For the past two weeks, members of the state camp, headed by Benny Gantz, have been excluding themselves from government meetings on Sundays. If the first time the excuse "schedule matters" was given and accepted, the second time it happened - yesterday - it was hard to believe that the entire trio could not free up their time in favor of a security review and various votes on the agenda of the country they volunteered to participate in its administration during the war.
It's no big secret that the chairman of the state camp is already calculating the end of his partnership in the government backwards. Against the background of the plans to move on to the next phase of the war and the desire of members of the state camp not to stay for the battles of the 2024 budget, the coming month is expected to be the climax and end of Gantz's brief partnership in the right-wing government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Benny Gantz. Looking for an exit point, photo: Haim Tzach/GPO
The man joined the cabinet and waged war for joint purposes, feels less comfortable being photographed with the ministers of Likud, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism, and discusses weekly national issues.
In this way, he tries to keep all his theoretical supporters in polls happy: those who support accepting responsibility for the conduct of the war through active participation, and those who are disgusted with the current government. A foot here, a foot there.
In order to maintain such a large number of seats, as befits a centrist party, Gantz should try to dance on every expansion. Being photographed with Netanyahu while waging war - adds support, being photographed alongside Goldknopf and Regev - detracts.
Saar's Differentiation, Barkat's Campaign
Those who are actually careful to differentiate themselves from Gantz's farewell moves to the government are people of New Hope, who attend government meetings during these two weeks and make sure to be seen and heard. Sa'ar has worked to differentiate himself from the centrist party in an attempt to be accepted back into the lap of the right, and the way there also passes through the places he chooses to be – in meetings with Netanyahu and in government meetings.
Gantz will not leave the government because of the fallen and the continuation of the war operations in Gaza, but if the plans of the military echelon are realized (and given the relative quiet on the northern front), the state camp is expected to announce an exit towards the end of winter.
Gideon Saar. Directed right, photo: None
The one still campaigning is Minister Nir Barkat, whose criticism of Netanyahu's conduct in the war was leaked in full, as well as text messages party members received last night praising Barkat for "showing courageous leadership."
If there were those who attributed only Ben-Gvir's conduct on the eve of elections, it is enough to glance right and left to reveal similar buds from all sides. Israel is not yet on the way to elections, the members of the original government have no interest at the moment, but two of its members can roll the ball: Gantz and Ben-Gvir, and both are in a starting position, just before "cooking" the goal.
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