Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to be in a great mood, reported a senior political figure who met with him privately May 31. Just a few hours earlier, the prime minister hosted his old friend, Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham, in his office in Jerusalem. Netanyahu seemed at ease and was said to be beaming as he left the meeting. Graham, who is known for his hawkish foreign policy views, has been outspoken in his support for Israel and Netanyahu.
The source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu had a very positive attitude. Nothing about his behavior suggested that just hours earlier, the government that is likely to replace him made significant progress in achieving its goal. Yamina chair Naftali Bennett announced that he was determined to serve as prime minister for the change bloc. It sounded like the death knell for the Netanyahu government.
