American Jews may wish booting Netanyahu will fix Israel’s problems. It won’t. – The Washington Post
By Mairav Zonszein
Washington Post
September 20, 2019
Although Benjamin Netanyahu lost Tuesday’s election, it’s too early to tell whether he will be cast out of Israeli politics after a record 10 straight years as prime minister. Israel’s do-over election resulted in a deadlock between Netanyahu’s Likud and the anti-Netanyahu Likud spinoff Blue and White party, led by former military chief of staff Benny Gantz, who looks increasingly likely to be Israel’s next prime minister. The fact that Netanyahu failed to secure a majority in parliament is a source of reprieve for many in Israel and especially for many American Jews, who are also largely Democrats — as they have come to resent Netanyahu almost as much as they resent President Trump.
But no matter what the governing coalition will look like, the right has still won this election.
American Jewish organizations have largely remained silent for now, as there is still no obvious winner, but they clearly welcome Netanyahu’s exit. Some headlines are already declaring that American Jews won this election. An Israeli government without Netanyahu in charge could assure American Jews that Israel is a vibrant democracy and go back to hoping for peace while avoiding confrontation with Israel’s apartheid-like one-state reality — which was there before Netanyahu and will be there after him.