IF ISRAEL'S NEW GOVERNMENT DISSOLVED RIGHT NOW, NO ISRAELI WOULD SHED A TEAR

Political chaos by any other name

 

By  Mati Tuchfeld 

Israel Hayom

June 14, 2021

 

Only 60 lawmakers voted in favor of the Center-Left government's induction on Sunday. That may be half of parliament but it represents far less among the public.

The government may be legal but it is borderline illegitimate, and it certainly cannot be called an "elected government" – not when its entire premise is based on underhanded maneuvers verging on fraud.

Even its supporters, few and far between as they are, admit they have little hope it would be able to achieve something. They also concede that every step in the Center-Left government's inception – the coalition deals, principles, division, and ministerial roles – everything sought to ensure one thing: ousting Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's Office.

To a large extent, by merely being sworn in the new government has met its goal. It can dissolve right now and no one would shed a tear.

A government that can't even secure the basic, 61-MK majority for its inception does not have a bright future in store. It is unstable by nature and its motley makeup renders it inherently crippled.

If the coalition's sole purpose was making good on Yamina leader Naftali Bennett's promise to prevent a fifth election campaign in two years and putting an end to the political chaos in Israel it may soon prove that the latter would be the least of our problems.

Lacking a natural 61-MK majority means the government would be unable to revise existing legislation or pass new laws, and every move it makes could be subject to political whims, extortion, and manipulation, not to mention the overall war of attrition among its members.

The majority of the newly-inducted ministers not only disagree with their prime minister's politics – they lack basic respect for him. Bennett was merely a useful instrument with which to achieve their goal – something that they have now done.

The coalition partners no longer have any reason to allow Bennett to lead a right-wing agenda and in a government that can barely carry itself, he will soon learn that the only lawmaker who needs to compromise is him.

We must also not be confused by the fact that the Joint Arab List voted against the new government. They are very much in its favor. Their absence from the first vote was made only to ensure that rival Ra'am voted for the coalition, ensuring its inception. Once it was "safe," Joint Arab List MKs to return to the plenum to make their point.

Not billed as the "unity government," we must also remember that said "unity" represent only the political minority in Israel and that it could reach its fait accompli status without the collaboration of some of the Right, namely Yamina and New Hope.

When all is said and done, however, a new is in place and is poised to run the state. Wherever it is successful – everyone will win.

Former PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he hopes the new government doesn't ruin to the economy, among other things, while in office. Who knows, maybe it will even defeat predictions and get something done.