Explained | Netanyahu faces ouster as rivals circle, who are they?

Rivals are in the process of forming a coalition across the political spectrum against the controversial prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu may be on the way out as political rivals could join hands to unseat the polarising leader who has spent 12 years as Israel’s prime minister and is saddled with three charges of corruption.

Opposing political leaders are on the brink of forming a “change” coalition that could eventually lead to a “unity government” as parties from across the spectrum are set to come together to remove the incumbent prime minister.

The potentially fragile alliance could include far-right, centrist and left-wing parties, as well as Arab members of parliament with major political differences regarding the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Here’s a look at the challengers spearheading the campaign against Netanyahu:

Naftali Bennett

Bennett’s recent backing of a “unity government” will be crucial in ousting Netanyahu. The far-right leader of the small but influential Yamina party has been known to be a kingmaker of sorts, even though his party controls only seven seats in parliament out of which one member has refused to support an anti-Netanyahu coalition. His party is known for its pro-settlements stance.

Israel’s election process makes it nearly impossible for any single party to gain a majority, making coalitions the norm. Bennet’s backing will be crucial for the coalition to tip the scales in its favour and reach the majority mark of 61 seats in the Parliament.

Yair Lapid

The centrist leader of the Yesh Atid party was the runner-up to Netanyahu in the inconclusive March 23 elections. Under a prospective power-sharing agreement, Lapid and Bennett will take turns in the prime minister’s chair if the coalition is successful in forming the government.

An ex-finance minister and television show host, Lapid’s party has 11 seats in the Parliament and is often regarded as one of the main competitors of Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party.

Gideon Sa'ar

Once seen as a shoe-in for the prime minister’s role as the “heir-apparent” to Netanyahu, the former Likud member rejected Netanyahu’s last-ditch proposal to split the prime minister’s office three ways with Sa’ar and Bennett.

Sa’ar, who led his New Hope party in winning six seats in the last elections after resigning from Likud, has not thrown his weight behind the coalition but could be instrumental in turning the tide against Netanyahu.

Mansour Abbas

The anti-Netanyahu coalition will require support not only across the political spectrum from far-left to far-right and also possibly from Arab backing, with Mansour Abbas’ United Arab List being the front-running candidate.

Though the Arab members of Parliament oppose much of Bennet’s right-wing agenda, they may forge an alliance with the coalition to topple the current government. However, this tenuous and uneasy support could lead to a delicate and brittle coalition.

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