Like a terminally ill patient who defies a doctor’s predictions, the Bennett-Lapid government has held together for a year, and almost managed not to destroy what Netanyahu achieved.
Like a terminally ill patient who defied doctors’ predictions, Lapid and Bennett are rounding out a year in office. From the prime minister down, the sense is that the end could come at any time. Meanwhile, willpower and miracles are keeping the patient alive, for who knows how long.
In these difficult political conditions, the “feudal government” is seeing not inconsiderable successes. Much of these rest on Netanyahu’s time in office, like the quiet in the Gaza Strip since Operation Guardian of the Walls, the improved economic situation, the low prices of energy (Yuval Steinitz gets the praise for that one), Israel’s freedom of action in Syria and – according to foreign reports – in Iran, and of course the Abraham Accords. Lapid and Bennett have barely ruined any of these. Here and there, they managed to make improvements.
The enormous advantage they enjoy is a very supportive American administration. Biden, like other western states, insofar as they have time for us while the war in Europe is going one – was afraid Netanyahu would come back. Popular wisdom has it that the Right can make peace, and the Left can fight wars. It’s relatively easy for Bennett and Lapid to build in Judea and Samaria, approve the flag dance at Damascus Gate, stop the opening of a US consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, hook settlement outposts up to the electricity grid, etc. With a record like that, this is no Left.
But of course, we aren’t talking about a right-wing government, either. Bennett, Lapid, Gantz, and Herzog all held visits with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, the PA, the UAE, and others. Maybe they naively thought that they were preventing terrorism, but the ineffectuality led to the opposite result – a wave of terrible attacks. The roots of the wave lie in the even more serious malady of this government – its members.
When the coalition includes figures from the Muslim Brotherhood who support terrorism, “the Palestinian struggle,” who reject our right to exist in Israel, oppose visits by Jews to the Temple Mount, and when the government allocates billions to a sector most of whose leaders don’t even see themselves as Israeli – it’s no wonder that the genie of terrorism has escaped the bottle. Jewish weakness signals to Arab terrorism. This is the way it’s always been.
On the other hand, in light of this fundamental flaw, the current government is the first one to recognize how serious a problem the country has with Arab Israeli governability. Glossing over the problem, which was neglected for years, is no longer an option, and that’s good. The steps take thus far are the first ones, but they are important, both for the Jews and the Arabs.
There are other hints of positive action: raising the retirement age for women, integrating Haredim into the workforce, easing regulation and imports, raising soldiers’ salaries, laying optic fibers, the issue of religion and state, and more.
However, many reforms are stalled, and some will do harm in the long term. The cost of real estate and food is sky-high. The education minister is contributing to future generations’ illiteracy. The transportation minister is busy with politics and gender, and not in command of the field. These are damages we will only feel years from now.
In terms of how the government is functioning, its report card isn’t too bad. Still, there is nothing in it to redeem this government’s original sin – the lie on which it is based.
Bennett duped his voters and his partners. He still isn’t able to look them in the eye, and he won’t be redeemed. Lapid broke the promises he made for years, simply to oust Bibi.
Was it worth it? It doesn’t look like it. The public, according to polls, is unenthusiastic, the political crisis is still here, and the country is in chaos. We can’t go on like this. But a year into this government, the Opposition should learn the lesson that it apparently won’t be able to form a different government, with or without elections. The outrage at losing power is understandable. But anger, as we know, isn’t a working plan.
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