Limor Simhony Philpott

Bibi is back

(Getty images)

Is Benjamin Netanyahu’s time up? A fortnight ago, it seemed so. Netanyahu’s mandate for forming a coalition expired. The opportunity was handed instead to Yair Lapid, leader of Israel’s second largest political party Yesh Atid. Many dissatisfied Israelis started to hope: after four inconclusive elections, there was finally a chance to oust Netanyahu. But then hostilities broke out between Israel and Hamas, and reports of Netanyahu’s political death appear to be greatly exaggerated.

In the weeks before this latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there was talk that Israel’s new government would be made up of an eclectic coalition that would include parties on the left, right and centre, as well as an Arab-Israeli party. Rather than relying on a common political ideology, the Israeli media described it as the ‘just not Bibi’ government.

Hamas’s rockets appear to have ended that coalition before it was even formed

A possible rotation agreement that would place Naftali Bennett, leader of the far-right New Right party, as prime minister for part of the term, followed by Lapid as PM during the second part, appeared to be a likely bet. Some in Netanyahu’s party, Likud, were even starting to talk about nominating a replacement leader.

Now, Hamas’s rockets appear to have ended that coalition before it was even formed.

Earlier this week, in an announcement that shook the political establishment, Bennett declared he will not form a coalition with the opposition parties. Without the New Right, Lapid won’t have the numbers needed to make a government. One reason behind this U-turn was substantial pressure from his MPs, supporters and activists not to collaborate with Arab and left-wing MPs because of ongoing rioting by Arab Israelis.

Suddenly, a new opportunity and a glimmer of hope presented themselves to Netanyahu if he could muster a parliamentary majority. Bennett, with the seven seats won by his party in the previous elections – compared with 30 seats won by Likud and 17 by Yesh Atid – has been playing a strategic game.

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