerous leftist government.” “Bennett sold the Negev to Ram.”
Ram is said to be the first Arab party to sit in the government of Israel. Political expert Jonathan Freeman classifies them as religious and moderate Islamic. The Negev Desert is located in the south of the country. According to media reports, part of the coalition agreement is to temporarily suspend the destruction of illegal buildings in the Negev desert. It mainly affects Bedouin villages.
On Wednesday evening, Jair Lapid, the former opposition leader of the Future Party, informed President Reuven Rivlin that he had formed a coalition with eight parties from all political camps. The future government has a narrow majority of 61 MPs out of 120. However, the oath is yet to be taken.
At first it was said that parliament still required votes and swearing-in would take place on Monday, June 14.
The far right is also part of the coalition
Part of the coalition is, among other things, the far-right grassroots party of former Defense Minister Naftali Bennett. According to a rotation agreement, he would initially become the head of government and be replaced by Lapid two years later. For the first time, an Arab party is also going to be part of the Israeli government. This means the government has been in place for twelve years without Netanyahu’s right-wing conservative head.
For the unusual coalition to begin its official work, a simple majority of 120 MPs must vote for it. It is expected that Netanyahu’s supporters will try their best until the swearing-in to end the volatile alliance between Lapid and Bennett. Even after the coalition agreement was signed, there have been reports of at least one possible apostasy in the ranks of the Zamina Party.
Lapid himself wants to take over the post of foreign minister first. His future party lies at the political centre. In the March election, it became the second-strongest force behind Netanyahu’s right-wing conservative Likud. Lapid entered politics after a career as a television presenter. He served as finance minister in the previous Netanyahu government.
Netanyahu was Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999 and has held the position since 2009. This makes him Israel’s longest-serving head of state.
Israel has remained in a perpetual political crisis lately. The fourth parliamentary election within two years again failed to result in a clear majority in late March. Rivlin appointed Lapid to form the government on 5 May, but Netanyahu had previously failed. The deadline for Lapid would have expired on Wednesday evening.
