The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be put on the back-burner by Israel’s nascent coalition as it looks to find “compromises” that can unite its disparate factions, a close ally of the prime minister-in-waiting has said.

George Birnbaum, an adviser to Naftali Bennett who planned his March 2021 election campaign, said the right-wing leader was a “very practical thinker” who is prepared to set aside his own goals if it will hold the government together.

The coalition is poised to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister, in what is hoped to mark the end of a two-year political crisis.

But the government will need to depend on support from across the political spectrum, including Left-wingers and a small but crucial Arab party representing Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Many of Mr Bennett’s favourite policies, such as annexing swathes of the West Bank and expanding Israel’s settlements, are anathema to the leadership of Ra’am, which is set to become the first Arab party to join an Israeli government.

“I think that will be the desire, to put it on the back-burner for now to try and stabilise Israel economically coming out of the Covid pandemic,” Mr Birnbaum said. 

“The desire of all parties, at least for the time being, is to focus on the things they can agree on, find a compromise on, and try and keep those issues to the side, and leave them for the next government after the next election.”

A ceasefire has held in Gaza since May 21, following the deaths of more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, and the US said it is eager to reopen peace talks.  

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]