{
  "id": 6436282,
  "title": "The cracks in Netanyahu's right-wing fortress",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/the-cracks-in-netanyahus-right-wing-fortress",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T15:29:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2026/09/1529319/cracks-netanyahus-right-wing-fortress"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is striving to unite Israel's right-wing parties ahead of a crucial election on October 27. The veteran politician, who has served as the nation's premier for the longest tenure in history, is seeking a record seventh term. However, opinion polls suggest that his nationalist-religious coalition faces a high likelihood of defeat. Netanyahu has been advocating for his allies to merge their candidate lists and boost their prospects of securing parliamentary seats. So far, only partial success has been achieved. The prime minister emphasized the importance of unity, stating, \"When we unite, we win. When we splinter, we lose.\" In a recent interview, he expressed his efforts to bring the parties together, mirroring his approach in the previous election. However, despite his best efforts, Netanyahu faces significant challenges. No single party has ever won an outright majority in Israel's 120-seat Knesset, the nation's parliament, necessitating coalition governments. To achieve this, parties must surpass a 3.25 percent vote threshold, equivalent to four seats. Smaller parties risk garnering votes without gaining representation. Latest polls indicate that Netanyahu's Likud party might lose a third of its parliamentary power, potentially retaining only 20-23 seats. For Netanyahu to form a coalition, his allies, including far-right Jewish Power and Religious Zionism parties, must remain in power. Religious Zionism, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has seen a decline in polling, ranging from zero to six seats, down from seven. Smotrich and Netanyahu have merged their lists, but National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has opposed Netanyahu's proposal for his Jewish Power party to run with Religious Zionism. Ben-Gvir argues that the parties would be stronger if they ran separately. Another concern for Netanyahu is the emergence of political newcomer Ofer Winter, a right-wing former brigadier-general. Winter has rejected calls to merge his party with others and insists on running independently, potentially drawing votes from disillusioned right-wingers seeking change. The parliamentary system delivered a decisive victory for Netanyahu in the 2022 election, when a fragmented center-left coalition was swept aside by a united right-wing alliance. However, Netanyahu's hawkish image was tarnished by his inability to prevent the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and subsequent wars in Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon, which yielded military successes but no lasting outcomes. Political analyst Amotz Asa-El notes that Netanyahu faces a formidable challenge, likening him to an Israeli counterpart of John F. Kennedy in his early political career. Now, he is akin to the aging American President Joe Biden.",
  "summary": "PRIME Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to consolidate Israel’s fractious right-wing parties ahead of a Tuesday deadline to avoid an election loss forecast by opinion polls.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}