Benjamin Netanyahu ousted as Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s ouster has been inevitable ever since Donald Trump was no longer in position to prop him up. Netanyahu’s ouster has been imminent ever since President Joe Biden forced him to stop the violent clashes that represented Netanyahu’s last lifeline. And sure enough, three other political parties in Israel have now officially formed a majority governing coalition that has ousted Netanyahu.
This photo from Mairav Zonszein says it all:
A historic photo: a Palestinian Islamist,
a religious ultra nationalist and a secular two stater agree to work together. pic.twitter.com/4RhI82PyB1— Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין (@MairavZ) June 2, 2021
There are a few caveats. Although Benjamin Netanyahu’s ouster is already official, it’ll be at least a few days before the new Prime Minister is sworn in. Netanyahu is facing criminal indictment and prison, so we’ll see if he goes quietly in the hope of leniency, or if he raises hell these next few days to try to scare prosecutors into giving him leniency.
Also, this new governing coalition, made up of politicians on the far right and far left who hate each other, doesn’t seem designed to last forever. It seems specifically intended to last just long enough to get Netanyahu out of power and into criminal custody. After that, Israel could go right back to political infighting and a new snap election with unpredictable results. But Netanyahu won’t be a part of it either way.
