If Netanyahu goes, does anything really change for Palestinians?

Analysts say opposition victory in October 27 polls may bring only marginal change and no fundamental shift on Gaza or West Bank. Save Share Four rival Israeli political movements have agreed to work together in a bid to unseat Israel’s longest serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The factions – the Yashar party, the Democrats, the Yisrael Beytenu party and the Together alliance – span different parts of Israel’s political spectrum but say they are united in their goal to “preserve and strengthen Israel as a Jewish and democratic state”. The opposition grouping is in a close battle with a pro-Netanyahu coalition heading into theOctober 27 elections, recent polling indicated, although neither side appeared on track to win a parliamentary majority. The election comes as Israel faces a series of domestic crises that are tearing at its social fabric, including questions over political accountability for alleged corruptionand security failures, disputes over ultra-Orthodox military service and efforts toexclude Arab parties from political life. The country also facesgrowing backlash abroad, including from allies, over its continuing attacks on Gaza and Lebanon as well as settlements, which are illegal under international law, and settlerpogromsin the occupied West Bank. Analysts said the combination makes the upcoming elections among the mostconsequentialin Israel’s history but even an opposition victory may bring only marginal change for Palestinianssuffering record levels of settler violenceand mass displacement. While the opposition alliance has taken Netanyahu to task personally, there is little daylight between them when it comes to Israel’s foundational policies in Gaza and the West Bank. “Palestinians should not expect a fundamental change in Israeli policy if the Netanyahu bloc loses power,” said analyst Samer Jaber, a doctoral researcher specialising in political economy at Royal Holloway, University of London. “The major political blocs share core positions on the Palestinian question, including support for the existing settlement structure, while the state institutions that formulate and implement policy would remain unchanged,” he added. The leaders of the four major Jewish-led opposition movements gathered on September 26 andsigned a declarationpromising not to attack each other in the run-up to the elections and to collaborate in forming a government after the vote....