By Ted Belman
The CJN published an article entitled Don’t believe the cynics: Israel’s new government may be durable:
But Bennett will have leverage over his coalition partners because the two ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, will be hoping to get into government to secure funding for their communities, and especially schools linked to each party. If a party makes too many demands of Bennett, he’ll open the door to the ultra-Orthodox parties. This will be especially useful to him if events in the settlements, the West Bank, or Gaza, motivate him to jettison his coalition allies on the left.
Bennet has already allowed for this possibility in the coalition agreements.
Shas and UTJ have 16 seats. Ra’am and Meretz have 10 seats.. Should the exchange happen, then this government will become stable for the full term. Lapid would be happy to carry on after Bennett.
Author forgets to mention Iran. Ganz conveniently says he will keep conflict with Biden over Iran behind closed doors but he actually flew to Washington in 2015 to speak in support of the JCPOA! Since it will be all behind closed doors, nobody will know what he is doing. And the most irreversible thing is the Muslims changing the facts on the ground in the Negev and presumably in Area C, as well, while the government continues to tie the hands of Israelis who want to live there. Article also forgets to mention that the Democrats voted overwhelmingly against emergency military aid to Israel during the conflict.
Mr. Zorn they are some correct statements in what you wrote but there are many y many things incorrect such as for example only the stopping of building in Judea/Samaria. Under Gantz’s direction in part Israel is actively fighting Iran and all he was for was toning done the public rhetoric.
The government in its temporary state is unable to budget which impacts all planning for weapons, new hospitals and a myriad of other things.
The majority of Israelis are in favor of the new government and a large majority of the people no longer wanted Bibi in charge. The rating agencies have basically told Israel their credit rating was in serious jeopardy if they did not have a functioning government with a budget.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/politics/1622473790-israel-61-of-yamina-voters-unhappy-with-bennett-lapid-alliance
According to another poll I read about, yesterday or today, over 50 percent wish they could go back and change their vote to Likud.
However temporary this government, these are not concessions that can be reversed. Churchill was in office for less than a year but it was enough to carve away Jordan.
Over half of Yamina voters would change their vote to Likud, if they could, according to a recent poll.
Raam’s conditions are suspending the Kamanetz Law, normalizing illegal Bedouin settlements in the Negev, and freezing Jewish Settlement (and presumably normalization) in Yesha, are they not? Ganz has announced that if he has to choose between the fighting Iran and keeping the US as an ally, if he will go with the US. No? How broken can the government be that this is an acceptable price to pay? What do they mean when they say the government isn’t functioning? Of course, it’s functioning. Israel just fought a war for cryin out loud. Everybody’s being paid. Services are being provided. This is nonsense. Who cares if all the parties have input. You were happy enough for the US to have martial law? What’s wrong with Netanyahu being president for life or until enough of the electorate wakes up. I recall that he also held the post of Defense MInister when the intelligence was spirited out of Iran. Everybody marveled that there were no leaks. This government will be as leaky as a faucet that needs a washer and Iran will be listening.
Ted, both Bennett and Lapid have the power to include the UTJ or Shas or both into the coalition without the approval of the other coalition members. In other words Liberman or Meretz can not keep them out of the coalition.
Two things are imperative for the Bennett-Lapid government to survive first is passing a two year budget. Then the government will have decent chance to survive at least two years.
Second is bringing in the Haredi parties. This will neutralize Raam and Meretz.