Re-emergence of Benjamin Natanyahu

As per the present scenario religious Zionism has become the third- largest group in the Knesset, and the second largest in Netanyahu's coalition, thrusting the ultra-rightists 'from the margins to the mainstream'

Benjamin Netanyahu has once again staged a come-back as the Prime Minister of Israel on 29 December, 2022 for the 6th term and confirmed his ability to survive and re-emerge regardless of all odds. When he had to leave the office on 13 June under an extremely unfavourable political scenario, the future seemed to be bleak. The major stumbling block was the trial for fraud, breach of trust and corruption; which he was facing since 2019. His repeated denials of the allegations and calling the investigation process a ‘witch-hunt’ had fallen on the deaf ear. However, the results of the general elections dated 1 November 2022 furnished him and his far-right allies a stable majority in the country’s parliament courtesy of Netanyahu’s extraordinary skill to articulate in impeccable English with a distinctive American accent. Netanyahu’s re-advent has sealed once again the belief of his followers that he is politically ‘invincible’.

The long series of Netanyahu’s victories are not baseless —-it owes much to the image, he has cultivated, as a person who can best keep Israel safe from hostile powers in the Middle East. On the basis of this persona, he attained success in 6 elections of his country’s 74-year history and served as Prime Minister for 15 long years i.e. from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021 consecutively.  In the last election of 1 November, 2022; his strong stance on the apprehensions of Israeli voters, secured triumph for him. During the election campaign he; (I) took a tough line towards the Palestinians; (II) categorically declared that Israel’s security concerns will be on the top of any peace-talk agenda; and (III) repeatedly warned of existential danger to Israel from Iran. In the course of pre-election politicking, the ‘Times of Israel’ called him as ‘ultra-divisive’ and his opponents perceived him as a ‘danger to Israeli democracy itself’. Al-Jazeera termed him as the’ god father of modern Israeli fascism’.

The political observers are anticipating that the new government will be the ‘most religious and hard-line’ in the Israel’s history being a coalition of ultra-orthodox parties, an abnormally nationalist-cum- doctrinal faction and Netanyahu’s Likud Party. The induction of Itamar Ben-Gvir as Minister for Security has raised many eye-brows. This man has been linked-up with ‘Kach’, a known ‘terrorist’ group and was convicted in 2007 for being in league with subverters and inciting racism. Similarly, Bezolel Smotrich, a dire opponent of Palestinian statehood and supporter of extending Israeli control over the occupied West Bank, has been assigned the portfolio of Finance. In addition, he will be the de- facto Prime Minister of West Bank. Avi Maoz and Aryeh Deri,  with their tainted past and fanatic ideas also fall in the same category. Leaving aside the anti-Palestinian emotions of the allies, Netanyahu himself abhors to give-up what he considers rightful and justified i.e. Jewish settlements on the West-bank. Moreover, he is convinced that the Palestinians have not abandoned their dream of pushing-out the Jews from the Arab territory. It is also a conviction of Netanyahu that Iran’s support of violent Arab groups like ‘Hamas’ and ‘Hezbollah’ does not just threaten Israelis, it also prevents the Palestinians from finally coming to terms with the reality of Israel’s existence.  Netanyahu is steadfast in following his agenda and he has over and again brushed aside the concerns of his adversaries regarding the potential demise of Israel’s democracy and its fast worsening reputation in the West; especially in the U.S. The nature and composition of the cabinet has naturally magnified fears of military escalation in the West-bank and violence in the Israel-occupied Palestinian territory. The out-going Defense Minister Benny Gantz has expressed ‘fear’ of ‘imbalanced policies’. Raf Sanchez of NBC- NEWS has commented that Netanyahu’s return will ‘pose a headache for the U.S. and further side-line hopes for peace with the Palestinians’.

It is noticeable that the new government has taken-over when 2022, the bloodiest year for the Palestinians in the occupied West-bank and East Jerusalem since 2005, wherein 125 of them were killed, has recently come to an end. According to the Street Journal’s analysis it will be difficult for Netanyahu ‘to manage the government of his right-wing allies without alienating the U.S. and Israel’s Arab allies’. It is also considerable that during his previous tenure, Netanyahu had the active support of Donald Trump administration. Trump remained closely aligned with his government’s decisions and also recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital which accorded a great political and diplomatic boost to Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, most probably Joe Biden will not be able to provide such an intense support. As yet he has come-out with the stance that he will judge Benjamin Netanyahu’s next government ‘on the basis of its policies and not personalities’. Meanwhile, several American Jews have spoken ‘against the fascist menace that emerged from the Israeli ballot-box’ which shows that liberal Jews will continue opposing his policies. According to ‘Financial Times’ dated 22 December, 2022, the new government ‘spells disaster for liberal-minded Israelis and the Palestinians’ alike. As per the present scenario religious Zionism has become the third- largest group in the Knesset, and the second largest in Netanyahu’s coalition, thrusting the ultra-rightists ‘from the margins to the mainstream’. The left-wing Knesset member Ofer Cassif has commented that Israel is heading in a ‘very dangerous direction’ and the new government’s arrival would mark Israel as a ‘full-fledged fascist state’. Al-Jazeera has not been wrong when it remarked that ‘the make-up of the new government is likely to further inflame relations with the millions of Palestinians who live under Israeli occupation’. Finally, it can be stated confidently that no pleasant news can be expected from this part of the world at- least for a reasonable time to come. Very unfortunate.