Forming a government in Israel is a matter of nerves. Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu had until midnight on Wednesday to report to President Isaac Herzog – and he used this deadline almost to the end. Exactly 30 minutes before the end, he informed Herzog on the phone that he had brought the coalition negotiations to a successful conclusion. Now the way is clear for a new cabinet to be sworn in in Jerusalem shortly. But the fact that the process of forming a government has now dragged on for almost two months can be taken as an indication that the atmosphere among the coalition members was tense from the start.
Immediately after the parliamentary elections on November 1, there was still a sense of triumph in the right-wing religious bloc that Netanyahu had gathered around him. Just a year and a half after losing power, Israel’s long-term prime minister made a convincing comeback in this fifth election in three and a half years: 64 seats for his camp in the 120-member parliament is a fairly comfortable majority by Israeli standards. Exactly half of these seats go to Netanyahu’s Likud, the other to the ultra-Orthodox and far-right partners.
The clear message was: Now we will be governed with a completely right-wing coalition. This immediately raised some concerns in Israeli opposition circles and abroad. After all, no one in the future government camp is committed to a two-state solution with the Palestinians. Instead, intensified construction of settlements is being propagated. Sections of the government are openly racist, homophobic and illiberal on social and religious issues.
All of Netanyahu’s employees had to take a lie detector test
Initially, the formation of a government within two weeks was announced, but then distrust grew rampant at all levels – even in Netanyahu’s immediate circle. Its employees have all had to undergo a lie detector test in recent days to find a leak after internals were leaked to the media.
In his many years in politics, Netanyahu himself has earned a reputation for having betrayed or ripped off every partner. This was reflected in the coalition negotiations, in which no one wanted to rely on mere promises from the future head of government. Not even written agreements were enough. Instead, a whole range of legal regulations was devised that now have to be pushed through parliament before the new ministerial team can be sworn in.
These bills are all tailored to individual ministers. There is a regulation that makes it clear that only imprisonment behind bars prevents appointment as a minister. This allows the head of the ultra-orthodox Schas party, Arye Deri, who received a suspended sentence at the beginning of the year for tax evasion, to become interior and health minister in the new cabinet.
He is expected to be Israel’s head of government again next week: the designated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance/dpa)
For Itamar Ben-Gvir of the far-right Jewish Strength party, the law stipulates that, as Minister for National Security, he will have extensive control over the police force. The future finance minister Bezalel Smotrich from the Religious Zionists is legally guaranteed a second ministerial post in the defense department, which is responsible for all civilian affairs in the West Bank, including settlement construction.
He wants to direct everything. So he is responsible for everything
Netanyahu’s partners want all of this to be secured before the parliament votes on the new prime minister. According to the current plan, the government cannot be sworn in until the middle of next week at the earliest. Only then should it go to governing – and the country should then be in for troubled times. The coalition’s plans include, for example, a curtailment of the powers of the Supreme Court. Critics see this as a direct attack on Israel’s democracy and have announced a wave of protests.
The new government will also be under close scrutiny from outside, especially from Israel’s closest ally, the United States. There are clear reservations about ministerial posts for the two southpaws Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. To calm things down, Netanyahu has already announced to Washington that he will have his hands on the steering wheel in this government. But this also means that he will have to take sole responsibility for everything this government does.