A far-right millionaire has agreed to a coalition that will bring down Netanyahu – World

In Israel, Naftali Bennett’s far-right Yamina party has announced that it is accepting an alliance with centrist and former journalist Yair Lapid, whose goal is a government of change – a bloc that puts an end to Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year rule.

At a postponed press conference, Bennett confirmed that he was entering into a coalition with Lapid, who had previously been given a mandate to form a government following the failure of Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. In recent days, Israeli media have reported that the agreement between 49-year-old Bennett and 57-year-old Lapid involves a rotation of the prime minister’s post. The first will be the far right, the second – the centrist, although Lapid holds the mandate. Another version speaks of Bennett’s one-year term.

This does not mean that Netanyahu is finally leaving power. However, the political outcome of a cycle of four elections, which ended without the formation of a permanent government, is approaching. At the same time, this will not be possible without the support of the Islamists from Raam, the balancer that would secure a majority.

Read more about Raam here.

The last cabinet fell apart after Netanyahu and his coalition partner Benny Ganz failed to agree on the country’s budget, and the Knesset automatically disbanded late last year. Their coalition lasted for months, and according to its terms, Ganz, his former opponent, was to be prime minister in November this year. Netanyahu was trying to avoid this with procedural tricks with the budget law. The same government is currently in power until a new one is formed.

Unusual partners

Lapid must be ready with his parliamentary majority by Wednesday, after which his coalition will receive a vote of confidence. The new situation marks a radical change from the time two weeks ago, when it seemed impossible Bennett and Lapid to build a working majority. However, after a truce with the Islamist movement Hamas, the two resumed talks and negotiated a preliminary coalition agreement.

Netanyahu has been accused in recent weeks of working to escalate tensions in East Jerusalem and the conflict with Gaza (as it has for 11 days) to thwart coalition talks and create pressure to form a cabinet of national unity with his participation. .

Critics accuse him of trying to stay in power at a time when he is on trial for corruption and abuse of trust.

© Associated Press

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It was because of this feeling that the parties were under strong public pressure from all those who did not vote for Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties (his allies) not to accept Netanyahu’s proposals for a new coalition, but to work together. This applied to both Bennett, a far-right former defense minister who expressed readiness to annex most of the occupied West Bank, and Gideon Saar, a former ally of the prime minister who had seceded from his Likud party. Saar was also offered a seat in Netanyahu’s cabinet, but today he refused.

Until the end, Bennett did not guarantee that he would accept the idea of ​​being Lapid’s partner – partly because he was much closer ideologically to Netanyahu, but mostly because he preferred the mandate to be in his hands. He had several meetings with Netanyahu (including one in English).

If the cabinet is actually formed, the government will have to act cautiously on key issues such as Iran – Lapid is “in favor” of restoring the nuclear deal.

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