Former Minister Haim Ramon Predicts Netanyahu Will Lose Next Israeli Election

Former Israeli minister Haim Ramon stated on 103fm radio that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to lose the upcoming elections. Ramon opened by asserting, "Netanyahu will not be prime minister after the next elections." He explained his reasoning, predicting that the Arab parties will secure between 12 and 15 seats following a unified list excluding Abbas. Ramon said neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition will reach the 61-seat majority threshold, leading to a minority government supported externally by Arab parties and possibly some internal support.

Ramon expressed hope that the minority government would be led by a non-Netanyahu figure, suggesting former military chief Gadi Eizenkot as a possible leader. He also predicted that Netanyahu would retire if he loses power. Ramon criticized the opposition for lacking a clear ideological and value-based alternative, noting that in 2019 he urged Blue and White party members to present a strong stance against Hamas, which he claimed Netanyahu viewed as an asset.

He added that during the past decade, Netanyahu's ideological rivals have adopted positions similar to his on Gaza, supporting separation from the West Bank, and have only opposed Netanyahu personally rather than his policies. Ramon also criticized the prosecution involved in Netanyahu's trial but did not elaborate further.