Bennett and Eisenkot Cast Doubt on Defendant Bill, Challenging Lieberman
Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot have cast doubt on passing the Defendant Bill, challenging Avigdor Lieberman's strategy and signaling that a minority government backed by Ra'am may be necessary.
Political leaders Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot publicly cast doubt on the prospects of passing the so-called "Defendant Bill", effectively undermining a core strategy championed by their opposition ally, Avigdor Lieberman. The synchronized move by Bennett and Eisenkot sends a sharp message to Lieberman ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, signaling that if the anti-Netanyahu bloc fails to secure the crucial 61-seat majority—a trend currently reflected in recent polls—forming a minority government relying on the Arab party Ra'am will be inevitable.
Until now, Lieberman has consistently rejected any scenario involving a government backed by Arab lawmakers. He previously insisted on two main alternatives: achieving an outright majority for Zionist parties, or passing personalized legislation barring Benjamin Netanyahu from running in future elections. While opposition figures have long argued behind closed doors that this scenario is unrealistic, the recent public statements by Bennett and Eisenkot have brought these tensions into the open.
Legislative Alternatives and Term Limits
The ease with which senior bloc leaders are discarding the bill, which served as a central pillar in previous electoral campaigns, has raised significant questions among political analysts. Critics previously targeted former minister Ayelet Shaked for allegedly blocking the measure in the past, yet her former allies are now admitting that its chances of passage are virtually non-existent, pointing toward a calculated political pressure campaign.
Concurrently, recent statements from Bennett suggest a third, more pragmatic legislative alternative for the post-election period: a term-limit law capping prime ministerial tenure at two terms or eight years. Applying such a restriction retroactively would effectively remove Netanyahu from the political arena while allowing Bennett to remain in the race, a compromise that could potentially secure cooperation from Arab factions. This growing rift highlights deep strategic disagreements within the opposition bloc regarding how to achieve a transition of power.
