It appears that after more than 12 years in office, Benjamin Netanyahu will soon become Israel's former Prime Minister for the second time. Yamina's Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid with the support of Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List have agreed to form a coalition government following elections back in March - the fourth in less than two years. Bennett will serve as Prime Minister from now until 2023 and then Lapid will assume the office for two years. This marks the first time Arab political parties have been part of a governing coalition.
Or so it appears.
First of all, this has to be ratified by the Knesset. And who can say what happens between now and next week?
But let's suppose the Knesset agrees to the coalition. I can't see a coalition of secularists, settlers and Islamists lasting four months much less four years. It would therefore not shock me if before the end of 2021 that Israelis will go to the polls for the second time this year and the fifth time since 2019. All of which would give Netanyahu a chance to become Prime Minister for a third time.
Mind you, I'm not rooting against this new coalition. I wish it every bit of success and I hope the Biden Administration is prepared to cut them the sort of slack they won't give to Bibi. But for the Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and AOCs of the world it doesn't matter who governs Israel. To them Israel should be abolished.
I wish I could be more optimistic but I am not. I can only hope to be proven wrong. If I am then I will delight in my error and misjudgment.
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