Stressed and defensive: the loneliness of Netanyahu VI Israel today

A month into his sixth government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week provided a glimpse into his political situation.

The panicked press conference he called together with three senior ministers in his government - Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Economy Minister Nir Barkat - during which everyone spoke for a long time, but no new economic news for the citizens of Israel was heard, reflected the pressure Netanyahu is under in the face of warnings The senior economists in relation to the consequences of the legal reform.

Faced with a letter from 270 senior economists, some of whom were even appointed to public positions by Netanyahu, and the Bank of Israel governor's warning that the legal reform raises concerns about Israel's credit rating - Netanyahu and his ministers came forward to try to reassure and explain that the reform will not harm the economy.

Minister Smotrich and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the press conference, photo: Yonatan Zindel/Flash 90

Netanyahu and Smotrich explained why an excess of legalization is choking the economy, and Cohen was recruited to say that leaders from around the world do not express concerns about the reform to him, but it is the feeling of pressure and panic that stood out even more strongly than the excess words that were heard from the ministers' mouths.

It was evident that the leaders of the judiciary, the academy and the demonstrations failed to hit Netanyahu's sensitive point, as the economists and the protest of the high-tech industry did.

In response to a question from one of the journalists, Netanyahu's isolation from the professional ranks was also revealed: the Prime Minister was asked about the fact that even Eugene Kendall, who was his economic advisor, signed the economists' letter against the legal reform.

Netanyahu admitted that he appreciates some of his critics at the professional level and that they are worthy, but told how over the years he was not afraid of an argument with important professional levels.

Even among the jurists and senior academics, Netanyahu and Levin find themselves alone in the battle.

The clarification government: Jewish identity versus liberalism

Senior jurists, former judges, academics and former justice ministers come to the hearings of the Knesset Constitution Committee to protest the reform, while the number of senior jurists who publicly support the reform is significantly smaller.

Even Raz Nazri, the former Deputy Ombudsman, who is considered to be identified with the conservative side and whose opinion was lenient with regard to the indictments filed against Netanyahu, offered a compromise in the pages of the "Globes" newspaper, writing: "As long as the plan is fully implemented, it will be closer to a destructive revolution than to reform essential".

Governor Amir Yaron, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

In response to professional loneliness, Netanyahu and his partners constantly remind themselves and the public that the majority of the people, 64 seats, supports the government's actions, and that majority rule is the basic principle of democracy.

Contrary to the opposition's claims, there is no doubt that the right-wing public very much wanted a comprehensive reform of the judicial system, and knew about the general direction of the government it had chosen.

Along with the pressure from outside, Netanyahu is also dealing with problems at home.

The tension between the desire of his partners to strengthen the Jewish identity of the country in the face of Netanyahu's liberal nature, and the desire to also maintain a balance with the moderate Likud voters and the general secular public, caused the Prime Minister to issue two clarifications just this week regarding the issues of religion and state.

After Minister Miki Zohar's announcement that he would stop subsidizing activities on Shabbat, Netanyahu clarified that the Ministry of Culture will continue to budget for those activities as usual.

After the publication in "Israel Hayom" about Gafni's law for separate bathing hours in the springs of the Nature and Parks Authority, Likud clarified that the situation at the RTG sites will not change.

These clarifications join Netanyahu's announcements during the coalition negotiations against Struck and Rothman, against the background of their statements in favor of the discrimination law, which will allow business owners not to provide services to certain populations for religious reasons. , the conscription law, amending the grandson section and stating that gender segregation in religious events will not be considered discrimination by law - these are just some of the issues anchored in the coalition agreements.

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