Israel will be controlled by the right wing for the foreseeable future

Last Thursday was a milestone in the history of the Zionist state of Israel. March 26, 2020, will be remembered as the day that the possibility ended of any party not explicitly affiliated with the right-wing ever having the chance to form the Israeli government.

Likud leader and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in breaking up the Blue and White alliance after persuading its leader, Benny Gantz, to play a minor role in his government. This means that the right-wing, both its secular and religious branches, can now guarantee that the competition to govern the state is restricted to those at its own end of the political spectrum.

Netanyahu’s success in breaking up the opposition alliance not only signals the domination of the right-wing for the foreseeable future but also rebuilds the conceptual structure of the Zionist parties, whereby Likud becomes representative of the political centre and its policies are the accepted norm. This being the case, we can only imagine what positions are adopted by the parties to the right of Likud. The Zionist entity looks set to move from the luxury of extremism to its madness. It suggests that the state is looking to make dramatic populist decisions on everything related to the future of the conflict with the Palestinian people.

READ: Netanyahu to form ‘coronavirus government’ with Gantz

The latest Zionist government will almost certainly go ahead and implement the US “peace plan” to liquidate the Palestinian cause, known as the “deal of the century”. This includes the annexation of the Jordan Valley and its illegal settlements. However, Netanyahu’s plans will go further than this, not least because the stability of his government will depend on his far-right and religious allies. They have already announced that the first thing that the new Netanyahu government will do with Gantz in tow will be the annexation of the West Bank areas mentioned in Donald Trump’s deal. The US President’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, has already signalled Washington’s green light for the annexation plans.

We can thus expect to see more illegal settlements being built, and even more intense Judaisation taking place. Before that happens, though, steps will be taken to establish a new reality at Al-Aqsa Mosque, with the imposition of times and space for Jews to use the mosque. This is what some of Netanyahu’s allies in the new coalition are demanding.

Before we credit Netanyahu too much for his success in resolving the internal political crisis so suddenly, though, we must understand that this was not due to his political acumen and leadership. Those who know him well say that he is always reluctant to be decisive. His success is, in fact, due to his ability to exploit extremism and the fears of the Zionists, who see existential threats behind everything that the Palestinians living under Israel’s brutal military occupation say and do. That is how the Prime Minister has been able to remain in power despite being indicted on serious fraud and corruption charges.

Moreover, the breakup of the Blue and White bloc now that its leader Gantz has moved to the Netanyahu government is a grave loss for the Arab Joint List, which had given recommendations for the former general to form the government. This inevitably must force the Zionist entity’s Palestinian citizens and their representatives to reconsider the nature of their engagement with the political system.

Translated from Thenewkhalij, 31 March 2020

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.