The resurrection of ‘King Bibi’
Leaders congratulate Netanyahu as far-right concerns persist.
World leaders have congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on winning Israel’s election, even as concerns have been expressed over the extremist elements in his incoming coalition government.
Netanyahu is poised to return to power leading a 64-strong majority, with the final tally from last week’s election giving Likud 32 seats, Religious Zionism 14, Shas 11 and United Torah Judaism seven.
Interim Prime Minster Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid won 24 seats, Benny Gantz’s National Unity 12, Yisrael Beytenu six, the Arab parties Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al five each, and Labor four.
The left-wing Meretz and Arab Balad party did not cross the threshold.
Lapid called Netanyahu last Thursday to concede the race and congratulate him on his election victory.
US President Joe Biden phoned Netanyahu on Monday to congratulate him, as Washington aimed to portray a sense of business as usual despite some apprehension regarding the likely entry of far-right figures Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezel Smotrich into the government.
According to a Hebrew statement from Netanyahu’s office, the US leader told Netanyahu that “we’re brothers” and “we’ll make history together”. It did not say what exactly the President was referring to.
Netanyahu told the US President that together they would bring about additional “historic peace agreements”, ostensibly referring to the expansion of the Abraham Accords. “They are within reach,” the Likud readout quoted Netanyahu as saying.
“My commitment to our alliance and our relationship is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu added.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden congratulated Netanyahu and “commend[ed] Israel’s free and fair elections”.
“The President reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral partnership and underscored his unwavering support for Israeli security,” she added, noting that the US would “continue to closely monitor the government formation process” and looked forward “to continuing to work with the Israeli government on our shared interests and values”.
While the Likud leader is only in the early stages of coalition negotiations, the far-right Religious Zionism-Otzma Yehudit alliance is expected to receive several prominent cabinet postings. Pressed for his reaction on the rise of the far right, US State Department spokesman Ned Price was careful to insist that the US would wait until the election results and government formation process were finalised. However, he did say that the US “hope[s] that all Israeli government officials will continue to share the values of an open, democratic society including tolerance and respect for all in civil society, particularly for minority groups”.
British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak also congratulated Netanyahu.
“Across areas like trade, security and technology there is a huge amount our countries do together and I look forward to working with the returning Prime Minister,” he wrote on Twitter.
Though Sunak made no mention of the extremist elements in Netanyahu’s bloc, last Thursday a spokeswoman for the UK leader urged all parties in Israel to “refrain from inflammatory language and demonstrate tolerance and respect for minority groups”.
On Sunday, France’s President Emmanuel Macron phoned Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory and invited him to visit France. According to Hebrew language media, the two leaders also discussed regional issues, primarily Iran.
Netanyahu began informal coalition talks on Monday, meeting Religious Zionism number two and Otzma Yehudit leader Ben Gvir, who said afterward that “a full, full right-wing government” was on the way.
Many Western allies have expressed grave concern over the prospect of the extreme-right firebrand Ben Gvir holding a cabinet position in Netanyahu’s expected government. Axios reported last week that US officials are likely to boycott Ben Gvir if he is handed a cabinet posting, and many Diaspora Jewish groups have expressed alarm at the ascent of the far right and in particular at the prospect of Ben Gvir joining the cabinet.
In past election campaigns, Netanyahu said Ben Gvir – who has been convicted for incitement to violence, has repeatedly waved his gun around during confrontations, and has said he would encourage Arab citizens to emigrate – was not fit to hold a cabinet post. Last month he backtracked, saying the MK could “certainly” hold a ministerial position in his next government.
Netanyahu also met on Sunday with Religious Zionism head Smotrich, who has proposed radical, far-reaching legal reforms which would drastically reduce judicial authority, hobble the ability of the High Court of Justice to strike down unlawful Knesset legislation and give the government control over the appointment of all judges, including those for the High Court.
Netanyahu also began informal talks with the leaders of United Torah Judaism’s two factions, Moshe Gafni and Yitzhak Goldknopf.
United Torah Judaism is digging in on its refusal to join a government without first getting a commitment from the Likud party that it will pass legislation enabling the Knesset to override the High Court, according to Hebrew media reports.
TIMES OF ISRAEL, AFP
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