On Simchat Torah, we dance in laps, in circles. Anyone who has tried to integrate into these circles knows the scenario - he enters a small circle, immediately more dancers join and he finds himself in the expanding circle and outward. Even when he tries to enter the limited circle again, and more dancers enter again, he will again find himself in an outer circle and outward.
Simchat Torah 2023 has become a national day of mourning, dancing from the inner circle and being pushed out are the best allegory of what happens in attempts to form an emergency government. Everyone is struggling to stay inside and afraid of being pushed out.
Even before diving into the details, one thing must be said clearly: the fact that until this writing no emergency government has been formed, or established after more than two days, in case that is what happened - is a disgrace. Another failure in the chain of defaults.
The IDF's retaliatory fire after the anti-tank fire at the Avivim outpost, yesterday
The State of Israel at this time needs an emergency government. Regardless of the question of a place in the cabinet (or in a smaller forum), the possibility of entering the decision-making intersection and the portfolios and powers, an emergency government must be established in order to convey to the residents of the State of Israel cohesion in leadership, as well as a sense of security for those who do not trust the Netanyahu government.
An emergency government also signals to enemies that the leadership works as one powerful iron fist.
Car destroyed by missile strike in Ashkelon, yesterday, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Who will be pushed out?
And now for the details. In order to understand them, the concepts need to be put in order: a security cabinet consists of 11 participants, including the prime minister and the ministers of defense, justice, foreign affairs, interior, finance, internal security, strategic issues, energy, agriculture and transportation, and has legal force and powers.
A small forum formerly known as the "kitchenette" or "the octet" is the forum Netanyahu consults with during the day in countless operational and immediate activities. He currently includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who work with the professional bodies (NSC, chief of staff, head of the Shin Bet, head of Mossad).
Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot want to be on a small team and try to keep it as small as possible so that it will be efficient and effective. Gantz does not name Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, nor does he specify the number of participants he would like to see in the small team, but it is quite clear that he is referring to them. In Gantz's view, the kitchenette should include Netanyahu, Galant, Gantz and Eisenkot and another minister that Netanyahu chooses, in the hope or assumption that it will be Ron Dermer, leaving Smotrich and Ben-Gvir out.
Gantz says he is not seeking to cancel the cabinet action, and therefore there should be no harm to the two. In addition, according to the proposal, Netanyahu would still have a majority in the small forum.
Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot (archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Trying to build a new cabinet?
Netanyahu's delay in conveying the answer stems from the fact that he is busy waging the war and also because of concern among his partners, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, who are unwilling to find themselves outside the small circle of decision makers. Government sources claim that Gantz is not coming with clean hands – that he is trying to build a new cabinet, a cabinet that has no legal powers, and claim that removing the finance minister from the decision-making process is illogical. Netanyahu's proposal is to enter an emergency government in the Begin format during the Six-Day War – entry into the government and influence in the cabinet.
Avigdor Lieberman, who also expressed his intention to enter an emergency government, said yesterday: "There must be a public commitment by the prime minister that the elimination of Hamas, the heads of Hamas and the end of the era of an arrangement are acceptable to him and that these are the goals of the current conflict. A minute later, I and the Yisrael Beiteinu faction join the coalition."
Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich (archive), photo: Yehuda Peretz
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