On Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister is scheduled to come to an end. An unprecedented multiparty, multi-ideology governing coalition is set to take over.
Naftali Bennett, the son of American immigrants who moved to Israel a month after the 1967 Six-Day War, will become the country’s first Orthodox Jewish prime minister and the wealthiest Israeli leader yet. However, Bennett’s power will be limited as he will have mutual veto power with Yair Lapid, the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party. Lapid will then take over as prime minister in two years’ time. Each man will have the authority to reject bills brought before the Knesset for a vote.
We should expect Bennett to have a contentious relationship with President Joe Biden due to their differences about Iran and other issues.
For the first time in Israel’s history, the new coalition will include an Islamist party, the United Arab List, or Ra’am. While Mideast experts have called the inclusion of an Arab party to a governing coalition another normalization of Israeli-Arab relations, references to a historic moment should be tempered. After all, this isn’t a deal to promote mutual understanding but a deal designed to oust Netanyahu from power. It is a Machiavellian ploy by Bennett and Lapid.
Still, the coalition does have a big opportunity to enact much-needed reforms to Israel’s welfare state. It is also likely to take on special interests granted to the ultra-Orthodox and to confront the corrupt rabbinate. Time will be of the essence. It is expected that the coalition will last less than a year (I predict it will fall after six months). But even if the ultra-Orthodox riot in response to any reforms, the government shouldn’t back down. It is high time that ultra-Orthodox young men join others in performing national service. Other reforms, which will upset the ultra-Orthodox, will reportedly include expanding the kosher-certification market, in which the ultra-Orthodox dominate. The beauty of the free market and licensing reform will allow kosher food to be sold at more places and at cheaper prices.
Given that research suggests the ultra-Orthodox population will eventually outgrow the rest of the Israeli population, there is the counterargument that such reforms will not be enacted. Bennett and Lapid might decide they need to retain some ultra-Orthodox favor in order to form future governing coalitions.
The coalition agreements reportedly include placing an eight-year or two-term limit to the position of prime minister (if someone serves as prime minister for eight consecutive years, they must take off four years before running again).
What else will the coalition offer?
It will reportedly focus on reducing government red tape, cracking down on crime, revamping the healthcare system with a focus on mental health, taking better care of Holocaust survivors and military veterans, and decentralizing power to local governments.
Plenty of articles and books will be written about Netanyahu’s downfall. Here is the gist: Despite strengthening Israel’s standing at home and abroad, and taking on Iran, Netanyahu was in power for 12 years and became corrupt. The Israeli people sent him packing.
Jackson Richman is a journalist in Washington, D.C. Follow him @jacksonrichman.
