Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed for a national unity government during the swearing-in of Israel’s new parliament on Tuesday, citing internal and external threats as justification. He specifically pointed to Iranian threats and criticized Palestinian lawmakers elected to the Knesset, accusing them without evidence of seeking Israel’s destruction. The opposition bloc, which holds a parliamentary majority but has not yet formed a government, responded with heckling and walkouts during his address.
The parliamentary session proved unusually contentious even by Israeli political standards. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett engaged in heated exchanges with Netanyahu and his wife Sara, while several Palestinian lawmakers walked out in protest after being attacked by the prime minister. Gadi Eisenkot, who was given the first opportunity to form a new government, subsequently cancelled scheduled coalition talks with Netanyahu and declared him “unfit for office.”
Analysts observe that Netanyahu’s political career reflects a broader transformation of Israeli democracy toward personality-driven politics. Roi Zur, a voting behavior specialist, noted that Netanyahu “Americanised” Israel’s party system by making it populist and leader-focused. Voters increasingly identify political affiliation by the leader’s name rather than the party itself, a significant shift from earlier patterns. This personalization has occurred despite Israel’s electoral system being based on party lists rather than individual candidates.
The emphasis on personality over policy positions has created a political culture where personal animosities between leaders can overshadow substantive policy differences. Experts warn this trend has enabled increasingly inflammatory rhetoric, including accusations of terrorism sympathy leveled against elected officials. If Eisenkot successfully forms a government, Netanyahu would face removal from power and potential continuation of his corruption trial without prime ministerial protections. Analysts suggest that regardless of Netanyahu’s political fate, the personality-centered political system he helped establish may represent one of his most enduring legacies in Israeli governance.
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