Israel’s upcoming election will confirm its right-wing drift, but divisions within the country’s political right over who will lead the country, what the role of the ultra-Orthodox should be, how quickly Israel should expand its settlements will hamper the formation of a new government. If neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his rivals are able to form a coalition, the continued political uncertainty will impede Israel’s ability to reap the full benefits of its success in curbing the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Israel’s next election on March 23 will pit anti-Netanyahu parties and politicians of various ideologies against the prime minister and his remaining loyalists. While polls suggest that Netanyahu’s Likud party has a lead, they also indicate that he has no certain coalition behind him large enough to form a government. ...
