Israeli PM will rush to co-opt opposition lawmakers

Significance

The bill was proposed by Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White party, the main opposition faction, and would rule out incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whose trial on corruption charges begins on March 17. With almost all votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud has just emerged from the March 2 election as the largest party, although the religious-right bloc it leads remains three seats short of a majority. Yisrael Beiteinu holds the balance of power between the religious-right and centre-left bloc. His support for a law barring Netanyahu theoretically gives it a majority.

Impacts

• Whether or not the law passes, Netanyahu will not be able to find a way out of prosecution before his trial begins.
• If Netanyahu is blocked from holding office, there may be a pathway to a grand coalition.
• The prime minister’s anti-Arab tirades will deepen ethnic cleavages.
• Likud’s squeeze of Yamina votes will weaken Defence Minister Naftali Bennett’s demand for more influence.
• Left-wing and liberal parties will likely take years to recover from their recent slump.