Netanyahu’s shadow starts to recede in Israel
An unlikely coalition is surpassing expectations. But a crucial vote looms
THE PARALLEL-UNIVERSE politics that played out in Jerusalem this month were unusual, even for a holy city full of surprises. In the real Jerusalem on October 10th, Naftali Bennett, Israel’s prime minister (pictured), was glad-handing Germany’s outgoing chancellor, Angela Merkel, by welcoming her to a special session of his cabinet. In the otherworldly Jerusalem, Mr Bennett’s predecessor, Binyamin Netanyahu, was holding court with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the son-in-law and daughter of America’s ex-president, Donald Trump, and Mike Pompeo, his last secretary of state. It was as if the video had been wound back to 2020, before voters evicted them all from power.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Bibi’s long bye-bye”
From the October 30th 2021 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
Turkey is determined to expand its influence in the new Syria
That could cause tensions with the Arab world—and Israel
The start of a fragile truce in Gaza offers relief and joy
But the ceasefire is not yet the end of the war
West African booze is becoming a luxury product
Female entrepreneurs are leading the charge
The Trump effect could upend the Middle East
Will Israel and Donald Trump use the threat of annexation to secure a new grand bargain?
After 15 months of hell, Israel and Hamas sign a ceasefire deal
Donald Trump provided the X factor by putting heat on Binyamin Netanyahu, who insists the war isn’t over yet
A hidden refuge in Sudan that the internet, banks—and war—can’t reach
A visit to the Nuba mountains provides a glimpse into the future of the country