Netanyahu Falls from Power After 15 Years... Will Palestinian Hardline Policy Change? (Comprehensive)

Final Agreement on Coalition Government Formed by 9 Israeli Parties
Including Far-Right, Centrist, and Arab Factions... "Coalition Could Easily Collapse"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] With nine parties in the Israeli parliament finally agreeing to form a coalition government, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister who has been in power for over 15 years, has ultimately been ousted. The new Israeli coalition government is expected to include far-right, centrist, left-wing, as well as Arab parties, signaling a significant shift from the hardline pro-Palestinian policies that have characterized Netanyahu's administration.

According to foreign media such as CNN on the 2nd (local time), nine parties have formed a coalition centered around the centrist Yesh Atid party (17 seats), which rose to become the second-largest party in the Israeli parliament following the March general election. The coalition includes the Blue and White party (8 seats), Yamina party (7 seats), Yisrael Beiteinu party (7 seats), Labor party (7 seats), New Hope party (6 seats), Joint List party (6 seats), Meretz party (6 seats), and Ra'am party (4 seats). Together, these nine parties hold a total of 68 seats, surpassing half of the 120 seats in the Israeli parliament, enabling the formation of a coalition government.

These parties engaged in marathon negotiations starting from the 31st of last month and reached a dramatic agreement just about 30 minutes before the coalition formation deadline. The coalition includes parties with vastly different political colors, ranging from far-right to centrist, left-wing, and Arab parties. Because of this, the coalition is being referred to within Israel as the so-called "Rainbow Coalition." This is the first time in Israeli history that Arab parties such as the Joint List and Ra'am have participated in a coalition government.

According to prior agreements, Naftali Bennett, leader of the far-right Yamina party, will serve as prime minister for the first half of the term, from this year through 2023, while Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, will serve as foreign minister. For the latter half of the term, the two leaders have agreed to swap positions. Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party who currently serves as defense minister in Netanyahu's coalition government, will continue in his role as defense minister.

There are concerns that the coalition, formed by parties with such diverse political backgrounds ranging from far-right to Arab parties, could easily collapse. The Times of Israel analyzed, "The ceasefire between Israel and Palestine remains fragile, and if it breaks down, the coalition could easily fall apart. Additionally, Israel's far-right factions and Jewish groups are deeply dissatisfied with the participation of Arab parties in this coalition, which will also pose a political burden."

With the formation of the new coalition, Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister for a total of 15 years and 2 months and is Israel's longest-serving prime minister in history, has been ousted. Netanyahu first served from 1996 to 1999 for three years, then returned to power in 2009 and has led Israel continuously for 12 years since. Although there were prospects of his re-election this year due to achievements in COVID-19 vaccination and recent clashes with the Palestinian militant group Hamas last month, public fatigue over his long tenure and a significant drop in approval ratings amid ongoing investigations into bribery and other charges have led to his eventual downfall.

Although Netanyahu has relinquished the prime ministership, he will continue to influence Israeli politics as the leader of the Likud party (30 seats), which remains the largest party in the parliament. However, if Netanyahu completes his term, there is a possibility that investigations into bribery and other allegations currently underway by authorities will intensify, potentially leading to his loss of party leadership.

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