Much was at stake for former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the general election in Israel. On the day of the fifth election in just three and a half years, the leader of the opposition – who is currently the subject of corruption proceedings – gave everything again. He made dramatic appeals to his electorate, even rousing a young man from his bed to encourage him to vote.
In the end, his last-minute 911 calls seem to have paid off. After almost all the votes were counted, his party, the right-wing conservative Likud, emerged as the strongest party. His camp – which includes a right-wing extremist party for the first time – can look forward to a clear majority of the seats.
Extreme right socially acceptable again
This means that the future government under Netanyahu (nickname: Bibi) could become more right-wing than ever before in Israel’s history. His pro-Bibi camp includes the Religious Zionist Party of Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. The far-right alliance mediated by Netanyahu emerged as the third strongest force and represents extremely radical positions. Before the election, the Israeli newspaper “Times of Israel” ran the headline that they were “going to extremes, where even Europe’s extremes would not dare”.
A few years ago, Netanyahu ruled out working with Ben-Gvir. Now, however, the alliance could play into the hands of the long-term head of government in his corruption process. Smotrich had already announced a radical program to weaken Israel’s judicial system. He is striving, for example, to remove the offenses of breach of trust and fraud from the law – which could also result in the case against Netanyahu being overturned.
The director of the Israel Democracy Institute, Jochanan Plesner, warns that implementation could weaken the separation of powers and expose Israel to systematic corruption.
Convicted racist with government responsibility
Smotrich himself is aiming for “the establishment of a right-wing, Jewish, Zionist and national government,” as he said on election night. His supporters are already hailing him as “the new secretary of defense.”
His political partner, the right-wing extremist Ben-Gvir, is considered a political arsonist. He recently drew a gun during clashes with Palestinians in East Jerusalem. In general, he believes, more “live ammunition should be used against Palestinian rioters.”
The 46-year-old, who has already been convicted of racist hate speech, is aiming for the Ministry of Internal Security – and would also have the police under him. He wants to annex the West Bank occupied by Israel and encourage the Arab population to emigrate. Europe needs “working hands,” he says.
But the alliance could also become uncomfortable for Netanyahu. Netanyahu must tame the camp and it will be difficult to keep them in check, says political scientist Gail Talschir from the Hebrew University. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir would expect a great deal in return for their votes.
Far-reaching consequences for the region
Security is always a top priority in elections in Israel and may have boosted the right-wing’s success. According to experts, the high turnout of more than 70 percent also played a role in the defeat of the anti-Bibi camp. Tensions in the occupied West Bank had recently increased significantly. There are violent clashes, attacks by Palestinians and raids by the Israeli army on a daily basis.
While the current liberal Prime Minister Jair Lapid recently spoke out surprisingly clearly in favor of a Palestinian state, the idle peace process under Netanyahu is likely to play a subordinate role. On the other hand, according to political scientist Talschir, Bibi should put the fight against Iran – as in his previous terms – at the center of his agenda. This could also be pushed forward militarily.
And changes are also to be expected in other areas of foreign policy, says Talschir. While Lapid’s international focus is on liberal allies, it’s likely that Netanyahu will once again seek proximity to anti-liberal leaders like in Hungary or Poland. A return of former US President Donald Trump would also play Bibi in the cards. Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, is known, for example, as a critic of the controversial Israeli settlement policy that Trump’s government had supported.
