Opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged for a speedy parliament vote on Thursday to formally terminate Netanyahu’s long reign.
In so doing, anti-Netanyahu opponents also sought to avoid any last-minute efforts by Netanyahu to undermine their newly formed coalition by negotiating one of his own.
An Ally of Trump
Former President Donald Trump and Netanyahu had a fantastic working relationship. Together, they were able to develop peace between Israel and other Arabic nations in the area; this specifically includes nations that Israel had previously been at war with or suffered hostile relations with.
The different political moves began merely hours following an announcement from opposition leader Yair Lapid and his key coalition partner, Naftali Bennett. This announcement revealed that they achieved an agreement to create a new government and gain a majority among the Knesset’s 120 members.
The alliance against Netanyahu consists of eight political groups from all sides of the political spectrum, united in their goal of getting rid of Netanyahu after a record-breaking 12 years in office.
Hardliners, who were formerly partnered with Netanyahu (as well as center-left parties and even an Arab faction) are part of the new coalition. If an Arab Party were to be a member of the ruling coalition, it would be the first of its kind in Israel’s history.
Congratulations to @Isaac_Herzog on his election as Israel’s President. President-elect Herzog has long worked to promote dialogue, protect the State of Israel, and champion close ties to the U.S. Our relationship will only grow stronger under his presidency.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 3, 2021
Netanyahu Strikes Back
On Thursday, Netanyahu slammed his critics, indicating that he will continue to put pressure on former ideological supporters who have joined the Lapid-Bennett coalition.
He said on Twitter that all members of Knesset who were elected with right-wing votes must resist this dangerous leftist government.
BREAKING: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, has been ousted as Prime Minister.
Rival parties say they have reached a coalition to name far-right nationalist Naftali Bennett, who supports illegal settlements and opposes Palestinian rights, to replace him. pic.twitter.com/mCgIIzYe4I
— AJ+ (@ajplus) June 2, 2021
The anti-Netanyahu alliance revealed their coalition minutes before the midnight deadline on Wednesday. The agreement sparked a lengthy procedure that will most likely last another week.
In parliament, the coalition has a thin 61-vote majority. The question now is whether the group’s votes can be counted on to elect a new parliament speaker. A Knesset vote to ratify the new government would be presided over by the speaker.
Israel opposition parties agree to form new unity government, meaning an end to Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year tenure as prime minister https://t.co/8zRvLkHGqu
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) June 2, 2021
The current Speaker of the House is an ally of Netanyahu who could use his position to postpone the vote. As an ally, the speaker could give Netanyahu additional time to convince members of the coalition to join his side.
When the Lapid-Bennett alliance came together in recent days, Netanyahu and his supporters intensified their pressure campaign against former hawkish friends like Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, Bennett’s deputy in the Yamina Party.
They were accused by Netanyahu of compromising right-wing ideals. Shaked’s fans waged aggressive social media campaigns and held raucous protests outside his home. The prime minister’s Likud Party also promoted a rally outside the home of Yamina MP Nir Orbach on Thursday night, encouraging him to leave the alliance.
