In the first half of June, as Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett were putting the finishing touches on the unlikely governing coalition that is now in power, Israel looked like it might be going down a U.S.-style rabbit hole of contested elections and delegitimization of the political process. It didn’t happen—or it might be safer to say, it hasn’t yet happened—and the reason is the difference between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.
After it became increasingly apparent that he would not be able to form a government or do an end-run around Israel’s political system by calling a one-time direct election for prime minister, Netanyahu seemed keen on mounting a campaign of delegitimization that echoed Trump’s tactics. Raucous demonstrations designed to harass rather than to protest were called in front of the homes of Bennett and lawmakers belonging to his Yamina party. Threats against them and, in many cases, their families, were disseminated over social media.
