On Sunday evening, a surprising invitation landed on my WhatsApp and that of the other political reporters.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called us for a briefing.
The conversation took place yesterday (Monday) at noon and Bennett actually reviewed the year in which he served as prime minister.
He did not hint at her intent to retire, but when I recount his two-hour conversation, it was clear that her purpose was to summarize his chapter in the role.
In retrospect she also had a lot of clues that he was at the end of his path.
Last night, Bennett claimed that the decision to disband the government was made only yesterday afternoon, when it became clear to him that there was no way to save it.
Even if he is telling the truth in this matter, it is clear that the idea to unpack the package had been brewing in him before.
Naftali Bennett.
Hardly survived a year in office, Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO
Those who were the political hope of the ideological right are now joining the club of prime ministers who barely survived a year in office: Moshe Sharet and Ehud Barak.
But unlike the latter, Bennett does not leave behind scorched earth, quite the contrary.
His political conduct was terrible.
The management of state affairs, however, was overall successful.
He messed with the wave of the omicron and made a serious mistake about moving the prime minister's residence to Raanana.
But he stood by his principles vis-à-vis the Americans, put his hands deep into the mud of the island of governance, trained Hamas to remain silent for a while, stuck heels in the international arena and demonstrated creativity vis-à-vis Iran and other issues.
He did it all with six, then five, then four and then two seats.
From the distance of the years, I dare say, his priesthood - to which some claim he came by deception, will be remembered as positive.
Pull the rope without tearing it
Even if he does not retire from political life, Bennett is now moving aside.
He turns the arena into a frontal battle between Netanyahu and Yair Lapid, head to head.
The two will lead a divided Israel to the fifth election.
Both are determined, both are charged, both are gifted with sharp rhetorical ability, both are champions at basking in the heat.
And that's exactly what's scary.
Netanyahu and Lapid.
The responsibility falls on their shoulders, Photo: Mark Israel Salem
Netanyahu and Lapid have a supreme responsibility to bring the people of Israel after these elections when they are not dismantled from within.
They must silence extremists, come out without excuses against any kind of verbal violence, and above all avoid steps that could tear this nation to pieces - the defendant's law for example or stopping Netanyahu's trial without legal means.
Both Lapid and Netanyahu are intelligent enough to recognize the arguments of the other side.
It is their absolute responsibility to pull the rope but to such an extent that it will not be torn.
As the outgoing Prime Minister said yesterday, the most important thing is to "save the baby."
Were we wrong?
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