As Netanyahu’s control over Israeli politics steadily declines, new political landscapes are beginning to emerge in Zionist rights. Netanyahu’s era is believed to be depicted nearby, as the leader who influenced the Israeli political scene for over a decade.
With the exception of partisan polls run by Israeli Channel 14 TV, most reliable surveys suggest that the Likd Leader’s grip is loose and marks a potential end to the rule of a man who has long been anthropomorphizing Israeli right-wing politics.
Changing sand in political stability
During his unprecedented tenure, Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu was a symbol of political continuity and an increasingly source of division. From 2009 to 2019, Netanyahu and his Likud Party were pillars of stability, with allies forging the alliance on his leadership. However, the appeal of his collaboration with Netanyahu began to get sour, especially as his ambitions often obscured inclusivity.
The early coalition, including the Labour Party, under Ehud Barak in 2011, was short-lived. This is a pattern that was repeated with prominent centrists like Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni just to join Netanyahu’s 2013 cabinet by the end of 2014.
Netanyahu burned in major allies like Israeli Beatinu leader Avigdor Liebermann, and showed a wider trend. Disillusionment peaked in 2018 when differences of opinion over a ceasefire with Hamas destroyed Riverman’s alliance with Likud. Shortly afterwards, the coalition turmoil held five consecutive elections between 2019 and 2022.
Former generals like Benny Gantz and longtime allies like Naphtari Bennett have added names to a growing list of criticisms that have turned ex-partners and have chosen to challenge Netanyahu rather than to cooperate further.
Despite Netanyahu’s resilience amidst these crises, his tactics left bruising in Israel’s political system. The nature of the revolving door of the Union and the trauma of repeated elections highlighted the increased instability in Israel, with Netanyahu being recognized as a common denominator. By the time he regained power in November 2022, he was at the helm of the most right-wing and religiously hard-line government in Israel’s history.
Judicial reform: Self-harm scars?
Netanyahu’s first spark of cancellation was lit with his own hands. Encouraged by numerical advantages over the opposition, his coalition set out on an ambitious and polarizing programme of judicial reform.
Justice Minister Yalib Levin was touted as a necessary measure to reduce the power of the Supreme Court, and the proposed changes promised to be wiped out by Israeli governance. Under current law, the Israeli Supreme Court holds a significant veto and nullifies government decisions that it frequently deems unconstitutional.
The proposed judicial reforms announced in January 2023 sparked immediate and widespread public backlash. By January 7th, just days after its introduction, massive protests swept Israel, lasting a historic 39 weeks.
These demonstrations not only destroyed Israeli society, but also exposed the extent to which even traditionally nonpolitical military and security devices were drawn into the country’s internal crises. The waves of polarization have weakened Netanyahu’s credibility, even if they paralyzed the government’s ability to concentrate on external threats.
In hindsight, this domestic vulnerability may have contributed to Hamas’ decision to launch a bold attack on October 7, 2023. The inability of Israel to predict the outcome and prevent interference highlights the sacrifice that prioritizes internal battles over external preparations. For Netanyahu, Hamas’ attacks created a political avalanche.
Already popular for protests, Likud became the epicenter of public outrage over the failure of the military and intelligence news. A shortly after poll on October 7 showed that LIKUD’s predicted knesset sheets had plummeted from 30 to 15 to 17. This is a catastrophic decline in Israel’s ruling party.
Aftershocks and partial recovery of Netanyahu
Netanyahu’s popularity was initially in the crater following the disaster on October 7th, but subsequent military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria allowed him to regain some footing. The Israeli government adopted a more aggressive stance towards Hamas and its allies, which softened public dissatisfaction, especially among right-leaning voters. By early May 2025, the predicted presence of LIKUD’s knesset had rebounded to 22-25 seats in most reputable polls, returning it to Israel’s largest single-party status.
However, this recovery remains fragile. The inability to form a stable coalition of Netanyahu continues to be that it cannot form a stable coalition so that opposition parties with potential Arab support hold the edge in most voting scenarios. The decline of Likud is particularly pronounced in voter centre and central-right segments where complaints about Netanyahu remained ingrained.
Naftali Bennett: Enter The Specter of the New Right
In this environment of dissatisfaction, new political forces are emerging. This may overturn Netanyahu’s decades of control over Zionist rights. A significant portion of LIKUD’s traditional voter base has become disillusioned and has begun looking for alternatives, creating the initiation of new leadership.
Initially, many of the Likud exiles turned their eyes to Benny Gantz, viewing centralist politicians as safe pairs of hands during the formation of war cabinets. But Gantz’s reluctance to openly criticize Netanyahu, combined with his centralist qualification, alienates conservative voters who are seeking alternatives to the right. Among the potential beneficiaries of this shift, Yisrael Beiteinu saw a modest revival, but the biggest looming one is Naftali Bennett.
Once Netanyahu’s loyal ally and later his most intense critic, Bennett kept his desire to return to politics without secret. In April 2025, he officially registered a new party with Israel’s Ministry of Home Affairs, interim, entitled “Bennett 2026.” Early polls suggest that his return could dramatically change Israel’s political landscape.
In the hypothetical scenario, Bennett’s new party consistently outperforms likud, leading by a margin of 2-5 seats. More importantly, these polls show that Bennett-led blocs can form a stable government without relying on the Arab Party and address key sources of coalition instability in the past.
This will distinguish the potential Bennett-led coalition from the fragile “change government” he will easily co-led with Yair Lapid in 2021. In this iteration, Bennett’s position as a fresh alternative for right-wing voters can force a reorganization within the block and pave the path to generational change in leadership.
Future challenges: tenuous transitions
The prospect of Bennett’s revival shows earthquake changes in Israeli politics, but the path ahead is not certain. Netanyahu may still adopt political survival proficiency to further recover. Historically, he has proven to be skilled at rallying through external crises, and ongoing tensions between Lebanon and Iran and escalations in Syria have once again been able to strengthen Likd.
Internal maneuvering also poses risk. The coalition’s apparent attempt to protect Netanyahu from accountability, including preventing an investigation into the October 7 failure, could further erode public confidence in Likud. Efforts to replace seniors like Singh Bet Head Lonen Barr and Attorney General Gali Baharaf Miara could deepen internal disputes and hamper Netanyahu’s rivals.
For Bennett to succeed, he must secure a critical alliance while navigating through these obstacles. Speculations about Lieberman’s potential partnership with Israel Beatinu, including a formal merger, could amplify Bennett’s appeal. Similarly, the appearance of a terrifying center-left block led by figures such as Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Lapid, and Yair Golan forces Bennett to broaden his charm and capture swing voters.
Conclusion: The end of the era
Writing on Netanyahu’s Wall is revealed as Israeli politics adapts to the reverberation of judicial reforms in January 2023 and the military failures in October 2023. Beneath the surface there is a growing consensus. Zionist rights prepare for life after Netanyahu. His departure may not be immediate or guaranteed, but the conditions for his ultimate political solar eclipse seem increasingly inevitable.
In this evolving reality, the rise of Naphtari Bennett shows not only the end of Netanyahu’s monopoly, but also the potential birth of a “new right” in Israel’s political sphere. It is shaped by young leaders, fresh priorities and a variety of strategies. It remains to be seen whether this era will bring stability or introduce new series challenges, but for now the pages look ready to turn.