On June 13, 2021, Israel swore in a new coalition government under Naftali Bennett. That consummated March elections and sent Prime Minister Netanyahu packing with narrowest loss of 59-60 in 120-member Knesset after a record 12 years in office. The political crisis has spawned four elections in two years. The first thing Bennett did after the vote was to inform US President Joe Biden, currently in Europe, and a meeting of new Cabinet followed thereafter.
Eight parties constitute the ruling coalition including, strangely, a small Arab faction. Opposition to Netanyahu and fear of new elections, not any ideological congruence, herded them together with a modest agenda—reducing tensions with the Palestinians, maintaining good relations with the US, and not launching any major initiatives. And that could be the coalition’s undoing. The last two years have been tumultuous: four elections, 11-day rocket barrage from Gaza, and economically-devastating coronavirus outbreak. A return to normalcy is all that Israelis want.
Experienced Netanyahu remains the Head of the largest party in the Parliament, waiting for the opportunity when the unwieldy coalition of the political right, left and centre caves in. Just one faction bolts, and Netanyahu gets the opening. Netanyahu served as the Prime Minister for a total of 15 years — more than any other — including the country’s founder, David Ben-Gurion. His place in Israeli history is secured; defying the Obama administration, refusing to freeze settlement construction, campaigning against Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran and even denouncing that in an address to the US Congress. His belligerence fetched reward from Trump administration: recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, American withdrawal from the Iran deal, and brokering normalisation agreements with four Arab states.
His reputation as a political magician has waned, tarnished by corruption, divide-and-conquer strategy, aggravated rifts in Israeli society polarised between Jews and Arabs and ultra-Orthodox allies and secular Jews. In 2020, protesters held weekly rallies across Israel seeking his resignation but Netanyahu remains popular among the dominant hard-line nationalists.
Incumbent Prime Minister Bennett is anti-Arab, follows Netanyahu’s policy, opposes Palestinian independence and strongly supports Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. Born to American-born parents in Haifa, Bennett shuttled between North America and Israel, served in the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit, studied law, and co-founded Cyota, an anti-fraud software company. He is modern, religious and nationalist. Israel’s bitter experience of 2006 war against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah sucked Bennett into politics. War ended inconclusively while Israel’s military and political leadership-soaked criticism for bungling the campaign.
The 49-year-old father of four, Bennett is a pragmatic leader and security hardliner. He was Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff for two years and shares latter’s hawkish approach to the Middle East conflict.
Bennett campaigned as a conservative in March elections and his ultranationalist Yamina party won just seven seats in the 120-member Knesset but by refusing to commit to Netanyahu or his opponents, positioned himself as a kingmaker. When Netanyahu could not cobble a ruling coalition, Bennett negotiated Prime Ministership for first two years, conceding the second two-year-term to Lapid whom he had pledged on national TV to never allow Prime Ministership. Netanyahu’s supporters call Bennett a traitor for defrauding voters but he defends based on pragmatism, unifying the country and avoiding a fifth round of elections.
Bennett is more conservative than Netanyahu but his unwieldy coalition includes rightists, leftists and centrist with wafer-thin majority in the Parliament. If Netanyahu could not knit a lasting coalition despite many allies in the Knesset, can Bennett with a basket full of misfits? As an ultranationalist in a fragile moderate coalition, and with Netanyahu breathing down his neck, Bennett may find it difficult to survive even a year.
In a generational shift Bennett became the Prime Minister. He is the third generation of Israeli leaders—Israel 3.0–after the founders of the state (Ben-Gurion) and Netanyahu’s generation which matured through repeated Arab wars. He is a modern Orthodox Jew, regularly wears a kippa-the skullcap worn by observant Jews-and lives in the upscale Tel Aviv suburb of Raanana, rather than the settlements he champions. He is a nationalist but not dogmatic; religious, but not devout; a military man with love for the comforts of civilian urban life; a hi-tech entrepreneur who is no more chasing millions; a supporter of the Greater Land of Israel but not a settler; and he may well not be a lifelong politician either. That’s Naftali Bennett, the new hybrid leader of Israel.
Email: ankits@newdelhitimes.com
Twitter: @ankitndt
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