Radical young millionaire challenges Netanyahu

Die Welt, translated by the European bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza

On January 22nd Israel will elect a new prime minister. The current head of the government, Benjamin Netanyahu, was considered to be the only candidate likely to win. Neither the Labor Party nor the movement of the former foreign minister Tzipi Livni nor the party Future founded by the showman Jair Lapid can spoil election day for Netanyahu. Their attempt to establish a left-centre bloc as an alternative to the right-wing government team failed. The coalition of Likud is not threatened by the left or the right-wing party “Our Home Israel” of Avigdor Lieberman.

There is another political force which irritates Likud. This is a person who has recently been thought to be the closest supporter of Netanyahu. Naftali Bennet headed the headquarters of the current Israeli prime minister in 2006-2008. Then they took different roads. The real reason for their break-up is unclear. They say it is about a dispute between Bennet and Sara Netanyahu, the powerful wife of the Israeli Prime Minister.

At the moment Bennet heads the party Jewish Home and is a serious rival to Netanyahu. His party can hope for 35 places in the 120-seat parliament.

Naftali Bennet was born in 1972 in Haifa. He was a successful businessman when the second Lebanon campaign began and he was recruited into the Israeli army. He decided to leave active business and involve himself in the social and political sphere after he saw the death of his best friend in a battle.

In 2010 Bennet was appointed the general director of the Jewish Settlers’ Union. He became the heaviest critic of the halt of the construction of new Jewish residential areas on the West Bank of the River Jordan – a step which was taken by Netanyahu under pressure from the US. At the same time, Bennet does not live on the West Bank of the River Jordan, but in a wealthy suburb of Tel Aviv, Raanan.

In 2012 Bennet left Likud and found a new political home in the religious-nationalistic party Jewish Home. According to the voting of November 2012, the young millionaire became the chairman of the party, gaining 67% of the votes. After Bennet joined the party, its ratings doubled and now it hopes for 13-16 seats in the parliament, being the third political force in the country.

41% of Israeli voters have “a positive view” of Bennet, according to social polls, while 26% perceive him negatively. Nevertheless, he is devoted to his ideology and principles.

For example, Bennet doesn’t want to end the conflict with Palestinians. His plan published in February 2012 doesn’t mention peace. In “Initiative of Stability by Naftali Bennet” the millionaire demands annexation of 60% of the territories which Palestine demands for establishing its future state. Bennet strongly stands against the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, but he agrees to give the Palestinians wide autonomy with self-administration. As for Gaza, Bennet thinks it will mostly be annexed by Egypt.

Bennet states that the Palestinian self-administration on the West Bank will join Jordan some day. In any case, a settlement of the conflict through the establishment of two independent states is dead. Bennet says that 360 thousand Israelis who live on the West Bank of the River Jordan cannot be resettled.

Thus, Bennet has common views with the supporters of Likud, and this makes him more dangerous for the ruling party. Netanyahu’s circle does its best to criticise Bennet. But the millionaire counters all attacks with a smile and his rating is growing day by day. At the same time, Bennet understands that Netanyahu will most probably become the next Prime Minister after these elections. His aim is to make sure Benjamin Netanyahu does not deviate from the right course. “Netanyahu is a good man. I believe his main goal is to improve Israel,” Bennet says sympathetically. “But unfortunately, “the moral compass” of Netanyahu is too disoriented and he often needs help. That is why Likud shouldn’t get a majority in the parliament.”

Bennet is afraid that Netanyahu could make concessions under international pressure if he has a strong position in the Israeli parliament. this is translated as: “Choose me! I will correct his behavior.”