Israel’s 70-year-old Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu has finally been sent packing, handing the reins of power in the Mideast’s only democracy to 60-year-old former Army Gen. Benny Gantz. Netanyahu overplayed his hand, refusing to join Gantz in a collation government that would have rotated him in-and-out of prime minister. In power since March 31, 2009, Netayahu earned the distinction of Israel’s longest serving prime minister since its founding May 14, 1948. Over the last year, Israel held, per its constitution, three elections, unable to secure Bibi enough votes in the Jerusalem-based Israeli parliament, AKA Knesset, requiring 61 votes. Israel’s March 6, election was not different, leaving Netanyahu three votes shy of forming a government, gaining 58 seats in the Knesset. Sixty-one-year-old old Moldova-born former Defense Minister Avigdor Liebermann, head of Yisrael Beiteinu Party, played kingmaker.
Gantz has battled the feisty Netanyahu for the past year for prime minister, finally creating the coalition with the United Arab List Party, Blue and White, Labor Party, Yisrael Beiteinu and other minor parties totaling 61 seats needed to form a government. With a dark cloud of a corruption trial over Netanyahu’s head, Gantz was able to pull off the grand coalition, though a fragile one, needed for 80-year-old Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to give Gantz 42 days to form his government. Netanyahu went down kicking-and-screaming, claiming was the best leader to get Israel through the global coronavirus pandemic. In the end, Gantz made a deal with the devil [Lieberman] to pull off the victory. Netanhyahu used the Arab Joint List Party’s support for Gantz as proof that the former army general supported terrorism, something so preposterous that it backfired on Netanyahu.
Netanyahu’s Likud Party, by far the largest majority with 35 seats in the Knesset, couldn’t pull together enough centrist or left-leaning votes to form a government. Credit Gantz for hanging in there, eventually letting Lieberman play kingmaker. With 61 votes, Gantz can now form a new government, perhaps adding to his totals to give him a pad. With a total of 120 votes in the Knesset, prime ministers need 61 votes for a governing coalition. “I will do all in my ability to establish within a few days as broad and patriotic government as possible,” Gantz said, rejecting Netayahu’s charges of cozying up to anti-Israel Arab parties. “It’s time to set aside our swords and unite our tribes and defeat hatred,” throwing an olive branch to the United Arab Joint List Party, always feeling marginalized in Israeli politics. Fingering the Joint List as “terrorist sympathizers” backfired on Netanyahu.
United Arab List Party makes up about 20% of the Israeli population, commanding more influence with four seats in the Knesset. With margins tight, Gantz needed those four seats for his governing coalition. Gantz has his work cut out for him placating Lieberman, among the most anti-Arab politicians in Israel. Lieberman should remember what it’s like to live as an ethnic minority in Soviet Modova where he had no say in anything, immigrating to Israel in 1978. Whatever the goals of the United Joint List Party, Gantz should contain Lieberman enough to not rock his shaky governing coalition. If the Joint List pulls out, Gantz would be back to square one. “Gantz has an absolute majority but it is an anti-Netanyahu majority . . “ said Prof. Gideon Rahat at Hebrew University. Whatever agreement exists on getting rid of Netanyahu, it’s better than having no agreement at all.
Gantz’s 61-seat coalition is far more fragile that Netanyahu’s 58-seat coalition with Likud and conservative religious parties, especially the ones backing settlements in the West Bank. “Netanyahu has only 58 seats, but they are strongly behind him,” said Rahat. However fragile Gantz’s coalition, his multiple parties are aligned against Netanyahu and aren’t about to lose seats. Gantz should begin governing with a month, seated as Israel’s next prime minister. Netanyahu received too much bad publicity for his upcoming corruption trial, whether it’s bogus or not. Now dealing with 277 cases of Covid-19, Israeli voters shifted attention away from more typical issues that drive elections, like terrorism or West Bank settlements. If Lieberman can restrain his remarks about Arabs, Gantz has a good shot of keeping his coalition together to get sworn in as Israel’s next prime minister.
Gantz and Lieberman are wise to keep Netanyahu out of any new governing coalition. His Likud loyalists will eventually get the message and throw support to Gantz’s governing coalition. Bibi has burned his bridges with Gantz and Lieberam acting like Israel’s monarch, rather than showing the flexibility needed to adapt to a changing political landscape. But with Netanyahu’s corruption trial postponed until May, the former prime minister remains radioactive to everyone other than his extreme loyalists. Gantz and Lieberman can move forward knowing that there’s enough anti-Netanyahu sentiment to keep their coalition together for a while. “They [coalition] are not pro-Gantz under all conditions,” said Rahat, reminding Gantz and Lieberman to keep the United Arab List Party happy for the time being. Getting rid of Netaanyahu was a big step for Gantz going ahead.
