At the end of a week in which blue and white and new hope were announced for the unification of forces, Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Trooper, who was one of the negotiators who formulated the agreement, reveals in an interview with "Israel Today" some of what was done behind the scenes
"Actually, this story is very old. Already a year ago, in the 'Wall Guard' area, when it looked like there was no government and going to a fifth election because Bennett said a change government was out of the question, Gideon and Benny considered running together," Trooper says of the time they were sown The seeds of union.
"We then sat a group of people in a small circle, my son, Gideon and I, to think what it would look like in terms of content, I'm more concerned with content. We did not reach the stage of placements then, but it was clear to both that "In recent months, when the government began to falter, the option was back on the table. From the moment the government fell, we accelerated it."
"Agree on 90 percent of things"
What did you talk about in the content negotiations?
"It was Ronen Aviani and I on behalf of Gantz, and Elkin on behalf of Gideon. Aviani is more in the worlds of positions, roles, decision-making mechanism, what will be written on the ballot paper. In the content world I found out that this partnership, There is a year on the agenda in one sense or another - we see value in connecting the state center with the wall of the state right.
"Too long the edges set the tone. We try to produce that whoever sets the tone of the next government will be the Israeli center, the Israeli majority. We see value in the unique frequency of blue and white, of stateliness, of political connections that express the connections that should be within Israeli society." .
How do you fit in right-left issues?
"We spent a lot of hours finding out the political-security issue. Not because it's most important, but because there we wanted to find out we could go together. "This greatly facilitated the negotiations, because we have seen that in all matters of economy, welfare and health we are very close. In all matters of strengthening governance, fighting crime in Arab society. These are the issues that concern the citizens in their daily lives."
"Relatives on many issues."
Bnei Gantz and Gideon Saar, Photo: Yossi Zeliger
What are the gaps?
"In the long run there is a difference in Saar and Gantz's dreams on the political issue. I guess Saar would want sovereignty in parts of Judea and Samaria, maybe outside the settlement blocs there is a different approach, and Gantz might want to enter into broader political negotiations with the Palestinians in the long run, but both understand "In the foreseeable future, there is no annexation on the agenda and no two countries on the agenda. Therefore, we have invested, because we do not want to get into a quarrel over the theory, but to deal with the broad agreements that are now in the foreseeable future."
But there are issues that are also life itself, like construction in the settlements.
“You know, do not go down to the level of MTA (Supreme Planning Board) dates in negotiations.
Gantz's MTA convention this year was the largest gathering that has taken place here in recent years. Both Saar and Gantz live in the pragmatic space. This he will continue to do with broad discretion according to the political and security situation.
"Our position in blue and white is to strengthen within the settlement blocs, outside the building blocs by natural multiplication. Our key position is that I choose not to be a slave of ten percent of disagreements. For too many years it has run us and the entire Israeli discourse. "The agreements are for responsible leaders, so they will know how to solve the problems. We want to make a transition from resolving the conflict out of the question, to reducing the conflict. That is what interests us."
"Partnership with Netanyahu - will not happen"
Do you also disqualify Netanyahu as an alternate prime minister?
"Both Saar and Benny were burned by Netanyahu. We have already reached out to Netanyahu, and an outstretched hand has not met a sister's hand, so that will not happen. I do not want their whole worldview to shrink to 'Yes Bibi not Bibi.' "There is no interest in humiliating him. There are a lot of Israelis who support Netanyahu and they are no less excellent Israelis than those who vote for me, and I want to cooperate with them. But we were burned.
What is the political vision of this union? Because it does not converge in numbers.
"This connection has the potential to get us out of the political tangle. Ganz is the most accepted figure in the political field. He can break the blocks. It will not be easy, I am not building coalitions now. It will depend on the numbers that will be."
The lesson we learned from the government is that if there are not enough seats - it does not work. Why should Lapid not be prime minister? He has more seats than you.
"The number of seats is important. I want to form a government of at least 61, I want a wider government. Netanyahu has many seats, but he has not been able to form a government four times already. On the other hand, Ganz will not want to be prime minister just because a political constellation has been formed. "He does not want to be prime minister with a single-digit number of seats, he does not believe in that. He wants to reach that position with public legitimacy, that is why we are aiming for a double-digit number of seats."
"Rejects Ben Gvir's Racist Attitudes"
You rule out the edges. who are they?
"We want to form a government with everyone who accepts Jewish and democratic, and those who do not hold racist positions. Those who do not accept Jewish and democratic are the common ones, and those who hold racist positions are Itamar Ben Gvir."
Will you join Matan Kahana?
"Matan is an excellent man. There is closeness in positions, I do not know if it will mature, it will be tested in the coming weeks. Until now we have been busy with the great connection."
Will the ultra-Orthodox come with you to a government headed by Ganz?
"What the ultra-Orthodox will do the day after is that they will look at the results. They also understand that they will have to recalculate their steps. They speak this language. There is also a good relationship with the Bnei Gantz, so it is entirely on the agenda."
Trooper's spirit, on unity and connections, is also expressed in his actions in the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
Trooper has implemented a huge project of "Israeli Shabbat", a project in which more than 100 museums and heritage sites are open for free throughout the country every Shabbat, even in religious places you can walk to them.
Tens of thousands of people come to these sites on weekends.
"Saturday has unfortunately become a day of quarrels, so we want it to be a day of content and heritage. There is a museum in Rishon LeZion in front of a synagogue.
The director of the museum says that people finish a prayer and enter the museum with the tallit.
And seculars are coming too. "
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