Netanyahu Urges Opposition to Right-Wing Coalition... Attempts Counterattack Ahead of Imminent Fall

Criticism of the "Anti-Netanyahu Camp" as a "Dangerous Left"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As coalition government formation negotiations among the anti-Netanyahu camp in Israel have been finalized, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister facing imminent ousting, has launched a counterattack to derail the coalition formation. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister with 15 years in office, urged conservative bloc lawmakers to vote against the confirmation of the new coalition in the upcoming parliamentary confidence vote.

On the 3rd (local time), Netanyahu called on right-wing lawmakers to block the establishment of the new coalition formed by eight parties from the anti-Netanyahu camp.

Netanyahu stated on Twitter, "Lawmakers elected by right-wing votes must oppose the dangerous left-wing government."

According to BBC, he previously criticized the anti-Netanyahu camp as a "scam of the century," accusing them of endangering Israel and its people.

The eight parties of the anti-Netanyahu camp reached a dramatic agreement the previous day to form a "rainbow" coalition, bringing together both left- and right-leaning parties.

The new coalition includes Yesh Atid (17 seats), a centrist party that became the second-largest in the March general election; the centrist Blue and White party (8 seats); the center-right Israel Beiteinu (7 seats); and the left-leaning Labor Party (7 seats).

Also joining are the right-wing New Hope (6 seats), the social-democratic Meretz (6 seats), the far-right Yamina (7 seats), and the Arab party Ra'am (4 seats).

The parties agreeing to the new coalition hold 62 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, a majority sufficient to pass the confidence vote.

During the first two years of the next government's term, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett will serve as prime minister, and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, who is leading the coalition, will serve as foreign minister. The two will swap roles for the remaining two years of the term.

The vote date has not yet been set but is expected to take place within a week.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that Yariv Levin, the Knesset Speaker from Netanyahu's Likud party, might deliberately delay the coalition confirmation vote.

In response, the parties participating in the coalition plan to submit a motion to the parliament demanding both the confirmation vote and a vote to replace the Knesset Speaker.

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