There is the parable of the ‘wolf wolf’ about the boy who shouts about the danger that is coming, and in the end when it comes, no one refers to him anymore. So this seems to be the story of the Bennett-Lapid government: after the reporters and political commentators, including the writer of these lines, have long eulogized this government, and even some did so before it was formed, it seems that in the last week, which was the most dramatic and difficult for Bennett and Lapid, no one Do not believe us.
Despite the first paragraph, it can be said with almost absolute certainty: without a dramatic change (!) In the conduct of the coalition, this government will end its days soon. It is not clear what the alternative is – a right-wing government led by Netanyahu and in cooperation with Saar and possibly Bennett already in this Knesset or other elections – but it will end its days.
The process of collapsing the government did not begin with the resignation of MK Jida Rinway Zoabi and on the other hand it also did not begin with the crisis of citizenship law, sometime in the winter conference. More “and moved into the ranks of the opposition. It was a move that captured several things at once: it surprised coalition officials, shattered Bennett’s confidence in his party members and made the coalition’s hourglass a deadline by March 2023 at most, the deadline for passing the state budget.
Bennett and Lapid after the loss in the plenum (Photo: Haim Goldberg, Shabbat Square)
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Despite this, senior coalition officials tried to convey confidence that the business could continue: Naftali Bennett allegedly conducted himself as usual, Yair Lapid was proud every evening that the coalition won votes and Avigdor Lieberman insisted that the state budget be approved by the government at the end of June.
But the past week, for its three most dramatic moments politically, has been too much for everyone, and has shown that without recalculating a route, the caravan soon reaches the abyss. This caused Lapid not to hold a press conference after many months, and even Lieberman was forced to admit that budget discussions were frozen “until order is made.”
The moments were these: the fall of the Judea and Samaria Law on which Justice Minister Gideon Saar issued an ultimatum; The fall in the appointment of Matan Kahana as Minister of Religious Affairs; Passing the bill raising the minimum wage to NIS 40.
These three things indicate a crumbling coalition not only because of the result – but also because of the way:
The extension of the legal regulations in Judea and Samaria was prevented due to the demonstrative and arrogant opposition of MKs Mazen Ghanaim of Ra’am and Jada Rinawi Zoabi of Meretz, whose body language can be learned: we are no longer afraid of you, government policy makers, we are completely independent.
MK Rinway Zoabi’s demonstrated vote in extending Judea and Samaria law regulations (Photo: Yonatan Zindel, Flash 90)
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Kahana’s reappointment fell in opposition to Idit Silman, who proved that Silman did indeed cross the lines and that it would be very difficult to do business with her, as Silman failed to do with Amichai Shikli in the early days of the government.
The preliminary transfer of the minimum wage was made when the members of the RAAM party and Rinway Zoabi actively supported, and all members of the Labor Party and the five other Meretz members were absent from the plenum, showing that the disintegration is already at the party level.
These three moments, which each define a different problem in the crumbling coalition, indicate that the ceremony is over and everything that is happening at the moment is a kind of proper preparation for the very next round of elections, each man according to his political perception.
We mentioned above that the coalition can only continue to function with a dramatic change. The same ‘dramatic change’ is to get Ghanaian and Rinawi Zoabi MKs to resign from the Knesset. This move depends, at least politically, solely on the chairman of Prime Minister Mansour Abbas. If he manages to get them to resign, he will return 60 “real” fingers to the coalition and not on paper. Such a move will prolong the days of the government, but as we have learned: in such a narrow coalition – every day is a festival.