The Return of Bibi
The return of Bibi, with the highest voter turnout in recent decades, handed Netanyahu the key to power. Out of the many titles given to him over the past twenty years of being in the spotlight, ‘magician’ might be the best. And the greatest magic of Benjamin Netanyahu was his re-emergence from the ballot box.
After a year, he returned to the center of the Israeli political stage. With the completion of the votes, the Likud party secured the most votes, and thus the right-wing coalition managed to win 65 out of 120 seats, which is four more than the threshold needed to form a government.
Yesh Atid, the centrist party of Yair Lapid, the outgoing Prime Minister, came in second with 25 seats. Meanwhile, the far-right electoral cartel, consisting of the Jewish Power and Religious Zionist parties, unprecedentedly secured third place with 15 seats.
It is noteworthy that these two factions, which until the last election were on the fringes of political life and could only count on a very few parliamentary representatives, can now claim a leadership role in the new majority.
After a night of counting numbers, it was President Isaac Herzog who had to begin consultations. Once again, the name of the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel’s history topped the list.
Referendum on Netanyahu
Like the four previous elections since 2019, the vote on the first of November was also a referendum on Netanyahu. The former Prime Minister, despite being accused of fraud and corruption trials, and considering that they might be suspended thanks to a new political position, won the election.
The National Unity party, a new party by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who a few years ago managed to challenge Netanyahu with his Blue and White party, secured 12 seats.
However, what aided the success of the right-wing bloc was the weak performance of the Arab parties, which amidst frustration and division squandered the votes of Palestinian Israeli citizens, who make up 20% of Israel’s population and are always striving to find a worthy and suitable representative in the political arena.
The Balad party, which entered the political competition alone, narrowly missed entering parliament. The Labor party won 4 seats, and the left-wing Meretz will not enter parliament. All of this, according to several experts, could lead to the emergence of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. The initial vote counts were not encouraging for the left and Arabs, and Netanyahu’s victory showed their concerns were not unfounded.
High Turnout Wins the Election
Regardless of the results, the most striking figure in this round of elections was the turnout. Over 71% of voters participated, the highest since 1999, and six points higher than last year.
All parties, aware that the political deadlock would paralyze the country, repeatedly urged voters to go to the polls and actively participate in the elections. But certainly, Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, had the most share in setting this record.
He managed to bring those who previously did not participate in voting to the polls and also succeeded in attracting the votes of those who previously supported other right-wing parties like Yamina, founded by Naftali Bennett, and New Hope, the former coalition party of Bibi, Gideon Sa’ar.
Bibi, Hostage to the Right-Wingers
Now that the results are clear, we must see whether the right-wing coalition will become the majority in the government and what concessions the Prime Minister is willing to make in negotiations. Ben Gvir has already shown his cards, saying he wants to retain the Ministry of Public Security, while his ally Bezalel Smotrich is demanding the Ministry of Defense.
These two ministries are considered very important and sensitive worldwide, especially in a country like Israel, where their importance is even greater, particularly if given to someone like Ben Gvir, who has been accused 64 times of inciting riots, vandalism, racial incitement, and supporting a terrorist organization, and has been convicted in eight cases. He has repeatedly called on law enforcement and police forces to shoot Palestinian protesters inside Israel and the West Bank.
However, given the fact that both sides have claimed they are ready to help Netanyahu clear the charges against him of tax fraud and financial corruption, and have reminded him that they will assist him in resolving his numerous legal issues, it is not unlikely that they will achieve their desires for the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Public Security.
This situation has also raised concerns in some countries to the extent that a Biden administration official told the conservative Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, ‘We do not want to see someone like Ben Gvir in the government.’
According to Axios, if this demand of the Biden administration is implemented, the boycott of an Israeli minister by the United States would represent an unprecedented development in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
