After 12 years at the head of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer Prime Minister. He has been replaced by Naftali Bennett, an ultra-right-hander who will have to quickly make his mark at the head of a motley coalition with no clear direction in the face of many challenges. With 60 deputies for the "coalition of change" and 59 against (out of 120), the Knesset on Sunday turned the page on Netanyahu, the most lasting prime minister in Israel's history. But the clear split in Parliament risks complicating the task for the ministerial team. The 49-year-old Bennett takes the reins of a government of 26 ministers representing the left, center and right, united by their sole desire to oust Mr. Netanyahu, on trial for corruption.
The members of the coalition will have to find common ground on several issues such as economic recovery, Israeli colonization in the Occupied Palestinian Territories or even the sensitive issue of the state / religion relationship. First test Tuesday with a controversial march planned by the extreme right in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian sector occupied since 1967 by Israel and then annexed. The Palestinian armed movement Hamas threatened retaliation if the march was held near the Mosque Plaza, the scene in May of violent anti-settlement protests that sparked an 11-day war between Hamas and Israel. In power in the Israeli blockaded Palestinian enclave of Gaza, Hamas ruled that the new Israeli government was changing "nothing" in relations between the two enemies.In the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh considered that the departure of Mr. Netanyahu marked "the end of one of the worst periods of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and called on the government to take into account "rights. legitimate rights of the Palestinian people ”.
" Work hard "
Benjamin Netanyahu met Naftali Bennett, his former ally, in the afternoon at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem. After this short meeting, he spoke with the leaders of the opposition parties he led. "We have a strong opposition," determined "to bring down this dangerous left-wing government, this scam government that will fall quickly," Netanyahu said in a statement. “And I'll tell you why: the only thing that unites them is hatred, rejection and thirst for power. "Sunday, he assured Parliament that he would return" soon "to power despite his 71 years and his trial for corruption, embezzlement and abuse of power in a series of cases. According to the coalition agreement, Mr. Bennett, leader of the Yamina party (radical right),will lead the fragile coalition for two years before being replaced by the centrist Yaïr Lapid, until 2025. It is to ensure the crucial support of Mr. Bennett that Mr. Lapid, then leader of the opposition, him had offered to lead the government first. "Bennett and Lapid will have to work hard to prevent their government from stumbling," analyzes political commentator Nahum Barnea in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The coalition “struggled to persuade a 61st member to vote for it. This government will have trouble making decisions, ”he predicts."Bennett and Lapid will have to work hard to prevent their government from stumbling," analyzes political commentator Nahum Barnea in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The coalition “struggled to persuade a 61st member to vote for it. This government will have trouble making decisions, ”he predicts."Bennett and Lapid will have to work hard to prevent their government from stumbling," analyzes political commentator Nahum Barnea in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The coalition “struggled to persuade a 61st member to vote for it. This government will have trouble making decisions, ”he predicts.
"Endless lies"
“It's a new day. It is the morning of difficult work, sometimes worthy of the work of Sisyphus, to rebuild ruins, ”says political commentator Ben Caspit in the daily Maariv. "The wish of many Israelis is to live in peace, without incitement to violence, without hatred and above all without the endless lies that Netanyahu left behind", continues Mr. Caspit, author in 2018 of a biography of the outgoing Prime Minister . Abroad, congratulations poured in. US President Joe Biden said he was "looking forward to working" with Mr. Bennett, to whom he spoke on the phone. Germany has declared that it wishes to cooperate "closely" with the new government and France has said that it is "ready to support any effort allowing a resumption of dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians". Conversely,the Islamic Republic of Iran, enemy of Israel, indicated "does not think that the policy of the occupation regime in Jerusalem will change with the arrival of such a person or the departure of such a person". In the last legislative elections in March, the Likud (right) of Mr. Netanyahu, who ruled the country from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to June 13, 2021, finished first without succeeding in rallying a majority to form a government. Mr. Rivlin then entrusted the task to Yaïr Lapid, who succeeded in extremis by forming a coalition supported by the Arab Raam party, an extremely rare event.who led the country from 1996 to 1999 then from 2009 to June 13, 2021, had finished in the lead without succeeding in rallying a majority to form a government. Mr. Rivlin then entrusted the task to Yaïr Lapid, who succeeded in extremis by forming a coalition supported by the Arab Raam party, an extremely rare event.who led the country from 1996 to 1999 then from 2009 to June 13, 2021, had finished in the lead without succeeding in rallying a majority to form a government. Mr. Rivlin then entrusted the task to Yaïr Lapid, who succeeded in extremis by forming a coalition supported by the Arab Raam party, an extremely rare event.