The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

The War of Independence: The formation of the new government gets complicated Israel today

2022-11-17T13:05:01.247Z


Netanyahu has not yet sat down in the prime minister's chair and the pressures from Washington have already begun, the main of which is to deny Smotrich the position of defense minister.


The members of the outgoing government left a difficult legacy to the incoming one.

They drilled the stew, but their replacements will be forced to eat from it.

Two international "mines" on an unprecedented scale, which may dramatically affect Israel's foreign relations, will be at the top of the political agenda for Netanyahu and his new ministers: the decision at the United Nations to investigate Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, and the decision by the US federal agency to investigate the case The killing of the journalist Shirin Abu-Aqla.

The doubt is not bad for Yair Lapid and the heads of the left-wing parties in the coalition, who have been warning for years that Netanyahu will worsen relations with the US and the world. In the end, it happened on their watch. They are one-two-two abandoning the arena, and the one who will be forced to bring the solution is Netanyahu.

This is, of course, in addition to an economic crisis and a security crisis.

The deadly attack near Ariel, just before the swearing in of the Knesset, is part of our everyday reality in recent months, and it seems that the appetite of the terrorists is only growing.

The result this time was tragic and unbearably difficult, but the attempts and motivation are in the space every day in the last months.

The government policy, led by Bennett, then Lapid, along with Benny Gantz, is mainly a lack of hands and a wrong conception of strengthening Abu Mazen, instead of putting him and his authority on the list of terrorist organizations.

The biggest fear on the right is that the diplomatic threat will worsen the situation on the ground.

Instead of a hand of attacking and persistently fighting terrorism in the areas of Yish, the crushing of the terrorist-supporting authority from Ramallah, a significant increase in the scope of Jewish construction in Yish and the massive demolition of illegal Arab construction in areas B and C - the hand will be much looser.

submissive

looking to please

The contacts with the US on the cancellation of the FBI investigation could yield major concessions in the use of force, which is so necessary in the current security reality, not to mention the training of the young settlement and the granting of building permits in the West Bank, things that Smotrich and Ben-Gvir committed to their voters at every possible opportunity.

Not to mention the difficulty of Netanyahu appointing Smotrich at this time as Minister of Defense.

It's not enough that he himself doesn't want to, now the Americans are also vetoing it.

It is almost unfathomable, but in the political floundering of Israel in 2022, 74 years after it supposedly declared independence, the State of Israel continues to be subject to the pressures and innuendos of the US State Department like a newly founded banana republic.

The concern on the right exists mainly due to Netanyahu's past conduct, which, although he has shown many times that he is able to withstand pressure when it is important to him, he has also taught that he has no problem folding like origami when he believes this is required.

They, the political partners, want quick achievements, with a firm hand and a light finger on the trigger as they promised, but none of them is sure where Netanyahu stands on the scale between a military confrontation in YUS and a diplomatic confrontation with the Biden administration.

It is not yet clear what the future will be like, but it is already possible to point out the failures of the past.

The outgoing government - which the Speaker of the Knesset, in his retirement speech at the Knesset swearing-in ceremony, lamented that it was not recognized by the opposition - did not really function as an active government. Just as it had multiple parties, so it had multiple powers. Every minister is a king, and every party leader is his own master. This is a government that has radiated weakness since its inception, and the increase in terrorism and international pressure should be seen as a direct continuation of this.

The concept, expressed by Yair Lapid even before taking office as Prime Minister, that disputes between Israel and the US are resolved in closed rooms and not in speeches on television or in Congress, has also collapsed on the ground of reality. For two weeks Lapid and Gantz have known about the FBI investigation, but their efforts To prevent its existence put up pottery.

Now Netanyahu will have to turn the ship completely.

In his many speeches he told how he turned Israel into an economic and military power that brought the whole world to recognize its power and to want to forge ties of friendship and alliances with it.

He succeeded in the task, especially in the last term with the signing of the peace agreements with the Arab countries, but it seems that the real challenge is the one that will be laid before him now when he takes office again.

This time Trump is gone.

The way this time to return Israel to the path of power will probably go through an inevitable confrontation with the US. Whether Netanyahu is built for it or not, his partners will only find out in the coming weeks.

who is worth more

In the traditional photo of the leaders of the factions in the Chagall Lounge in the Knesset after the inauguration, Netanyahu and Smotrich stood side by side.

Smotrich whispered something to Netanyahu with a broad smile on his face, Netanyahu looked amused and responded with a broad smile as well.

But nothing could be further from the reality depicted by this pastoral image.

Only minutes before, when Netanyahu was still in his room, he poured out all his bitterness and anger on Smotrich, who in his eyes was doing to him what he did to him last time, when he prevented him from forming a government that relied on the support of Raam from outside. According to eyewitnesses, the things Netanyahu said about Smotrich They were so difficult that if they had been recorded - Smotrich's words about Netanyahu from that recording ("a liar ben a liar") would suddenly sound weak and pale, bordering on a compliment.

In those conversations, Netanyahu said that he would in no way give the security portfolio to Smotrich, the world would turn upside down.

He was willing to give the treasure, but it is currently in the hands of Deri who demands it.

After the inauguration he met with Smotrich but no real breakthrough was recorded.

There were those who recalled a similar incident this week when Netanyahu formed the government in 2009.

The right then received 65 mandates, with one of the parties being the National Union, the previous incarnation of Smotrich's religious Zionism.

In order to thwart Tzipi Livni in forming a government after Olmert's resignation, Netanyahu concluded a secret coalition agreement with Shas, even before the elections, and as a condition for overthrowing the government. The agreement was signed, and the elections began. After that, Netanyahu demanded that the agreement be respected, in the framework of which Shas received four cases including the housing portfolio.

Yaakov Katz (Katzla), chairman of the National Union, did not know about the agreement with Shas and claimed the housing for himself.

Likud explained to him that it was impossible.

They could not tell him about the secret agreement, but they informed him that his demand was not on the agenda and that he would look for another case.

Kachla insisted.

The conversation between the parties rose to high tones.

Netanyahu ordered the negotiating team to go with him with everything he wanted, but not to give up on the housing, which was promised to the Shas, even at an explosive price.

Kachla arrived at the negotiation meeting on Thursday and sat down opposite Ze'ev Elkin and Gideon Sa'ar, Netanyahu's representatives, full of fighting spirit, and announced that he would in no way give up on the housing. "M, will you continue to insist?

- Yes, Kachla replied.

Sa'ar closed the binder that was placed in front of him on the table, looked at Kachla again and said to him: In that case, we stop the negotiations and form a government without you. The two left the room, leaving the shocked Kachla alone. Ehud Barak and on Sunday they signed.

Labor was in, the National Union was left out.

In the meantime, Katzle was replaced by Smotrich.

What many asked themselves this week is whether Ehud Barak will be replaced by Benny Gantz.

The one who complicated the story quite a bit is Deri.

As long as he continues to insist on the treasury - the floundering will not end.

The problem is that Deri sees himself as the most senior partner with 11 mandates, compared to Smotrich who only has 7 mandates.

This does not convince Smotrich, who sees himself as the leader of a party with 14 seats, including Otzma Yehudit, which means that the most senior partner in this coalition is him.

If Deri is in the treasury, he says, then I am safe.

The chairman of Shas, who presents himself as a loyal partner of Netanyahu, was supposed to see what was happening in the Smotrich sector and realize that he had to give up, take the face.

Maybe even extend his powers and units of trust to a large, high-budget and influential office, and give Smotrich the treasury.

But for now Deri insists.

Contrary to the delegitimization and the blatant American intervention, Smotrich deserves to be the Minister of Defense as much as anyone else.

Moreover, the American pressure against his appointment is enough to immediately swear him into office and show the person in the White House who is the boss in Jerusalem.

But the bewilderment about his desire to serve in the position stems from the political reason involved, and if he is convinced that he can really succeed in it.

Because from the moment he steps into Gantz's shoes, all the security troubles will fall on him.

Every terrorist attack, every security incident, every soldier who hesitates to draw his weapon - they will come to him with claims that he promised and didn't exist, that the hands of the IDF soldiers are still tied during his shift.

Every illegal house built in Area C, as long as Khan al-Ahmar stands still, and as long as the MTA (Supreme Planning Council) of the settlements does not meet, will be seen as guilty. More than Benny Gantz was caught today or any other defense minister will be caught that he be appointed from the Likud. The reason is because he promised. That is what he ran for in the elections. This was the flag he waved. That is why the results will be written on his name, and no less - the failures. If he believes that he can succeed the challenge and stay alive, that is, in political life - that his voters will cheer for him, Let him continue to insist on security. If not, he'd better give up. The expectations for him are simply too high, so there aren't many chances that he won't disappoint.

more luck than brains

A long series of political mistakes, lack of experience and a particularly brittle spine brought Benny Gantz to the new Knesset with only six loyal MKs, including him. The great Blue and White, which managed to challenge the Likud, to be the largest party in the Knesset for a moment and even take half of Netanyahu's power, remained Gantz and five associates: Panina Tamno-Sheta, Hili Trooper, Michael Biton, Orit Perkash and Alon Shuster. It was Eitan Ginzburg, one of the loyal members of the party, who stayed out because of the agreement Gantz signed with Gideon Sa'ar before the elections.

Gantz brought luck mainly to others and much less to himself.

Who didn't celebrate him?

Yair Lapid, Netanyahu, Bennett who overtook him in the round, Sa'ar who took out half a faction from him, and even Eisenkot who got an entrance ticket to the Knesset on his back

The elections did not produce the desired result when Sa'ar, as well as Eisenkot, did not contribute anything to the party's electorate and left Gantz in the opposition, without a position and title, and also without a faction, in what appears to be his last path in Israeli politics.

In the army, Gantz was the luckiest of the uniform wearers.

He made his way to the top not because of his talent or abilities, but only because he happened to be there.

The peak was when he was appointed Chief of Staff after the government had already approved Yoav Galant's appointment, and was forced to retract following publication of an illegal path he built in the yard of his house.

However, since entering politics, Gantz has brought luck mainly to others and much less to himself.

Who didn't celebrate him?

Yair Lapid, who reached a ruling position thanks to him after joining forces, Netanyahu, who survived a few more months in office without transferring his share of the rotation agreement, Naftali Bennett, who overtook him in the round and was appointed prime minister with 6 mandates, Gideon Sa'ar, who managed to remove half of his faction, and even Eizenkot, who received an entrance ticket to the Knesset on his back, without delivering the goods.

Sa'ar did not disobey Gantz, and very soon he will begin to manage his men according to his wishes.

Sa'ar is the one whose name is mainly credited to the overthrow of the current government.

His insistence on stating that if the YOSH regulations are not passed, "the government has no right to exist", was the first brick that was removed from the wall and after that everything already collapsed. Now Yair Lapid, if he wishes to preserve a little of his dignity as the incoming leader of the opposition, must restrain Sa'ar, as well as the other elements and crumbs of the new opposition, for some kind of cooperation that will lead to overcoming the hatred and hostility that everyone feels towards everyone, and to succeed in challenging the government, which now seems to have little chance of stopping it.

were we wrong

We will fix it!

If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2022-11-17

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.