Right-wing Conglomerate Of Former Israeli Commandos Could End Benjamin Netanyahu's Reign

Israel Naftali Bennet. (Wikimedia Commons/The Israel Project)

JAKARTA - The seat of power of the Israeli Prime Minister may soon move, from Benjamin Netanyahu, who has occupied him for 12 years, to a coalition government of parties called anti-Netanyahu. And, the figure of Naftali Bennet held the key.

Not without reason, the man who supports the annexation of the West Bank and calls the establishment of the State of Palestine a suicide for Israel, is an influential political figure as well as a technology tycoon.

Israel is known to have held elections four times since April 2019, which ended without a clear winner. Most recently, the March 23 election ended in a draw between the right wing, the religious bloc led by Netanyahu and his candidate for an alliance of political opponents who won a parliamentary majority.

Israel's political future can be realized in two ways, first holding Israel's fifth election, or secondly forming a unity government. Bennet's political maneuvers could change the political map of Israel in the future.

On Sunday, Bennett expressed his support for the Yair Lapid unity government of the Yesh Atid Party, which would automatically remove Benjamin Natanyahu from the seat of prime minister after 12 years in power.

Reporting the Times of Israel Monday, May 31, Bennett said his choices were either the fifth election or forming a change bloc with anti-Netanyahu parties.

Meanwhile, the move allowed Yair Lapid to assemble a coalition of far-right, centrist and left-wing parties to provide Netanyahu's first defeat since 1999, Reuters reported. This is because Yesh Atid is the second party after Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party in the last election.

Bennett joining the Lapid camp will provide an additional six seats for the anti-Netanyahu coalition in the Israeli Parliament, so that he will be able to form a solid government in the future.

If there is anything the anti-Netanyahu coalition needs to worry about, it is Bennet's political path to expanding settlement annexation in the West Bank, ignoring the creation of a Palestinian State which he calls suicide for Israel.

"What about Israel's security? How will the enemies see us? How will the reaction in Iran and Gaza be? What about the reaction from Washington?" Netanyahu said regarding the possible victory of his political opponent.

If Lapid fails to announce a new government by June 2, it is within the Constitution's limit to build a coalition government for 28 days. Eat, Israel will hold elections again.

Naphtali Bennett. (Wikimedia Commons/Dovereconomy at Hebrew Wikipedia)

With Netanyahu

Still 49 years old, Bennett is the son of American immigrants who is also a former Israeli commando who is part of the Maglan Unit under Sayeret Matkal, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Born in Haifa City, Israel, to immigrants from San Francisco, Bennett is a modern Orthodox religious Jew. He lives with his wife, Gilat, a chef and their four children in the affluent suburb of Raanana City in Tel Aviv.

Bennett had a long relationship with Netanyahu between 2006 - 2008, as a senior assistant to the then opposition leader.

Bennett 'invaded' national politics in 2013, transforming the pro-settlement party in the West Bank, and has served as minister of defense as well as education and the economy in various Netanyahu administrations.

A former leader of Yesha, the main settler movement in the West Bank, Bennett made the annexation of parts of territory Israel captured in the 1967 war a key feature of his political platform.

Like Netanyahu, Bennett speaks fluent English with an American accent and spent most of his childhood in North America, where his parents were on sabbaticals.

While working in the high-tech sector, Bennett studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1999, he formed a startup and then moved to New York. In 2005, he sold his anti-fraud software company Cyota to US security firm RSA for US$145 million in 2005.

Following elections in March, Bennett, who leads the far-right Yamina party, said a fifth vote would be a national disaster and held talks with the centre-left bloc that is the main opposition to Netanyahu.

To note, as a supporter of economic liberalization, Bennett has voiced support for cutting government bureaucracy and taxes. In addition, in contrast to some of his former allies in the field of religious rights, Bennett is comparatively liberal on issues such as gay rights and the relationship between religion and state in a country where Orthodox rabbis have strong influence.