Netanyahu comes back stronger than ever

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fourth government, which will be sworn in soon after Passover, is expected to be one of the most homogeneous governments ever to serve in Israel. Almost all the heads of the various parties that seem likely to join the government, apart from the ultra-Orthodox parties, grew up in the Likud. 

According to just about every scenario, Kulanu Party Chairman Moshe Kahlon will be the next finance minister. Until just two years ago, he was a senior member of the ruling party. Yisrael Beitenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman started his political career in the Likud. He served as director-general of the Likud Party and then as director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office during Netanyahu’s first term.

Much has already been written about the bad blood between Kahlon and Netanyahu. As for Liberman, his attitude toward Netanyahu seems to range from sheer contempt to recognition of his political skills. Liberman apparently also suspects that Netanyahu was acting behind the scenes to ensure that the corruption investigation against senior members of Yisrael Beitenu was revealed to the public before the elections. That certainly did nothing to improve the already tense relationship between the two men. For his part, Netanyahu believes that Liberman and Kahlon coordinated with Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid to humiliate Netanyahu after the elections and bring about his downfall.

Yisrael Beitenu Secretary-General Faina Kirshenbaum admitted to at least part of this plan during the election campaign itself. She spoke about the intention to consolidate forces between Kulanu, Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beitenu after the election, and to enter into a rotation agreement over the position of prime minister with the leader of the Zionist Camp, Isaac Herzog. That would have sent Netanyahu home in disgrace.