The coalition government in Tel Aviv, which has been running for a year now, is striving to stay in power.
The diverse coalition is fundamentally unified in its contempt for the predecessor, while this proved to be one of the rare common points. The coalition, which includes parties from both the Israeli left and right, no longer secures a major seat in Knesset.
Last Monday, the coalition suffered yet another setback in Israeli Knesset. The coalition failed in getting enough support to adopt a legislation that would apply Israeli jurisdiction to Jewish residents in the West Bank. It was usually an annual regular practice for the predominantly pro-settler legislature.
Former Prime Minister sunk the settlement law after feeling that anti-settler alliance MPs would not go with the government. Benjamin Netanyahu cast aside his own opinions on settlement in order to further destabilize Bennett cabinet. Netanyahu, in fact, sat beside a party that represents Israeli Palestinians.
The vote last week demonstrated how dire and divisive Israeli governance has become. It has been notable that the government opponents led by Netanyahu voted entirely against the extension. That is, they turned against their own people in order to topple the government.
The United Arab List (UAL) was generally anticipated to destabilize the government by quitting the coalition government. The UAL would have done the move to voice its criticism of the government’s policy against Palestinian people.
The UAL, on the other hand, has been persuaded to remain in the coalition government. Unprecedented in Israeli seven-decade history, an Arab party has been admitted as an official part of government.
Even lacking the support from the UAL, the voting on the settlement law may have carried in normal condition. That would happen only if the Netanyahu alliance voted in accordance with their pro-settler views.
Coalition Government on Precipice
“The failure to extend the regulations that apply Israeli civilian law to Israelis living in the West Bank was certainly a blow to the fragile coalition government,” an expert believes. As it seems, the eight-party coalition will have a hard time keeping the multi-colored chain together.
The breakup of the chain might lead the county into yet another political deadlock, as it experienced in multiple years. Israel held several elections in four years only to find out the deadlock is even more tricky.
The settlement issue has been one of the bipartisan policies in Israeli in recent decades. The division might lead to the loss of societal base of both parties, deteriorating convoluted condition of life in Israel.
Israeli people residing in the West Bank would no more have similar privileges as other compatriots if the bill is not enacted by the next month. More than 475,000 people will lose their ability to vote as a result of this. Furthermore, settlers would be subject to military rule by default. 2.5 million Palestinian people in the West Bank have already experienced this.
Settlers may also miss their state-provided insurance, and the authorities may be unable to raise tax fees.
Military control, on the other hand, has consequences that transcend beyond financial aspects. The Israeli security and judicial system would not be able to prosecute Israelis who broke the law in the region. That would be a challenge considering settlers’ record in violent conducts against Palestinian people.
The opposition’s move against the law in Knesset was motivated by a desire to damage Bennett rather than settlement issue. The coalition plans to resubmit the law in the future, and it would most possibly pass. The administration, on the other hand, has been slipping more and farther into oblivion.
