Bennett will apparently resign soon and not run in the upcoming election as renegade lawmakers who brought down the government in hopes of joining the opposition may be left with nothing
The way Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that he was passing the torch to Yair Lapid sounded a fitting final chord to the tune the government they led has played for 375 days. They are political rivals who were wise enough to create a rare partnership, almost utopian by Israeli political standards. They began nicely and ended even better. We were as dreamers – is this Israel, or Denmark?
Just a year ago, we ushered a prime minister who set the opposite example into the opposition. Any agreement he signed was trampled on, violated and thrown into the trash a moment after the ink had dried. Benjamin Netanyahu’s swindling, thuggish behavior toward his decent, well-meaning partner, Benny Gantz, should be taught in criminology departments.
A year earlier, to avoid obeying the letter of the law and giving Gantz a chance to form a government, he forced the country into another round of elections. And since there’s no justice, this man who drags a gang of racist nationalists, ultra-Orthodox politicians, criminals and messianists in his wake – people who, like him, are determined to destroy the legal system and the rule of law – is currently in the pole position to become prime minister.
- With the government’s implosion, it’s anyone but Bibi again
- Netanyahu weaponizes inflation in his new campaign of lies
- As coalition falls, Netanyahu threatens Israeli democracy again
Bennett said he made his decision – the right one – after meeting Monday night with two of his party’s lawmakers, Ayelet Shaked and Nir Orbach. The latter made it clear that in his view, it’s over. He intended to vote on Wednesday in favor of dissolving the Knesset. Shaked urged him to wait a week. Government officials in Morocco were waiting for her. Orbach did her a favor and agreed to wait until next Wednesday – a decision he, poor guy, is doubtless cursing energetically.
Shaked took off with a quiet mind. Meanwhile, Bennett held another conversation, by phone, with Orbach. It was very vocal and emotional. After it, the prime minister began drafting what he would say in the joint announcement with Lapid.
His decency, collegiality and gentlemanly behavior toward Lapid was left by the wayside in his relations with Shaked. It’s not just the embarrassment she will face in Morocco. It’s the knowledge, which certainly shocked her, that her political career is on the brink of an abyss, and that Bennett didn’t even bother to wait a few days for her. He did this in cold blood. He called to inform her 15 minutes before he and Lapid issued their official statement, and after he had already informed the heads of the other parties in the governing coalition.
Bennett will apparently resign soon and not run in the upcoming election. He’ll await an opportunity outside of politics. Monday night, he explained his dramatic decision by a desire to avoid “chaos” for West Bank settlers when the regulations that apply Israeli law to them expire at the end of the month. That is eminently believable. He doesn’t want that catastrophe recorded under his name.
Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana, his loyal partner, will inherit the Yamina party and run at its head in the next election, or else as part of some kind of joint ticket. There are no buyers for Shaked’s merchandise. Netanyahu’s Likud party will slam the door on her. Nor can she pin her hopes on New Hope; that party isn’t enthusiastic about her, either. Perhaps her race for the gold is over (though it’s impossible to know; politics holds many surprises).
As for New Hope, a lot of spin about it has been thrown into the political air in recent weeks. There were even so-called scoops about party leader Gideon Sa’ar being in talks with Netanyahu about forming an alternative government.
But Sa’ar has no intention of sitting with Netanyahu – not in this Knesset, and not in the next one, should Netanyahu form the next government. His slogan from the 2021 election – “Anyone who wants Netanyahu shouldn’t vote for me” – will be replaced in the 2022 election with the following: “I won’t be the one who brings Netanyahu back.”
Really, why should his position change? Has the man in question changed? Does he not still seek to halt his trial, even at the cost of destroying the entire system? Has he moderated? Has he become more statesmanlike? Less of a liar? Has he not set new records for inciting against, smearing and declaring open season on his rivals over the last year?
The disgustingness the political system sank into in recent weeks when a gang of parliamentary grasshoppers lacking any substance or repute dictated the pace and nature of events, will now come to an end. Orbach will be left without anything, his soul-searching ending as a farce. The most famous mortgage in the country is in danger. Idit Silman, who caused the election, was promised a guaranteed slot on the Likud slate. We’ll see what her fate is in light of the expected massacre there in the party primary. Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi and Mazen Ghanayim will disappear from our lives, she will return to Nof Hagalil and he to Sakhnin. We won’t miss them.
As for Likud: For the first time in three years, and four rounds of elections, the party will be forced to hold a primary again for its Knesset slate – and also for party chairman. Yuli Edlestein promised to run against Netanyahu. His chances, to be polite, are not good. According to the system in Likud, about a third of the slate will not be reelected. In addition, old new candidates are expected to join the national primary list: Danny Danon and Gilad Erdan, the first a former ambassador to the UN and the latter is still serving there.
Netanyahu could very well try to form an alternative government in the present Knesset, but the chances are poor – as long as New Hope is not in the game. Numerically, he could reach 61 lawmakers with parts of some parties and individual lawmakers, but that is not how you build a wall. Such a government would be a sort of temporary solution, until a new election is set.
In the center-left camp, or in its alternative name the “anyone but Bibi camp” – the opening situation is problematic. Meretz, after the Zoabi trauma, is shuddering. New Hope has only four seats in most of the polls. It looks like there will be new players, Gadi Eisenkot for example, one of the most decent, moral and modest IDF chiefs of staff. He will most likely join Yesh Atid as the number 2 of the camp’s candidate for prime minister. Lapid earned this role honestly over the past year, and with the concessions he made on the way to forming the present government.
@Sebastien
Nice analysis. I am not sure what it was that created the rift between Bibi and those two, but whatever it was, it drove them towards a project that has been quite damaging and they will bear the consequences with having betrayed their voters with their experiment.
@Reader I think Bibi’s actions were reasonable from the explanation given. They failed to meet the electoral threshold and they have had their differences. He can appoint whoever he wants. It’s not an entitlement.
They got their start working for him. I wonder what caused all the earlier splits. Clearly, they have only remained loyal to each other. They also split from Jewish Home for reasons that made sense but their lack of personal loyalty doesn’t inspire any in others.
Reposting:
Reader
June 24, 2022 at 7:01 pm
@Sebastien Zorn
I addressed that to both of you. They weren’t all on this thread and can’t find them all. Doesn’t matter who said what. I think drooling was yours.
You owe both Edgar and me an apology.
When you address an accusation to both of us, you imply that we both wrote those things, and it DOES matter who said what.
I reiterate – I have NEVER said any of those words, especially “drooling” in any of my posts, and I don’t recall Edgar using most of them.
Edgar used “pick up” and “revealing” in his last post in a totally different context having nothing to do with anyone’s appearance, in fact, it is YOU who seems not to be able “to get over the fact that she is pretty”.
“Stream of consciousness” is not a Freudian term, I think you meant “Freudian slip”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freudian_slip
Shaked DID make a very good Justice Minister, and, in fact, after I’ve just read more about her, I found out that our views are the same, and GUESS WHAT?
It was NETANYAHU who ended her career as a Justice Minister (as one of his “adroit tricks” before the next election):
A nice piece of info for those who still think about “Beebee” as being “right wing” and caring about “the Jewish character of Israel”.
Shaked must be pretty desperate and/or naive to rush into the same trap.
@Sebastien Zorn
You owe both Edgar and me an apology.
When you address an accusation to both of us, you imply that we both wrote those things, and it DOES matter who said what.
I reiterate – I have NEVER said any of those words, especially “drooling” in any of my posts, and I don’t recall Edgar using most of them.
Edgar used “pick up” and “revealing” in his last post in a totally different context having nothing to do with anyone’s appearance, in fact, it is YOU who seems not to be able “to get over the fact that she is pretty”.
“Stream of consciousness” is not a Freudian term, I think you meant “Freudian slip”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freudian_slip
Shaked DID make a very good Justice Minister, and, in fact, after I’ve just read more about her, I found out that our views are the same, and GUESS WHAT?
It was NETANYAHU who ended her career as a Justice Minister (as one of his “adroit tricks” before the next election):
A nice piece of info for those who still think about “Beebee” as being “right wing” and caring about “the Jewish character of Israel”.
Shaked must be pretty desperate and/or naive to rush into the same trap – she did have an excellent carreer with Netanyahu and Likud when she started out, maybe she is hoping for a replay.
@Reader I addressed that to both of you. They weren’t all on this thread and can’t find them all. Doesn’t matter who said what. I think drooling was yours. And they were sometimes used in a completely different way and not always directed at her but they popped up a lot in posts critical of her, in my opinion, unfairly. Kind of a Freudian stream of consciiousness thing but noticeable, though I’m not a shrink.
@Sebastien Zorn
I have NEVER used any of the words you mentioned here.
Next time, please, attribute the commenters’ words correctly.
As far as Shaked and her “loyalty”, etc. – the reason so many people in the coalition don’t want Netanyahu is because he betrayed them.
I am sure that if he returns to power, there will be another “purge” or, at least, blocking those people who used to be in the coalition from anything they want to achieve – and that, most likely, will include Shaked, too.
Shaked advances plan to increase number of Jewish settlers in Negev, Jaleel” June 2, 2022
From a hostile source
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220602-shaked-advances-plan-to-increase-number-of-jewish-settlers-in-negev-jaleel/
Shaked vows to scrap panel that appoints judges, as right takes on Supreme Court
Justice minister promises immediate ‘legal upheaval’ if she remains in office, with the Knesset empowered to approve judges and overrule court’s striking down of laws
By RAOUL WOOTLIFF
19 March 2019, 6:57 am
https://www.timesofisrael.com/right-moves-against-supreme-court-as-shaked-presents-plan-for-legal-upheaval/
Analysis | Israel’s New Supreme Court Justices Won’t Easily Defy the Government
The political majority’s representatives want an anemic court, and one that won’t place any obstacle in their path. They likely won’t show much judicial independence
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-02-22/ty-article/.premium/israels-new-supreme-court-justices-wont-easily-stand-up-to-the-government/0000017f-ef80-d0f7-a9ff-efc5e2b40000
Shaked strives for a more conservative Supreme Court. Nov 18, 2018
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/shaked-strives-for-a-more-conservative-supreme-court-572214
Shaked vows to scrap panel that appoints judges, as right takes on Supreme Court
Justice minister promises immediate ‘legal upheaval’ if she remains in office, with the Knesset empowered to approve judges and overrule court’s striking down of laws
By RAOUL WOOTLIFF
19 March 2019, 6:57 am
https://www.timesofisrael.com/right-moves-against-supreme-court-as-shaked-presents-plan-for-legal-upheaval/
Analysis | Israel’s New Supreme Court Justices Won’t Easily Defy the Government
The political majority’s representatives want an anemic court, and one that won’t place any obstacle in their path. They likely won’t show much judicial independence
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-02-22/ty-article/.premium/israels-new-supreme-court-justices-wont-easily-stand-up-to-the-government/0000017f-ef80-d0f7-a9ff-efc5e2b40000
Shaked strives for a more conservative Supreme Court. Nov 18, 2018
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/shaked-strives-for-a-more-conservative-supreme-court-572214
@Edgar @Reader I think Shaked’s loyalty to Bennett has been her major stumbling block. She’s tried to do what needs doing as justice minister. I think she is well suited for that post. In that capacity, Trump and Bibi-like, she has thought outside the box. For example, assigning property disputes between Jews and Arabs to lower courts that actually look at evidence.
On a side note, some of the words jumping out at me from your posts, eg, revealing, pickup, drooling, schoolgirl complexion, tell me that, perhaps, unconsciously, you can’t get over the fact, that she’s pretty.
Get over it. Next.
@READER-
This Shaked info is very revealing. Good pickup. So she doesn’t believe that here political career is finished. However, who knows whether she will ever be trusted with a major portfolio again. I wouldn’t depend on her.
It is only after Bennett has departed politics that she says this, I think.
Maybe she said it before, I don’t know.
She KNOWS that she has NO future with the Left anyway, and she likes to see her picture in the news. I think even more than Sara..
The IL left deserves the same treatment as the US elitocracy and farleft!
Wiped=out hopefully.
The whole world LEFT must be very angry!
Told ya!
The first passage of the bill dissolving Knessett passed several hours ago, but they also moved forward the anti-Bibi bill blocking him form becoming the leader of the next govt.
In response to this, Bennet has stated that he will vote against the anti-Bibi bill and another member of Yamina, Shirley Pinto, has stated that she will abstain from the vote due the fact that the bill deserves a
Additionally, Shaked has stated that she is
Vicious article. Sounds like a Democrat.