By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D
JERUSALEM — Last Friday’s headline in Yedioth Ahronoth, by no means an extremist newspaper, indicated that there will be at least 30 ministries in Israel’s new government.
Later news, on the internet, indicates that there’ll be a Ministry of Intelligence, a Ministry of Environmental Protection, a Ministry of the Diaspora, a Ministry of the Negev and Galilee, a Ministry of Heritage, and a National Missions Ministry. So far, no indication that any of these ministries will have a staff, or an assignment of real work.
The new government will also have several major ministries that will be divided, with individuals scheduled to serve as ministers for two years, and then to be replaced. There are also a number of divisions, with major units said to be carved out of existing ministries and assigned elsewhere.
Among the more controversial changes are the assignment of the Border Police to Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Ministry of National Security, presumably giving Ben Gvir direct control over a major police unit, instead of its former place under the control of the Police Chief. And Bezalel Smotrich will be given control over elements of the Defense Ministry said to control the West Bank, as part of his assignment as finance minister.
Avi Dichter, with a rich personal history in defense and service as Head of Shin Bet, accepted the position as Minister of Agriculture
Among the interesting events was the televising of the new government, with the gay who is the new head of the Knesset, along with his partner and children alongside the prime minister and his spouse. Two ultra-Orthodox Knesset Members bowed their heads, seemingly in shame. Other ultra-Orthodox Knesset Members welcomed the Knesset Head. Some of them said they could not accept the gay lifestyle, but that they could work with the individual.
Here are various headlines in the press:
From Yedioth Ahronoth
“Farse in Rotation of Foreign Affairs and Energy”
The sub-headline mentions critical issues in foreign affairs and energy, along with the rotation of ministers, after two years the Minister of Foreign Affairs will take over Energy and the Minister of Energy will take over Foreign Affairs; and quoting an official of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, ‘We have become a small and weak Ministry’ . . . Its Difficult to Praise the new government: If it achieves its purposes Israel and its citizens will be the major losers”
From the Jerusalem Post
“Netanyahu’s new government: Historic victory or final defeat?”
Will Benjamin Netanyahu continue to make history, or will his ultra-right-wing government create the domestic chaos that will spell his ultimate downfall?
From the New York Times
“The coalition will test Israel’s ties with the U.S. and Europe. Many fear that Netanyahu’s partners will undermine Israel’s liberal democracy and stability….
Some expect increased tensions with Palestinians. The coalition has declared the Jewish people’s ‘exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the land of Israel’ and pledged to bolster settlement in the occupied West Bank.”
A survey reported on Channel 12
“49 percent oppose the government and 41 percent support it”
This is not Israel’s first government with artificial ministries that expand a government beyond what’s normal or manageable. It’s a way of doing business in a closely divided and fractious politics.
But this one is larger than most, and reflects Bibi’s problems. He wouldn’t, or couldn’t say “No” to the extremist parties,and he gave in to the demands of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. Without them, he wouldn’t have a government. They got what they wanted, and Bibi’s own party, Likud, had to take what was left over, plus what could be created out of thin air.
We’ll see if it works, and how it works.
There remain Likudniks seemingly unhappy with what they have not gotten. How will they vote? Will there be enough defections, or absences from the Knesset to allow the opposition to topple this government?
At the beginning, there were good words about intentions of working to serve the entire population, along with considerable confusion in Ben-Gvir’s comments that defied my capacity to understand what he was saying.
We’re a long way from seeing how this will work.
I’ll close with best wishes for the New Year. May it be good, or at least tolerable, for us all.
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Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D, is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University. He may be contacted via irasharkansky@sdjewishworld.com