[Global Issue+] What is 'Jayu Zionism' that Created Israel's Rainbow Coalition?

Backlash Against Radical Right-Wing Zionism
Yeshiated and Cheongbaek Party Alliance Ends Netanyahu's Long-Term Rule

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Interest is growing in the 'Rainbow Coalition' that ended the 12-year consecutive long-term rule of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister. In particular, international attention is focused on the so-called 'Liberal Zionism' parties, such as Yesh Atid and Blue and White, which are at the center of this coalition.

These parties are known as Israel's representative center-right forces. They oppose the principle of Zionism, which enabled Netanyahu's long-term rule, arguing that it has become excessively far-right and is hindering Israel's development. To launch this coalition, forces with no common ground?from the far right to Arab parties?were embraced all at once, but this has also raised concerns about the high risk of the government's collapse.

Eyes on the New Coalition's Real Power, 'Yair Lapid'

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According to local media such as The Times of Israel on the 5th (local time), in Israeli media polls, Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party and known as the central figure leading this Rainbow Coalition, has a support rate of 46%, higher than Prime Minister Netanyahu's 35%. Initially, attention was focused on Naftali Bennett, leader of the Yamina party, who would serve as prime minister for the first two years of the coalition government, but gradually, interest is concentrating on Lapid, who is expected to be the coalition's real power.

Lapid was originally a well-known news anchor in Israel. Born to a father who served as Minister of Justice and a novelist mother, he entered politics in 2012 by founding the Yesh Atid party, vowing to represent the middle class and center-right and opposing the Netanyahu administration. At that time, protests against Netanyahu's government were spreading widely due to repeated conflicts with Palestine and worsening economic difficulties. In the following year's general election, Yesh Atid won 19 seats, becoming the second-largest party in the Knesset and attracting worldwide attention.

He is regarded as a symbolic figure of Liberal Zionism, which has spread among generations before and after the Middle East wars. Liberal Zionism is an ideology that moves away from the fundamentalist Zionism focused on expelling Palestinian and Arab forces during Israel's founding process, seeking moderate and rational alternatives. It supports the 'two-state solution' proposed by the U.S. and the international community, opposes the establishment of Palestinian settlements, and advocates stopping further exhausting wars to focus more on Israel's economic development and domestic affairs.

The Coalition Still Has a Long Way to Go... Reconciliation Between Far-Right and Arab Parties Is the Top Priority

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The Liberal Zionism parties representing Israel's center-right include Yesh Atid and the Blue and White party led by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, which has formed a coalition government with Netanyahu's administration since the last general election. This time, these two parties united to include nine parties ranging from the far-right Yamina party to the Arab Ra'am party, forming an 'anti-Netanyahu' alliance that led to the launch of this Rainbow Coalition.

Because the Liberal Zionism parties have formed coalitions with various forces beyond traditional ideology, religion, and nationalism, they have been able to grow rapidly, but their government is also considered very unstable. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, Nadav Argaman, head of the Israeli domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, issued an unusual statement on the day, saying, "We have confirmed an increase in extremely violent and inflammatory discourse centered on social networks," expressing concern that "for individuals and certain groups, this discourse could be interpreted as condoning violence and illegal activities that cause physical harm."

Currently, protests against the coalition continue in major Israeli cities, including Jerusalem. Left-wing supporters in Israel strongly oppose Naftali Bennett of the far-right Yamina party succeeding Netanyahu as prime minister, while far-right forces strongly oppose the inclusion of Arab parties in the coalition and their involvement in Palestinian policies.

Likud, led by Netanyahu, which still holds 30 seats as the largest party in the Knesset, continues its counterattack. There are concerns that the Rainbow Coalition and Liberal Zionism may collapse amid confrontations between Israel's left and right before they can properly govern.