Even today, the law allows him to hold the office of prime minister until the sentence becomes final. However, the further the trial against him goes on, the more it will negatively affect his image.
But be careful. Israel is experiencing an exceptional period, in which dangerous pitfalls risk causing serious damage to the country; from the pandemic, with its potential and dangerous variants, to the revival of the economy, up to the Iranian threat. With Iran now capable of enriching uranium to 60%, a goal announced on Monday by President Hassan Rouhani, the step to reach that 95% gradation, necessary to manufacture an atomic device, is rather short, certainly compared to the past. For Israel, the red line has long since been crossed.
What to expect from the “rainbow government”
But what will this rainbow government, which includes 27 ministers, and which embraces the entire Israeli constitutional span, really be able to do?
Just to name the names, there is the Yamina party, founded by Naftali Bennet, who will be the prime minister in rotation; the other right-wing parties, such as Israel Beitenu by the Russian secular hawk Avigdor Lieberman; New Hope by Gideon Saar, who escaped from Likud a few months ago. Definitely more intransigent parties than Netanyahu, when the speech focuses on the peace process with the Palestinians and seen by many Arabs as smoke in the eyes.
The center is instead represented by the parties Yesh Atid of Yair Lapid – the conductor of this Executive and the next premier in rotation – of Blue and White of Benny Gantz who despite changing government remained Minister of Security. Finally, with the progressive left: Labor and Meretz. Above all, Mansour Abbas’ conservative Islamist Ra’am party. This is the real surprise. The last time an Arab party actively supported a government majority dates back to 1977. A right-wing prime minister of the caliber of Naftali Bennet had never supported him.