Israeli schism growing, might affect opposition: Israeli media
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Israeli media sound the alarm about the growing possibility of a new political party arising from the ongoing Israeli protests, which might cause a rift within the Israeli occupation forces.
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Israelis march in support of the judicial system during a protest against the plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul it, in "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine, Aug. 2, 2023 (AP)
The opposition within the Israeli occupation is growing concerned over the possibility of the ongoing protests against the judicial reform law put forward by the ruling far-right coalition birthing a new political party led by key figures from the ongoing protests, Israeli media reported Thursday.
Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts in trying to shift the public discourse away from judicial amendments to other topics like economic improvements, artificial intelligence, and high-speed trains, the headlines continue to focus on the expected tension between the government and the court next month, "Israel" Hayom reported on Thursday.
The real drama is unfolding among the ranks of the opposition these days, the Israeli outlet said. In recent weeks, various parties have been conducting surveys to assess the strength of a new party composed of protest leaders opposing the judicial amendments.
The prospective results have astonished the opposition leaders. So far, this party could secure between 10 and 12 seats in the Knesset and is gaining popularity. Moreover, this party would also take in a significant portion of the left-wing bloc's parties, including Yesh Atid, the State Camp alliance, and even the Labor Party and Meretz, the newspaper has said.
Regarding the distribution of power within the Israeli opposition, Benny Gantz remains at the forefront. However, the potential party led by Shaqued Bresler, Moshe Redman, and their allies has already begun nearing the figures made by Yesh Atid, prompting concern among the party leaders.
There is a conviction among Israeli centrists that Yair Lapid's change in direction and his last-minute agreement to negotiate with the Likud regarding the reasonability doctrine is directly related to the new survey data showing competition within the opposition.
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According to the Israeli media, the primary goal of toppling the government is no longer the most urgent concern when a party is falling to third or fourth place in the electoral race.
The opposition believes that Yair Lapid is more attentive and sensitive toward high-tech entrepreneurs and businessmen compared to Benny Gantz and his supporters, for example. Those who led the popular protests disrupted businesses, threatened to withhold taxes, and did everything they could in the past few months to undermine the Israeli economy, and today, they are experiencing the consequences of their actions.
Furthermore, those engaging with these parties are hearing clear assessments from them, indicating that they are now willing to ease tensions and make Yair Lapid apply the brakes to try and prevent the situation from escalating when the coalition attempts to renew the legislation related to the formation of the judicial appointments committee.
These developments reflect the internal fragmentation within the ranks of the Israeli settlers and even among the aligned political factions. The government is witnessing internal disputes and divisions between Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir that threaten the survival of the Israeli occupation government.
Simultaneously, thousands of settlers demonstrated in "Tel Aviv", protesting against the Israeli Knesset's approval of a critical clause in the plan for judicial amendments sought by Netanyahu's government. The protesters chanted "You ruined Israel" in "Tel Aviv", which has become the epicenter of anti-occupation demonstrations since the plan's announcement in January, causing a significant split in the entity and leading to the largest protest movement in its history.
Israeli media reported last week that demonstrations against the judicial overhaul plan have entered their 30th consecutive week, while Netanyahu's coalition continues to push its plan to weaken the judiciary without any significant agreement with the Israeli opposition.
According to the Israeli media, about 160,000 demonstrators took to "Kaplan Street" in "Tel Aviv" against the overhaul.
The media highlighted that the protests extended to several cities and towns in occupied Palestine, as about 17,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Kafr Saba, about 11,000 protested in Haifa, and about 3,800 in "Herzliya", north of "Tel Aviv".
Protest organizers stated that the demonstrations would shift from the phase of containment to losing control and going onto the offensive.
