The Netanyahu Era in Israel Comes to an End... Final Agreement on Opposition Coalition Imminent

Agreement on Rotating Prime Minister Position in Anti-Netanyahu Faction... Far-Right Bennett to Serve First 2 Years
Centrist Lapid to Succeed Bennett as Prime Minister
Netanyahu Accuses "Bennett of Betraying the Nation"... Right-Wing Says "Cannot Forgive Bennett"
Ruling Party Voices Calls to Replace Netanyahu as Party Leader

Yair Lapid (left), leading the anti-Netanyahu coalition negotiations, and Naftali Bennett (right), chosen as the next prime minister [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] A final agreement on the opposition coalition to lead the post-Netanyahu era is expected to be reached soon. The opposition has agreed that Naftali Bennett, leader of the Yamina Party, will take the position of Israel's next prime minister. As the possibility of a regime change grows, voices within the ruling party are calling for Prime Minister Netanyahu to be replaced as party leader, intensifying Netanyahu's political crisis.

According to the Times of Israel on the 31st (local time), the anti-Netanyahu faction currently negotiating the formation of a coalition government has agreed to select Bennett as the next prime minister. Foreign media reported that a final agreement could be reached on the 1st, one day before the coalition negotiation deadline on the 2nd.

Bennett to serve as prime minister for the first two years... Lapid to take over for the remaining term

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Earlier, various political parties from left and right wings gathered to negotiate a national unity government aimed at replacing the Netanyahu administration. The negotiation was led by centrist Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid Party, and far-right Bennett, leader of the Yamina Party, who agreed on a rotation for the prime ministership.

According to the agreement, Bennett will serve as prime minister for the first two years, followed by Lapid for the remaining period.

They expect to finalize the agreement as early as the 1st, report it to President Reuven Rivlin, and launch the new government by the 9th.

Lapid stated, "There are still obstacles ahead of forming the new government," but added, "We believe we can overcome them sufficiently. In just a week, Israel will enter a new era."

Far-right Bennett hints at flexible policy management

On the 29th of last month (local time), a pro-Palestinian demonstration took place in Washington, USA. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Bennett previously served as Minister of Defense in the Netanyahu administration, which shared similar political leanings. Before becoming defense minister, as a member of the Knesset, he advocated hardline Palestinian policies such as the forced annexation of the West Bank, a Palestinian autonomous region. This has raised concerns that if he becomes prime minister, he might pursue even tougher policies than Netanyahu.

However, analyses suggest that Bennett did not actually implement hardline policies as defense minister and indicated a willingness to adjust policies reasonably, showing a more centrist tendency than in the past. A close aide to Bennett said, "His policy priorities have changed over time," implying the possibility of flexible policy management.

After agreeing on the coalition with Lapid the previous day, Bennett said, "We each have our own ideologies, but we will not push them unconditionally," adding, "We will proceed with areas where agreement is possible rather than fighting."

Calls within the ruling party to replace Netanyahu as party leader... Netanyahu faces 'siege'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, within the Netanyahu administration, critical voices accuse Bennett of betraying the right-wing forces. The day before, Netanyahu issued a statement strongly criticizing Bennett, saying, "Bennett has betrayed the country." The Likud Party also hung a banner at the entrance of its Jerusalem headquarters stating, "The right wing will not forgive you (Bennett)."

As the regime change becomes a foregone conclusion, voices within the ruling Likud party are calling for Netanyahu to step down as party leader, placing him in a 'siege' situation. According to local media reports that day, Yuli Edelstein, Minister of Health and a member of Likud, expressed his intention to run for the next Likud party leadership election if the regime change occurs, signaling a challenge to Netanyahu's party leadership.

The day before, Israel's Finance Minister Katz argued that for the Netanyahu administration to continue, Netanyahu should temporarily step down as prime minister to appease some right-wing factions who are opposed to him.

Meanwhile, there are also predictions that Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for corruption charges including bribery, will be in a more disadvantageous position if he becomes a private citizen. This is because he would no longer be able to exercise authority to influence the trial, such as replacing judicial officials or pushing various bills that could help him avoid charges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.