The outcome of the Israeli elections indicates a significant plunge in Netanyahu’s political power. While it is assumed that he will be the prime minister, I think the thrust of his conquering tendencies will be deterred, especially by the emergence of the centrist political party Yesh Atid, which will likely only join his coalition on its own terms. Yesh Atid’s 19 seats beat the Labor Party, which won a solid 17 seats, while the leftist Meretz party saw a doubling of its representation to six instead of three members. Despite this political humiliation of Netanyahu, it does not mean that Israel’s aggressive policies will be softened. It does mean, however, that they cannot be constantly undertaken with impunity.
The emerging political map will likely renew the mandate of Netanyahu — but definitely not with the arrogant freedom to act that characterized his previous terms. It is hoped that the nine Arabs elected to the Knesset will coordinate amongst themselves in an effective and credible manner to ensure that the issues of institutional discrimination against Arab citizens are not only reduced but ultimately eliminated. While changes in the political map in Israel might carry certain minor positive signs, it is important to note that unless Israel acknowledges its presence in the Palestinian occupied territories as an occupying power (which is, at this moment, far-fetched) the Palestinian occupied territories should hasten the unity of the existing authorities in Gaza and the West Bank. Unless this fundamental step is taken by the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, the creeping annexation and establishment of settlements and displacement of Palestinians in Jerusalem will continue.
