Israel in a political deadlock

On March 23 2021, Israel held its fourth election in just two years. Following the previous elections, Netanyahu formed a majority coalition in May 2020, with the help of Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party. 

In the most recent elections, Gantz is part of the anti-Netanyahu coalition which consists of the right wing New Hope, the centrists parties, Yesh Atid and Blue and White, the secular Yisrael Beitenu, the leftist parties, Labor and Meretz and the Arab-Israeli representatives  Joint List . They have secured 57 Knesset seats. The Pro-Netanyahu coalition includes Netanyahu’s own party, the Likud, and the Jewish Orthodox parties, Shas, United Torah Judaism and Religious Zionism. They have earned 52 Knesset seats. No coalition has a majority in the parliament and as a result the kingmakers of the March 23 elections are Naftali Bennett’s party, Yamina with 7 seats and Mansour Abbas’ United Arab List Party which won 4 seats.  

If either Bennet or Abbas, joins the anti-Netanyahu coalition, Netanyahu’s 11 consecutive years as the Prime Minister of Israel will come to an end. Netanyahu needs both Bennet’s and Abbas’ support to remain in power. Currently the country is in a political deadlock and the population is divided over whether Netanyahu should remain in power following his trial on corruption. Both coalitions are very fragile and it is highly possible that the country will find itself in a fifth round of elections in the immediate future.