Israel's First Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Prime Minister Emerges...Palestinians "Do Not Expect Change"

Bennett Becomes Official Prime Minister...Netanyahu's 12-Year Rule Ends
Concerns Over Division on Foreign Policy...Coalition Ends if Just One Seat Defects

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] International attention is heating up regarding the future moves of Naftali Bennett, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Israel who ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year consecutive long-term rule and took office as the head of Israel's new cabinet. Above all, there is growing skepticism about whether Prime Minister Bennett, the leader of the far-right party who began his political career as Netanyahu's closest aide, can coordinate domestic and foreign policies with the 'rainbow coalition' that includes not only left-wing but also Arab parties.

According to foreign media including the AP on the 13th (local time), Bennett became the first Israeli prime minister who is a follower of the Haredi sect, known as ultra-Orthodox Judaism. The Haredi sect is one of the branches of Judaism and is classified as an ultra-conservative faction that strongly adheres to traditional Jewish law. It is evaluated as having a stronger nationalist color than modern Orthodox Judaism, which most Israelis, including former Prime Minister Netanyahu, believe in.

Because of this, even though the Arab party Ra'am was included in the rainbow coalition that led Bennett's administration, the Palestinian Authority is reportedly fearful of the new coalition. According to the Times of Israel, the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the day saying, "We do not believe Israel will change just because Netanyahu is gone," and "We expect the new coalition's policies on Palestine to be no different from Netanyahu's government."

Before taking office, Prime Minister Bennett appealed during the election campaign for economic support for Palestinian residents within Israel and a halt to the demolition of unauthorized Palestinian homes in Israel, but he has not gained much trust even within Israel. The Israeli daily Haaretz pointed out, "Until this election, Prime Minister Bennett consistently made hawkish remarks in politics, and he also stated that he had 'no qualms' about killing Palestinians while serving in the Israeli military."

Because of this, some argue that once Bennett's cabinet is organized after taking office and he begins to assert his own stance in foreign policy, the coalition could easily collapse. The rainbow coalition started with 60 seats in the 120-seat Israeli parliament, and it is known that the coalition would collapse if even one seat defects.

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