The Amsalem drama - behind the scenes: the conversation with Gallant, the stuffed animals - and the breached agreement with Netanyahu Israel today

Wednesday two weeks ago.

noon.

These days are the days of the division of cases in Likud.

Dodi Amsalem's phone rings, one of his close friends in the party, Yoav Galant, is on the line.

"Uncle, I'm coming to you," Gallant announced.

Amsalem tried to understand what happened, Gallant claimed it was a "face to face" conversation and set off.

Amsalem, like Amsalem, managed to open a table that included a pot of stuffed animals and piles of salads and the two sat down to eat.

At some point in the conversation, the slap came: "Netanyahu sent me to tell you not to be Knesset speaker, and that is not subject to negotiation," said Galant. Amsalem was still trying to understand why his friend would suddenly volunteer for such a task. Galant did think he was doing a good deed when he was the one found To support his friend, Amsalem was disappointed, and the meeting ends in a cold and cloudy atmosphere. Since then, the two - how to put it mildly - communicate less.

At six o'clock in the evening Amsalam was summoned to a meeting with Netanyahu.

At five o'clock he already heard on the news broadcasts that the position of Knesset Speaker was given to Emir Ohana. Amsalem is hurt. So hurt. Not only by the fact that he didn't get a position, but mostly by the way. He feels humiliated and above all cheated.

Amsalem's attack // Photo: Yair Levy, Haderi Haredim

Why cheated?

One of the questions that Likud voters have also been asking themselves in the last two weeks is why Amsalem put forward what could become the movie "The Ultimatum That Stuck Me".

Why did Amsalem have to designate only two positions - Speaker of the Knesset and Minister of Justice - and limit himself and the possibilities that would be in front of him?

Well, it turns out that the ultimatum in question was not against Netanyahu, but even for him.

And what's more, Netanyahu also knew about the ultimatum and even supported it.

As I recall, Amsalem made the ultimatum in an interview with Channel 13 two months before the elections.

These days are days of campaigns and presentation of programs of the various parties, Ben Gvir and Smotrich talk about the legal program.

Ben Gvir is starting to gain momentum, with the main concern in Likud being that their voters will stay at home and not go to the polls.

Amsalam with Netanyahu, photo: Oren Ben Hakon (archive)

Amsalem coordinated with Netanyahu to focus the election campaign on the legal issue close to Amsalem's heart and even closer to the hearts of the Likudniks - and that is what he did.

The Likudniks liked it and went out to vote.

When the elections were over and it was time to pay, Amsalem was sure that the silent agreement between the two would be respected.

From the first meeting he came away with an understanding that he was the next speaker of the Knesset. Netanyahu told him that as speaker of the Knesset they would have to sit together every week and be the best of friends.

Amsalem agreed and left smiling.

Precisely because of this the blow that came a few days later was even harder, and the speech last Friday focused mainly on the way it was done and the humiliation.

Insiders on both sides are confident that the story has a happy ending.

Amsalam, he is not just flesh of the Likud but he is the real Likud, they claim.

However, unlike in the past, when MKs expressed displeasure about the distribution of cases, cases were kept for them as long as they wanted. This time the cases were divided, and the solution will have to be particularly creative.

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