Even though Netanyahu has been pushed from office, he’ll leave his stamp on Israel for decades, writes Anshel Pfeffer. Those who expect Netanyahu’s stature and ability to dominate Israel’s agenda to be severely diminished could end up sorely disappointed. “For many Israelis, Netanyahu will remain the king-in-exile, for years to come.”
Bennett announced that he would be forming a national-unity government with Yair Lapid, the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid opposition party. The parties opposed to Netanyahu not only have a majority in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, but they are now actually working together. This seems to have spelled the end of Netanyahu’s long period in power — 12 years since he returned to office in 2009,15 years in total. But it would be premature to pronounce the end of Israel’s Netanyahu Era. For a start, Netanyahu may have lost any prospect of mustering a majority of his own, but he seems certain to continue exerting every ounce of pressure on wavering members of the opposition, including allowing proxies like his son Yair and his social media manager Topaz Luk to amplify the toxic social-media campaigns against Bennett and members of his Yamina party that have fueled angry protests outside their homes accusing them of being “Leftist Traitors.” Even if they succeed in keeping their coalition together, Netanyahu is going nowhere. He remains leader of Likud, Israel’s largest party, and he’s unlikely to give up that position. Although he’s facing criminal charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust — all of which he has denied — his trial is expected to take years.
