Netanyahu's political future hangs in a balance

Israelis will return to the polls in September 2019 after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to put together a coalition government following the April elections. While no doubt weakened, Netanyahu has bounced back many times before. Much will depend on the Israeli electorate, but for the first time, the political battle will take place not between the centre and extreme-right but within the extreme-right camp, between the secular right and the religious right. While this is unlikely to have important effects on Israeli foreign policy or the Occupation, it may well have a healthy impact on Israeli politics, forcing the Israeli electorate to face up to long-dormant internal tensions within Israeli society and the country's difficult balancing act between religion and politics.