BNEI BRAK, Israel – A recent wave of terrorist attacks in Israel, the deadliest in seven years, poses a major challenge to Israel’s fragile coalition government, which has been criticized from both sides of the political spectrum for policies that critics say have exacerbated the threat. risk of violence.
On the right, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has been criticized for bringing an Arab party into the coalition, a decision that right-wing critics say has dampened the state’s willingness to control Israel’s Arab minority and its ability to respond to the recent attacks. limited, two of which were conducted by Arab citizens of Israel.
On the left, Mr Bennett has been criticized for making minor concessions to the Palestinians, while excluding peace talks or any steps towards the formation of a Palestinian state – an approach that left-wing critics say has increased Palestinian despair and has left a minority. encouraged to respond with violence.
Mr. Bennett has also been limited in his ability to respond to the violence due to the composition of his ideologically diverse coalition, an eight-party alliance that includes right-wing people like Mr. Bennett, centrists, leftists and a small Arab Islamist party, Raam – the first independent Arab party to join an Israeli government. Ten months into their tenure, the alliance has consistently found ways to get around their differences, but the violence has accentuated the gaps in their worldview.
A senior lawmaker left Mr Bennett’s coalition last month, leaving it without a majority in parliament and predicting a return to the political instability that has hampered the country in recent years.
