Without the cloud of suspicion and potential indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there would be no doubt that the Likud and the right-wing coalition would win the election on April 9 in a landslide and form a coalition similar to the current one, perhaps bolstered by one of the new centrist parties. But the cloud is a determining factor, and the election campaign won’t focus on security or economic issues, but rather the expected indictments.
Gayil Talshir from the Department of Political Science at Hebrew University says that it’s true that according to polls and analyses, the right-wing bloc seems guaranteed a clear majority, while the center-left bloc, including the popular former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, pose no real threat to the coalition. Gantz merely hopes to form a bloc with the Arab parties to prevent the establishment of a right-wing coalition. Thus, according to Talshir, the question isn’t a battle between the blocs, but whether enough parties agree to join Netanyahu’s coalition while he faces prosecution. Under Israeli law, a prime minister, unlike other ministers, does not have to resign even if indicted until all potential appeals are completed.
