Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu and directs his office to prepare for an organized transition of power
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu and directs his office to prepare for an organized transition of power
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared set on Thursday to return to power as the head of Israel’s most right-wing government after victory in this week’s national election, with the current caretaker prime minister conceding defeat.
The final results showed Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party and its ultranationalist and religious partners occupying a solid majority in Israel’s Knesset, or parliament.
The strong performance promised an end to the political deadlock that had crippled Israel for the past three-and-a-half years. But the new government’s planned agenda is expected to come into office – which includes changes to the country’s legal system and a tough line against Palestinians – promising to further polarize a deeply divided nation and most of Israel’s foreign countries. Opposes close allies.
Israel on Tuesday held its fifth election since 2019 in a race similar to the previous four, widely seen as a referendum on Mr Netanyahu’s fitness to rule as he faces corruption charges. Were. While the previous race ended in a stalemate, Mr Netanyahu managed a disciplined campaign that gave him an edge over a divided and disorganized opposition.
Supporters of Itamar Ben-Gwir, Israel’s far-right legislator and head of the “Jewish Power” party, celebrate after the exit poll results of the first Israeli parliamentary election at the party’s headquarters in Jerusalem. file. , photo credit: AP
The caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, conceded defeat and called on Mr Netanyahu to congratulate him shortly before the final results were released. Lapid said that he had instructed his employees to create an organized transition of power.
“The State of Israel comes before any political considerations,” Mr Lapid said. “I wish Netanyahu success for the sake of the people of Israel and the State of Israel.”
There was no immediate comment from Mr Netanyahu.
According to unofficial final results, Mr Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and ultra-conservative allies held 64 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset. His opponents in the outgoing coalition led by Lapid won 51 seats, the remainder held by a small unaffiliated Arab faction. Mr Netanyahu still has to hold talks with his allies but is expected to form a coalition in the coming weeks.
The election focused heavily on the values that are meant to define the state: Jewish or democratic. In the end, voters supported their Jewish identity.
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PM Modi congratulates Netanyahu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on his success in Israel’s general elections and said he looks forward to continuing their joint efforts to deepen the India-Israel strategic partnership.
“Majal tov my friend @netanyahu for your electoral success. I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to deepen the India-Israel strategic partnership,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
Mr. Modi also thanked Mr. Lapid for prioritizing the India-Israel strategic partnership.
“I look forward to continuing the fruitful exchange of ideas for the mutual benefit of our people,” Mr Modi said.
Mr Netanyahu’s main governing partner is expected to be Religious Zionism, a far-right party whose main candidate, Itamar Ben-Gwir, has built his career on confrontation with Palestinians and supports anti-Arab ideas that once marginalized an extremist. were limited to
The party will be the third largest party in Parliament.
Ben-Gawir says he wants to end Palestinian autonomy in parts of the occupied West Bank and maintain Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians, which is now in its 56th year, indefinitely. Until recently, he had hung a picture in his home of a Jewish terrorist who killed 29 Palestinian worshipers in a 1994 mosque shooting in the West Bank.
Ben-Gawir labeled Arab lawmakers “terrorists” and called for their deportation. The far-right lawmaker, who recently waved a pistol while visiting a tense Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, wants to be in charge of the country’s police force.
The party’s leader, Bezel Smotrich, a West Bank accomplice who has made anti-Arab remarks, is eyeing the Defense Ministry. This would make him an observer of the military and Israel’s West Bank military occupation.
Party officials are in favor of aggressive settlement construction in the West Bank. He has also repeatedly made anti-LGBTQ comments.
These positions threaten to antagonize American Jews, who are overly liberal, and put Israel’s next government on a collision course with the Biden administration.
The White House said on Thursday it looked forward to working with Israel on “our shared history and values.”
But in a separate comment, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US expects Israel to “continue to share the values of an open, democratic society, including tolerance and respect for all in civil society, especially minorities.” for groups.” He reiterated support for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians – an idea with little, if any, support among the incoming government.
Italy’s new far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Mr. Netanyahu on Twitter. “We are ready to better meet our common challenges, to strengthen our friendship and our bilateral ties,” he wrote.
Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, also congratulated Mr Netanyahu, calling him a “friend of Hungary”.
As votes were being counted, Israeli-Palestinian violence was erupting, with at least four Palestinians killed in separate incidents, and an Israeli police officer stabbed and moderately injured in Jerusalem’s Old City. happened.
Ben-Gawir used the events to promise a tougher approach to Palestinian aggressors once he entered government.
“It’s time to restore safety on the roads,” he tweeted. “The time has come for a terrorist who goes out to attack!”
While religious Zionism may cause Mr. Netanyahu a headache abroad, it may bring him relief at home.
The party has promised to make changes to Israeli law that could halt Mr Netanyahu’s corruption trial and make the charges disappear. Along with other nationalist allies, they also want to undermine the independence of the judiciary and concentrate more power in the hands of parliamentarians. Mr Netanyahu says the trial against him is a witch hunt created by a hostile media and a biased judicial system.
Mr Netanyahu remains a deeply polarizing figure in Israel. These divisions are likely to deepen if their coalition comes to power and escalates their war on the justice system.
Mr Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, was ousted in 2021 after being in power for 12 consecutive years by an ideologically diverse coalition. In the spring the alliance broke down over infighting.
The strong performance of Likud and its allies reflected a decades-long shift to the right by Israeli voters.
Likud and religious Zionism both tapped into fears over Palestinian violence in the West Bank, accusing Lapid of being weak and showcasing his government for being the first to include the Arab Party in the coalition.
Meanwhile, the election of Israel’s Dovish leftist has been disappointing. The Labor Party, which had been a major force in Israeli politics for decades and supported the Palestinian state, sat in parliament with a minimum of four seats. The anti-occupationist Meretz was exiled in political exile for the first time since it was established three decades ago.
“It’s a disaster for Meretz, a disaster for the country, and yes, a disaster for me,” Meretz’s distraught leader, Jehava Galen, said in a video.