Israel's embattled prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramped up his nationalist rhetoric on the eve of tomorrow’s election, vowing to annex “all the settlements” in the West Bank if he wins a record fifth full term.
Asked if that included an enclave of several hundred settlers who live in the ancient, and volatile, city of Hebron, he told Israeli Army Radio today: “Of course.”
About five million Israelis are preparing to cast their vote in Israel’s second election of the year, amid further talk of conflict on several fronts by the country’s right-wing leader.
The 70-year-old yesterday held his final cabinet at a settlement in the West Bank. Days earlier he warned Israel “may have no choice” but to go to war in Gaza, the source of several rocket attacks into Israel this month, but since rowed back on immediate action.
Conflict with Iran has also coloured the election campaign. Recently Israel has been mounting air strikes at bases they claim belong to Iran and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraq, as well as in Syria — where Israel accuses Iran of preparing new precision weapons.
Opinion polls put his ruling Likud and the main opposition Blue and White party, headed by the former army commander Benny Gantz, neck and neck.
Though Mr Netanyahu picked up the most seats in the 120-member Knesset in the April election, 38 in all, he failed to put together a government after weeks of wrangling. Both leading blocs, predicted to get 32 seats each, lack obvious allies for a majority, and have quarrelled with possible partners to the Right and Left. Mr Netanyahu has the shadow hanging over him of indictment and trial on corruption charges.
Last week Mr Netanyahu said he would order the annexation of the Jordan Valley and other key parts of the Palestinian West Bank territories. This would damage any possibility of a viable Palestinian state emerging from peace talks in the near future.
Ayelet Shaked, of the New Right, claims US President Donald Trump wants to split Jerusalem in a peace deal. Mr Trump is due to publish his peace plan for Israel and the Palestinian territories following tomorrow’s election. This has been promised before, with little officially to show.
Mr Netanyahu and Likud have hardly concealed their dismay at the sacking of John Bolton, the hawkish national security adviser, their staunchest backer in facing down Iran militarily. The fear that President Trump is about to talk with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran will have gone away after Saturday’s drone attacks on the Saudi oil fields.
Mr Gantz and Blue and White are talking of a broad alliance of parties, including the Joint List representing Israeli Arabs among others. But few are writing off Mr Netanyahu just yet, though he is mired in controversy. It’s quite likely Israel will end up with a grand coalition of the two big blocs, Likud and Blue and White. But who would be in charge? Gantz or Netanyahu, the Houdini prime minister?
