Israel's New Government

 

Last night, incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed President Isaac Herzog that he has the ability to form a new government, which will be supported by a coalition of 64 out of the Knesset’s 120 seats. The new government will likely be sworn in on January 2, 2023. Netanyahu, already the country’s longest-serving leader, will become Prime Minister for the third time.  

Netanyahu had received a mandate of thirty days from President Herzog to form a government, which was subsequently extended by eight days. That mandate was set to expire by midnight December 21st Israel time. Netanyahu placed the call to President Herzog just before the deadline. 

While there are of course many reports regarding likely appointments to ministerial portfolios and the content of coalition agreements, nothing has been formally announced by the Prime Minister-Designate.

As background, see here for a summary of the election process and results, here for a detailed explanation of how Israeli elections work, as well as this short Israeli Elections 101 primer video.
 

The new coalition will be comprised of the following parties:

Governing Coalition Seats
   
Likud (Netanyahu)   32
Shas (Orthodox Sefardi) 11
Religious Zionists (Smotrich) 7
United Torah Judaism (Orthodox Ashkenazi) 7
Jewish Strength (Ben Gvir) 6
Noam (Avi Maoz) 1
   
TOTAL 64


The opposition will be made up of the following parties:

Opposition Seats
   
Yesh Atid (Lapid)   24
National Unity (Gantz) 12
Yisrael Beiteinu (Liberman) 6
Ra’am (Abbas)    5
Hadash-Ta’al Arab List 5
Labor 4
   
TOTAL 56



Reactions to the New Government

As the results of the election were announced and the negotiations to form a government proceeded, there has been considerable criticism in Israel and around the world about the policy positions and the statements of members of the coalition.

Significant concern has been voiced especially over three factions that ran as a single unit in the elections making up the broad Religious Zionist bloc: (1) Religious Zionism, led by Bezalel Smotrich, (2) Jewish Strength, led by Itamar Ben Gvir, and (3) Noam, led by Avi Maoz. (See more here). Indeed, the three leaders and others in their parties have a long history of radical statements, and members of Israel’s opposition parties have been speaking out forcefully against their inclusion in the government. Reactions from Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid can be found here. See also examples of international concerns in this piece from the New York Times and this article from the Hartman Institute, as well as this reaction to the New York Times piece. 

Prime Minister-Designate Netanyahu has responded that he and his Likud party will be firmly in charge, and that he did not support these controversial positions during his previous tenures as Prime Minister nor will he do so now. He has specifically expressed his opposition to any changes in the Law of Return and in LGBTQ rights (see more below). 

The United States government’s response was articulated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken who said that the Administration will judge the new Israeli government “on its actions, not on personalities.


Following the election results in November, Jewish Federations of North America issued the following statements:

“The Jewish Federations of North America respect and salute Israel’s vibrant democratic process, which allows all Israelis a voice and vote in forming their government. We look forward to working with the government selected by the Israeli people, as we always have, to support Jews around the world and strengthen the relationships between Israel, the North American Jewish community, and our government leaders."

“Jewish Federations’ commitment to strengthening the ties between Israel and North American Jewry is an eternal one, and the bonds that unite our two communities are unbreakable. Our love and commitment to Israel transcends any one government, any one point in time, and any particular policy or statement. We will always make clear how proposed policies will affect the Jewish community of North America and we will continue to advocate for policies that make Israel welcoming, inclusive and pluralistic.” 

Areas of Concern

Several areas of concern have emerged regarding policies that the new government may consider. These include:

The Law of Return: Some parties in the emerging coalition support a change in this Law that gives every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel. The proposed changes would see the removal of a clause that currently extends that right to make Aliyah to any person with at least one Jewish grandparent. As noted, Netanyahu and the Likud have said they are opposed to such changes. See more here. For an understanding of an argument by supporters for such a change please see more here

Religion and State: The new coalition includes parties, especially Shas and United Torah Judaism, who advocate for more restrictive policies impacting both religious life (such as conversion and prayer at the Kotel) and the relationship between religion and the broader public sphere (such as public transportation on Shabbat and kashrut certification). Some of the reforms in these areas implemented by the outgoing government could be rolled back, together with further attempts to alter the status quo. 

Curtailing minority rights: This could include policies that harm the LGBTQ+ community, impact shared society (between Jewish and Arab populations), infringe on women’s rights, and more. Despite Netanyahu’s reassurances that he will not allow such changes to occur, many remain concerned given the power of some of the coalition partners, as well as the statements and comments they continue to make.

Changes to Israel’s judicial system (see more here): One such possibility could be the passing of what is known as “The Override Clause.” This would give the Knesset the power to overturn a decision of the Supreme Court when the Court has ruled that a particular Knesset Law goes against Israel’s semi-constitutional Basic Laws. See more here and here.

Should a Federation decide to comment at this time, the following suggested talking points may be helpful:

[We] congratulate Prime Minister-Designate Benjamin Netanyahu on his success in forming Israel’s next government and look forward to working with him as he returns to high office. We salute his unwavering dedication to the flourishing of our beloved State of Israel.  

[We] respect and salute Israel’s vibrant democratic process, which allows all Israelis a voice and vote in forming their government. [We] look forward to working with the government selected by the Israeli people, as we always have, to support Jews around the world and strengthen the relationships between Israel, the North American Jewish community, and our government leaders.

Federations have worked with every Israeli government to strengthen the North American Jewish community’s relationship with the Jewish State building on our shared values and ideals, such as democracy, support of the rule of law, and equal justice for all. It is and will always remain our priority to strengthen these shared values.

Jewish Federations’ commitment to strengthening the ties between Israel and North American Jewry is an eternal one, and the bonds that unite our two communities are unbreakable. Our love and commitment to Israel transcends any one government, any one point in time, and any particular policy or statement. We will always make clear how proposed policies will affect the Jewish community of North America and we will continue to advocate for policies that make Israel welcoming, inclusive and pluralistic.

On January 4, at 1pm ET, Jewish Federations of North America will hold a webinar on the new government that will be live broadcast from the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) in Jerusalem. The webinar, co-hosted by Jewish Federations of North America’s President and CEO Eric Fingerhut and IDI’s President Yohanan Plesner, will delve into the major issues and consequences of the new government for North American audiences. This will be followed by a series of biweekly webinars on some of the issues arising with the new government. Details to follow.

On January 12, at 11am ET, Jewish Federations of North America will hold a webinar on understanding the LGBTQ+ landscape in Israel today. As Israel prepares to welcome a new government, the LGBTQ+ community and its supporters are troubled by the coalition’s inclusion of outspoken opponents of LGBTQ+ rights. Join us for a system-wide call to hear the concerns and learn what is being done to support the LGBTQ+ community in Israel. Register here.

 

 

 
   
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