Bennett’s Government Stays Afloat; Likud Meanwhile is Divided

By Ira Sharkansky

Ira Sharansky

JERUSALEM — It’s a confusing picture. Naftali Bennett’s government has a thin control of the Knesset, and itself ranges from the right to the left. It’s held together by a fear of falling, and the specter of Bibi hanging on to his title as Leader of the Opposition.

Depending on how you count things, Bibi may remain as the strongest Israeli politician. At least, in terms of his popular support.

Yet the top ranks of Likud are shaky. Last week the former Health Minister and Chair of the Knesset Uri Edelstein said that he would challenge Bibi for Likud party leadership. Yet several days later a poll showed Bibi’s support at 86 percent, while Edelstein’s was 6 percent. And that Likud under Bibi would win 34 Knesset seats, while Likud under Edelstein would win only 20 seats.

Commentators are seeing two Likuds. One is with the voters, firmly in Bibi’s camp. Yet another is the party in the Knesset. Edelstein’s move is one indication of Bibi’s position. Others came from prominent Likudniks, expressing their own feelings about the party leadership. Several said that it was too early to count Bibi out. However, Miri Regev said that she’d contest the leadership when the time was appropriate, and staked her posture with the comment that it was time for a Mizrahi to lead the party. Regev’s background is Moroccan, so she’d qualify. Nir Barkat, Dudi Amsalem, and Yisrael Katz also think of themselves as likely contenders.

All this is food for the commentators. Currently there is no Likud primary scheduled. And the guessing is that the party leaders are holding off on a primary. The government functions. Bibi’s trial inches forward.

As portrayed in a Ha’aretz cartoon, the judges are dozing while testimony continues.

Guesses are that’ll take three years to finish with this. You’ve heard that justice delayed is justice denied.

There’s speculation about Bibi’s desire to fight for yet another chance to contest a national election. He led Likud in the elections of April, 2019, September, 2019, March, 2020, and March 2021. Results showed Likud as the leading party, but without the clout to maintain a lasting government.

With all the closeness of the present government, it’s been in office for four months, and we can guess if it’ll pass a budget in the three weeks that remain for it to do so.

In the meantime, it’s Bennett and his colleague, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who are shown visiting with American and other world leaders.

And outside of politics, the state appears to be functioning. Covid-19 seems to be in a decline, in terms of new infections, serious cases, and deaths. There are plans to open the country to foreign tourists. And perhaps a lessening of requirements for wearing masks.

Gaza is quiet. There are occasional flurries of attacks in the West Bank. However, it appears that the recent break by several Palestinians from an Israeli prison came up against the rejection of their call for help from the Palestinian Authority.

So along with Mahmoud Abbas’ call for Israel to return to the lines of 1967 within a year, there is the reality of cooperation.

A recent interview with the Jews heading Ben and Jerry’s–

Why are they boycotting the sale of their ice cream to the West Bank? There are other problems, not addressed by the ice cream company. Voter restrictions in Georgia. A ban on abortions by the State of Texas. Equally obnoxious as Jewish settlement in Palestine? Ben and Jerry’s responses diddled, and claimed the questions were difficult. Should they stop selling ice cream wherever there was a problem? Or would they hide behind a claim that Jewish settlement in the West Bank violated international assertions about justice?

We’re also being harassed with a story from former Knesset Member Colette Avital, who’s claiming that Shimon Peres harassed her sexually.

Along with stories that Avital was a lover of Peres, which she denies. And claims that her story is part of the denial. Perhaps it was prompted by calls from the Peres Center to tell stories about the honored statesman.  Shimon can’t respond to Avital. He’s been dead for more than seven years. Now there are other stories about Peres. So far anonymous.

So why the stories? They’re part of our mess, along with Bibi, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza, the persistent assertion by the United States about a Palestinian state, and Ben and Jerry’s boycott of the West Bank. There’s a lot to discuss, with no clear conclusions. Is it part of the Jewish condition? Others also have unsolved problems. Perhaps we have more than a fair share. And we know how to divide on just about every question.

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Ira Sharkansky, Ph,D, is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University.  He may be contacted via ira.sharkansky@sdjewishwoorld.com