The temptation to join the prime minister is clear, but a government that relies on the support of the Muslim Brotherhood risks restricting its freedom of action vis-à-vis Hamas and the Bedouin in the Negev • Opinion
The temptation of the Netanyahu coalition to join Abbas is clear.
Along with the need to frustrate its rivals and create a nucleus for a right-wing government, there seems to be a line in the Arab party's willingness to focus on civic participation instead of the defiant Palestinian national dimension.
To understand the trap, one must know the Muslim Brotherhood: it is the mother movement of Hamas, of the extremist and dangerous opposition to the al-Sisi regime in Egypt and the Hashemite regime in Jordan.
This is Erdogan's movement in Turkey and the "Islamic movement" in Israel led by Abbas.
Abbas: "I am not on the right or on the left - my public has given me a mandate to change" // Photo: Shmuel Buharis
The uniqueness of the "brothers" is usually in their dark conservatism, hostility to the West, in the anti-Semitic elements rooted in its perception.
Their main uniqueness is their ability to pretend political moderation, to establish and focus in the first stage on expanding their ranks and deepening loyalty to their organization, through an extensive welfare system for the weaker sections and intensive religious preaching ("Dawa").
Once it strikes roots and reveals its radical properties, it is already difficult to uproot.
In this way, Presidents Erdogan in Turkey and Morsi in Egypt managed to catch Obama's eye.
This is how the Islamic "Mujahideen" led by Ahmad Yassin managed to establish himself in Gaza in the 1980s, until he discovered his violent nature at the end of that decade.
A government that relies on the support or avoidance of the "brothers" risks restricting its freedom of action, especially in two critical areas: in the face of Hamas in Gaza and in the face of the Bedouin's violent takeover of the northern Negev.
Abbas supporters come mainly from the Bedouin in the south and their neighborhoods in Israeli cities, where they maintain the tribal structure.
The strengthening of its movement is also dangerous for the modernization and openness of Arab society in Israel.
Recognizing the government's dependence on its support may further degrade the personal security of Negev residents.
This danger will intensify immeasurably, if and when Hamas takes over Judea and Samaria as well.
In such a case, a continuum of "Muslim Brotherhood" will be created between the Jordan, through the Negev and Gaza, to the Mediterranean.
For those who think that their support can be relied on "only once", it is worth mentioning those who hoped "only once" to take out a loan on the gray market.