London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu Lashes Out At Opponents' Deal To Unseat Him

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu Lashes Out At Opponents' Deal To Unseat Him

Benjamin Netanyahu's reaction came a day after centrist politician Yair Lapid's announcement that he had succeeded in forming a governing coalition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday fought back against an agreement by his political opponents for a government of left-wing, centrist and right-wing parties aimed at unseating him.

Netanyahu, facing the prospect of an end to his 12-year run as premier, said on Twitter "all legislators elected by votes from the right must oppose this dangerous left-wing government", and he targeted historic Arab participation in the coalition.

The right-wing leader mounted the social media attack the day after centrist politician Yair Lapid's announcement, about 35 minutes before a Wednesday night deadline, that he had succeeded in forming a governing coalition.

Under the deal, nationalist Naftali Bennett, 49, a former defence minister and a high-tech millionaire, would become prime minister and hand over the post to Lapid, 57, a former TV host and finance minister, in about two years.

A parliamentary session, in which the government can be approved by a simple majority of legislators, could be some 10 days away, leaving slight room for Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, to twist arms.

The coalition agreement capped a March 23 election in which neither Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies nor their opponents won a majority in the legislature. It was Israel's fourth national ballot in two years.

The governing lineup comprises a patchwork of small and medium parties from across the political spectrum, including for the first time in Israel's history one that represents its 21% Arab minority - the United Arab List (UAL).

On Twitter, Netanyahu - who once drew accusations of racism by urging his supporters to get out and vote because "Arabs are flocking to the polls in droves" - highlighted the new alliance's links with UAL leader Mansour Abbas.

Netanyahu posted an old video clip of Bennett saying that Abbas "visited terrorist murderers in jail" after a 1992 attack in which Arab citizens of Israel killed three soldiers.

Spokesman for the United Arab List did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Diverse Lineup


Members of the prospective government have little in common other than a desire to oust Netanyahu, who is also on trial on corruption charges. He denies any wrongdoing.

The roster includes Bennett's Yamina (Rightward), centre-left Blue and White, headed by Defence Minister Benny Gantz, the left-wing Meretz and Labour parties, former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman's nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party and New Hope, a right-wing party headed by former education minister Gideon Saar, who broke away from Likud.

Political analysts expect Netanyahu to try to pick off what one described as "low-hanging fruit", seizing upon Yamina members who are unhappy about joining forces with Arab and leftist lawmakers.

"The coalition's test...is to be sworn in - that won't be without rough patches and problems," she said on Army Radio on Thursday.

Netanyahu controls 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, almost twice as many as Lapid's Yesh Atid party, and is allied with at least three other religious and nationalist parties.

During his tenure as prime minister, Netanyahu has been a polarising figure at home and abroad. His rivals have cited the criminal charges against him as a main reason why Israel needs a leadership change, arguing that he might use a new term to legislate immunity to shield himself.

A source involved in the coalition talks said the proposed new government would try to retain consensus by avoiding hot-button ideological issues such as whether to annex or cede occupied West Bank territory that Palestinians want for a state.

Bennett has said that the creation of an independent Palestine would be suicide for Israel. He made annexation of parts of territory that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war a major feature of his political platform, but following through on that with the broad new coalition looked to be politically unfeasible.

However, any flareup along the Israel-Gaza border, after 11 days of fighting that ended with a ceasefire nearly two weeks ago, could text the coalition's cohesion.

The new government, if it is sworn in, will face considerable challenges. As well as Iran and the moribund peace process with the Palestinians, it also faces a war crimes probe by the International Criminal Court and economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×