The March 2021 elections in Israel unsurprisingly resulted in the Likud Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, retaining its position as the largest party, with 30 out of 120 seats in the Israeli parliament. However, the surprise came when Netanyahu was unable to form a government. Among Netanyahu’s closest ideological allies were those who led the opposition to him remaining in power.
Three months later, in June 2021, Yair Lapid, head of the Yesh Atid party, a one-time Netanyahu ally, announced that he had succeeded in forming a government. No less surprising was the decision that Lapid himself would serve as foreign minister, ceding the first period of premiership to Naftali Bennett, head of the right-wing Yamina Party, in an alternating premiership; Lapid would then take the reins after two years. The government, sworn in on June 13, 2021, included a broad range of parties, stretching from right to left on the political spectrum, and including an Arab party with Islamic roots.
These unlikely allies had reached a coalition agreement enabling the formation of a new government, primarily based upon their shared opposition to Netanyahu. Not many believed that the government would last as the basic disagreements between the parties were manifest to one and all. This article is reserved for paid subscribers. Please subscribe to continue reading this article
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