Israel’s Potential Post-Netanyahu Government, Explained
Because my working title of "What the hell just happened in Israel?" was rejected by my editors for some reason
You might be vaguely aware that something big just happened in Israeli politics. Something like this:
A month ago, in this newsletter, I outlined what Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid would have to do to replace Benjamin Netanyahu. Last night, he did it. My latest in Tablet explains everything you could possibly want to know about this new proposed government, what obstacles it still needs to overcome, who would be in it—including Israel’s first Arab coalition partner—and what it means for Israel’s future. The short version:
To put it very roughly, it’s like replacing Donald Trump with Liz Cheney, but if Cheney couldn’t pass anything without the assent of Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Ilhan Omar, and Mitt Romney, and if she would later get replaced with Chuck Schumer. This is not necessarily a recipe for effective governance, but it’s also nothing like a right-wing government.
The long version, which explains what this actually means, and tackles everything from how Biden might approach this government to what the coalition portends for the future of Arab-Jewish collaboration in Israeli politics, is here.
Read the whole thing, and do share it if you find it more helpful than other analysis out there. And of course, if you feel you’ve gained more insight into these issues here than from more general outlets, please considering subscribing to support this work. Thanks as always.
Thank you for reading this edition of my newsletter. My goal is to explain complicated topics like these in plain English, without simplification or condescension. If you liked what you read, and want to support this work, please do share and subscribe: