An unwieldy coalition takes power in Israel

Netanyahu's ouster presents Israel with an opportunity to rebuild democratic processes and institutions that were destroyed under his increasingly authoritarian rule

With the new government winning a confidence vote in parliament, Israel has escaped, at least for now, a return to yet another general election. A coalition of eight very disparate parties, including the far-right and the far-left, led by Naftali Bennett has come to power. The new government is an important milestone in Israeli politics. It is the first time that an Arab Islamist party, Ra’am, is part of the ruling coalition in Israel. It is the first time in a dozen years that Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu will not be part of the ruling coalition. Analysts are describing his ouster from power as the end of an era. However, the swearing-in of a government minus Netanyahu may not represent a major change as several coalition members were allies of Netanyahu in the past. Prime Minister Bennett, for instance, was his chief of staff and a protégé. A shared determination to oust Netanyahu brought the coalition’s constituents together. There is little else that unites them, which means that Israel has entered another period of political instability. Netanyahu will aggressively pursue toppling the government, which has only a razor-thin majority.

The ouster of Netanyahu presents Israel with an opportunity to rebuild democratic processes and institutions that were destroyed under his increasingly authoritarian rule. With Netanyahu treating the Knesset with disdain, Israel’s parliamentary democracy was functioning like a presidential system. A course correction is expected now. Coalitions also compel partners to moderate their positions to survive in power. Bennett is an ultra-right nationalist, even more so than Netanyahu. He has called for annexation of parts of the territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war. But it is expected that he will be circumspect about espousing such positions now as his leftist partners and Ra’am would walk out of his coalition if he does. He will need to adopt a centrist, more pragmatic, approach if he wants to hold his coalition together.

Published coalition agreements show that the new government will focus on economic and social issues, including passing a budget — Israel has not had a budget in two years, thanks to political turmoil – and building new hospitals, etc. It can be expected to avoid precipitating contentious issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which could see the coalition fall apart. However, there are issues that Bennett cannot and must not avoid. Relations between Israeli Arabs and Jews have soured. There were violent clashes between the two communities in recent months and tensions are simmering. Dealing with this problem may threaten the government’s survival, but not addressing it will be dangerous for Israel and regional peace.