Israel Prime Minister ElectionIsrael Prime Minister Election

Israel Prime Minister Election took place in Israel on November 1, 2022, to elect the Knesset (MK) member. The result observed the right-wing bloc of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu winning a Parliamentary majority. Amid Arab parties, left-wing losses, and far-right gains. Succeeding the Israeli legislative election 2021, the next election was scheduled no later than November 11, 2025. According to the four-year term limit set by a fundamental law: The Government. Israel’s thirty-sixth government, a national unity government, formed between eight political parties, held the small possible majority (61 seats) in the 120-member Knesset. MK Edit Silman quit the governing coalition and left it without a majority in April 2022. 

On June 20, 2022, succeeding several legislative defeats for the governing coalition in the Knesset, Naftali Bennet, the Prime Minister, and Yair Lapid, the alternate Prime Minister talk about the introduction of a bill to dissolve the 24th Knesset, which approved on June 30.

At the same time, in line with the rotation government agreement that was the part of the 2021 coalition deal Yair Lapid became the Prime Minister. And led a caretaker government till the final results of the election that took place on November 1. 

Within the circumstances of 2019-2022 Israeli political crisis, this was the fifth legislative election in nearly four years. As no party since 2019 has been able to form a stable coalition. Although only 12-14 parties are deliberate to make the 3.25% minimal to achieve atleast one seat under Israel’s closed list. Which is proportional representation system for the Knesset’s 120 seats. 40 political parties entered to run for these elections. 

Seat Share of Different Parties

Israel Prime Minister Election
Benjamin Netanyahu (Pic Credit- India Today)

The final results were declared on November 3, 2022. Where Netanyahu and his Ultra-nationalist allies – many of whom were regarded beyond the pale in Israel politics a few years ago achieved 64 seats in the 120-seat parliament.

And 32 of those seats are going to Netanyahu’s party, Likud, his rival in the current coalition led by Yair Lapid, the centrist current Prime Minister, won 51 seats. With the rest held by a small, unaffiliated Arab party. His party Yesh Atid will hold 24 seats, whereas the Religious Zionism Party won 14 seats and Shas with 11 seats. However, United Torah Judaism will get seven seats. Other parties like National Unity grab 12 seats, Yisrael Beytenu 6, Ra’am 5, similar to Hadash Ta-al 5, Labor 4, and Meretz with 0. 

Israel Prime Minister Election: Benjamin Netanyahu to Govern Again

Israel Prime Minister Election
Benjamin Netanyahu (Pic Credit- Hindustan Times)

With 87.6 percent of ballots calculated in the Israel General Election, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to return to power. In less than four years, this was the country’s Fifth General Election. The coalition led by the right-wing former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a majority of 120 seats in the parliament or Knesset, allowing the disputed figure to return to power. 

Lapid congratulated Netanyahu and ordered his staff to prepare an organised transition of power.

Netanyahu will have 28 days to shape what is expected to be the most right-wing Israeli government in the history. Netanyahu who exists as the Prime Minister between 2009 to 2021, owes the Religious Zionism Party for his help after he deserted by former allies, such as Naftali Bennet. Bennet, a fella right winger who was once seen as Netanyahu’s follower, formed a coalition with politicians from across the Israeli spectrum as well as a party displaying Palestinians in Israel to keep Netanyahu out of power in March 2021.

Israel Prime Minister Election: Conduction of 5 Elections in the Space of Four Years

Israel Prime Minister Election
Election (Pic Credit- The Wall Street Journal)

The Israel has a parliamentary system built up of several parties. None of which have ever obtained enough votes of their own to seal a majority of seats in parliament. That means party must team up to make a partnership and reach the 61 seats required to form a ruling government. Those partnerships can also be trembling. If you lose one party’s support or may even one member of parliament and you lose the majority. 

Another factor is Benjamin Netanyahu. He served longer than anyone in Israeli history, is the center of a corruption trial, and is a dividing figure. Some topmost politicians who are on the center-right agree with him ideologically, refused to work with him on personal or some political reasons. This made him hard to build lasting ruling majorities succeeding the previous four year elections. And last year, his rivals managed to scribble together a never seen before a coalition of parties from across the political range to keep him out of power. But that partnership only held together for about a year and a quarter before its leader Lapid, and Naftali pulled the plug and called for new elections. 

Rise Of Right Wing in Israel Prime Minister Election

Israel Prime Minister Election
Exit Polls Point to Netanyahu Win (Pic Credit- Independent.ie)

Benjamin Netanyahu fired as Israel’s Prime Minister last year has come back in power. As Israelis head to elections Tuesday for the fifth time in three years, they face the very same query of all the earlier votes. Whether the populist leader of Israel’s right-wing, on trial for corruption, should lead the country. The past four elections did not alter much in Israel’s support of political gridlock. A front runner in the competition, Netanyahu is in league with Israel’s most far-right politicians in a search to subdue the Arab community. And take more control over the critic’s fear and justice system to dismiss the corruption trial.

Public opinion polls repeatedly show Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and Ultra-orthodox Jewish and far-right parties just timid of 61 seats. They need a majority coalition in 120 seat parliament. 

If Netanyahu’s bloc of parties maintains to win 61 seats, Netanyahu will become the Prime Minister. He promised to appoint far-right figures as central cabinet ministers. Including Ben Gvir, who has embellished as the most potent right-wing figure in Israel besides Netanyahu. 

The victory unblock the way for Netanyahu to shape the most right-wing government in the history of Israel, which shaped as a Socialist Democratic State. Netanyahu and his Likud-led government comprised of United Torah Judaism, Ultra-orthodox parties, Shas as well as far-right Religious Zionism Party. The government could have vast suggestions for the LGBTQ community, Palestinians, and secular citizens. US Jewish groups have raised worry about the bloc’s agenda. The final results show that Netanyahu will grab 64 out of 120 seats in the Israeli parliament.  

The Outing of the Leftist Wing after a Decade

Israel Prime Minister Election
Israel Election (Pic Credit- Haaretz)

As voting booths closed all over the country at 10 PM. Early exit polls have shown left-wing parties Meretz and Labor securing 11 Knesset seats. Where five were to Meretz and 6 to Labor. The parties make up the left-wing bloc together with bloc leader Yesh Atid led by ongoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid. On the whole, the left-wing association is estimated at 55 seats. 

These parties make up the left-wing coalition together with coalition leader Yesh Atid, led by ongoing Prime Minister Lapid. In total, the left-wing bloc is approximated at 55 seats as of Tuesday night, i.e., November 1, 2022. However, the final count may vary. On the day of the election, it still being determined whether the left wing party collects enough votes to excel 3.25% voting entry in order to enter Knesset. According to Galon, these are the first election between Kahanism and Democracy in the country’s history. 

Effect on Foreign Policy, especially in the Arab Country

Israel Prime Minister Election
Arab Parties and the Israel Prime Minister Election (Pic Credit- IslamiCity)

Arab leaders were silent on the return of Netanyahu’s victory in Israel’s election. The caretaker of Lebanon Prime Minister forecasted a new maritime border deal would hold on, while Jordanians and Palestinians predict new strains. 

In the Gulf, where Arab worries over Iran’s regional power control’s security strategy. It was under the government of Netanyahu that Israel formalized relations in 2020 with Bahrain. And the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco a few months later. Netanyahu’s record of being a strict rival to the Shi’ite Muslim-dominated Islamic Republic has supported forging ties with Sunni Arab leaders. 

Regional power Saudi Arabia has yet to formalize relations, although it has taken some steps toward reconciliation. Saudi Academic Aziz Alghashian stated further action should not be expected.   

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