Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called President Réouven Rivlin late Wednesday evening (June 2) to tell him he had gathered the support needed to form a unity government, his officials said. services in a press release. The opponents of the outgoing Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, thus succeeded in wresting in extremis an agreement on a coalition government unprecedented in its composition.
The centrist had until 11:59 p.m. (10:59 p.m. KST) to present a final list and achieve his goal of ending twelve years of the Netanyahu era. He made the announcement after joining right-wing parties and the United Arab List (RAAM in Hebrew) in the evening. Led by Islamist Mansour Abbas, the RAAM party formalized its support for the coalition project against Mr. Netanyahu on Wednesday evening, thus removing one of the last obstacles to the formation of a government.
“At the service of all citizens of Israel”
His team released an image of the coalition agreement signed by the leaders of eight Israeli parties – two from the left, two from the center, three from the right and one Arab – which could mark a turning point in Israel’s political history. The last time an Israeli Arab party supported – but did not participate in – a government dates back to 1992 during the “Government of peace” by Yitzhak Rabin.
“This government will be at the service of all citizens of Israel including those who are not members of it, will respect those who oppose it, and will do everything in its power to unite the different components of Israeli society”Lapid told President Rivlin, according to the statement. And to add on his Facebook page: “I succeeded”, according to the formula consecrated in Hebrew.
Status quo in the conflict with the Palestinians, economic recovery, place of religion: everything on paper divides the motley coalition apart from its desire to bring down Mr. Netanyahu, who came to power twenty-five years ago, from 1996 in 1999, then reappointed in 2009, and indicted for corruption.
Seven days to distribute the portfolios
The opposition leader and his partners now have seven days to divide the portfolios and secure a vote of confidence from the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. But despite this progress, and the first coalition agreement formed without Mr. Netanyahu in two years, anything is still possible.
Mr. Netanyahu, his party, the Likud (right) and his lawyers are thus maneuvering to try to prevent such an agreement from having the approval of Parliament. According to the Israeli press, the president of the Knesset, Yariv Levin (Likud), could be tempted to drag out for a few more days the organization of the vote of confidence, hoping in this interval of defections in the anti-Netanyahu camp.
Chance of the calendar: if the Israelis still had no government on Wednesday, they had a new elected president, the eleventh of Israel. Labor Isaac Herzog, 60, was elected by a very large majority by the plenary parliament, to this essentially honorary function and devoid of executive power.
Talks around Mr. Lapid have dragged on since Naftali Bennett’s decision on Monday to join the anti-Netanyahu camp. Mr Bennett is being tipped to be the prime minister in a planned power rotation in the coalition project, which is supposed to end the longest political crisis in the country’s history.
