Some critics of Israel often say that there will be no differences between Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. I object. After interviewing the Israeli opposition leader for Globonews Internacional last week, the differences between him and the current prime minister became clear to me.
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Before moving forward, I wanted to make clear that I do not share many of Bennett’s proposals, especially regarding the Palestinians. As I wrote here, I am an advocate of a two-state solution based on the Holy Land Union Plan drafted by Yossi Beilin, a peace advocate and negotiator on the Israeli side of the Oslo Accords. Bennett, on the other hand, accepts only one form of autonomy, as I will explain later. At the same time, with regard to Israel’s relations with Lebanon, our views are closer.
Bennett’s first advantage is that he is not Netanyahu. The current Prime Minister has become a toxic leader internationally, including the United States. The International Criminal Court called for his arrest on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza. Inside Israel, he faces multiple corruption trials. The second advantage is that Bennett will lead a broader coalition. Although he is right-wing like Netanyahu, he will seek to rule with parties from the traditional right, center, left, and even Arab-Israeli, as happened in his previous administration. The current prime minister has already formed an alliance with some of the most extreme figures in Israeli society, such as Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
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In the case of the West Bank, Bennett told me that he would accept self-rule, with a reformed Palestinian National Authority governing the local population in Areas A and B (about 40% of the territory, where the largest cities are located), without armed forces, without border controls and without the right of return for refugees. There will be an “innovative” way to connect the main Palestinian cities in the region, without the current siege. It will not, in his opinion, be a state. As I wrote above, I support the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, including the entire West Bank, and I believe it is unjust for the Palestinians to not have a state or nationality. However, his proposal is better than Netanyahu’s, whose cabinet includes some advocates of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, the annexation of most of the West Bank and the lack of Palestinian self-rule. Pragmatically, I have no doubt that Bennett will present his position in future negotiations. Regarding Gaza, there are a few differences between the two and I will cover the topic further in my GLOBO newsletter.
However, Bennett seems genuinely willing to negotiate peace with Lebanon. Understands the nuances of Lebanese society. You know that the current government in Beirut is serious and ready to disarm Hezbollah, despite the obstacles. There are no major differences between his positions and the positions of current Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. I believe that it is possible that there will be a normalization agreement between the two countries with his presence in the government.
Nicolas Maduro – In addition to Gaza, in my GLOBO newsletter I cover this crucial moment in Venezuela – rest assured, something will happen in the next few days or weeks. I also talk about the Pope’s visit to Lebanon.