Israeli opposition just as fractured as coalition
Though the Joint List won 15 Knesset seats in the March elections, the new unity government leaves it on the opposition benches once again.
Israel’s new government, its biggest ever, was sworn in on May 17. It has all kinds of newly invented portfolios, such as the Ministry of Community Empowerment and Advancement and the Ministry of Higher Education. Meanwhile, the pro-settler Yamina Party led by Naftali Bennett found itself heading to the opposition benches, creating a fascinatingly diverse opposition. It includes everyone from the Joint List and Meretz on the left, Yesh Atid-Telem in the center and Yisrael Beitenu and Yamina far to the right. Knesset member Ahmad Tibi tweeted, “I’m considering voting no confidence in the opposition if Yamina gets squeezed into it.”
The situation raises new questionw. What will be the Joint List’s role in the opposition? Does the number of Knesset seats it won in the last election matter? It is worth remembering that with 15 seats, the Joint List came very close to playing a decisive role in determining who would govern the country. It would have happened if Blue and White leader Benny Gantz had formed a minority government, after the Joint List endorsed him during its meeting with the president.
The Joint List submitted its own candidate, Ahmad Tibi, for Knesset speaker, showing the depth of diversity within the opposition. The Joint List announced, “There is no homogeneous opposition. Together with our electorate, we have political positions that set us apart and distinguish us from the rest of the opposition parties.”
Meanwhile, Yesh Atid-Telem proposed another Knesset member, Karin Elharar, for speaker. The opposition was obviously split with 20 members voting for Tibi while 23 others voted for Elharar. The coalition's Yariv Levin reaped the benefits and won the nomination.
