So, you think America politics is complicated do you? Well, compared to Israel, American politics is a cake walk. And I find that's true of all these Parliamentarian style governments. They are, at least from an American point of view, complicated, compromised and unfocused. They create governments out of coalitions with opposition parties, who get ministerial positions in the new government, and they have this crazy penchant for "Shadow Cabinets". Everybody has a say, and everybody says a lot, not usually in harmony. Watch the British Parliament in action. Insane!
Currently it appears, according to Geopolitical Futures:
"Israel's parliament is evenly split after a resignation stripped Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's government of its majority. The move raised concerns that the opposition is close to being able to dissolve the government."
And we're shocked why?
Idit Silman bolted to Netanyahu's group, and in spite of Bennett's claim she was being harassed by Netanyahu's party, this apparently is a popular move among a great many Israelis. She says:
"she "could not take it anymore," and
that she could not continue undermining the Jewish identity of the State
of Israel, a reference to a disagreement she had with Health Minister
Nitzan Horowitz over allowing chametz (leavened grain products) into hospitals over Passover.....[and she claimed] she was treated with disrespect".
This government was created as an "anyone but Bibi" government, but there was no one party that could get enough votes to form a government, so totally divergent groups came together to form a totally irrational government, that, irrespective of these various groups positions, as a government they functionally believe in nothing. It was created to be one thing and one thing only: An anti-Netanyahu government. That's the only moral foundation they share.
On Monday, June 7, 2021 I published, Anyone But Netanyahu! What Could Possibly Go Wrong? quoting a piece from Geopolitical Futures:
Unseating Bibi: Israeli opposition parties reached a deal on Wednesday to form a government and unseat current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The coalition consists of Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party as well as an Islamist party called the United Arab List led by Mansour Abbas. Under the agreement, Bennett would serve as prime minister for two years and then be replaced by Lapid. Israeli ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates and Greece have already said bilateral relations will not be significantly affected by the change in government. This is a mess in the making as these three groups are at odds with each other’s goals, visions and views of what Israel is and what it should be. Bennett is allegedly far right. It seems to me that Lapid is a former journalist who is more leftist than centrist. And Abbas is a liar, and the ruling arrangement is a formula for incoherence.
What could possibly go wrong?
On Thursday, July 8, 2021 I posted this piece, Anyone But Netanyahu! What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Part II commenting about this new government's inability to pass as law as fundamental as a law that "prevents Arab-Israeli citizens from conferring their citizenship rights — e.g., obtaining a driver’s license or a legal job — on non-citizen spouses who once lived in the West Bank or Gaza............The law was passed in 2013 in response to the wave of bombings and murders that were occurring during the second intifada. It has been renewed annually ever since."
It was a tie vote. Why didn't it pass? Because this ruling coalition is not in harmony philosophically, politically or morally. First, this is a government with a rotating President....three of them. One claims he will do everything he can to make sure there is never a Palestinian state and the other two rotating partners in this government support a two states solution, and one is a former journalist and a Jew who hates the Orthodox Jews. The other is an Arab. Guess what he really believes.
And there's a second reason it
didn't pass. Netanyahu's party didn't vote for it! Shocker? Bibi is in this to play hardball, and he's playing the long game to save Israel, all of which made this government look weak, foolish, incompetent and exposes them for not being able to generate enough votes to even assure the safety of Israel's citizens. I went on to say:
That exposed this coalition's inability to rule for Israel's best interests. That exposure made all those who in government "deep state" positions and media who railed against Netanyahu look foolish. Netanyahu makes it clear, "toppling the government" is more important to Israel's long term interests.
Some may be aghast at this kind of irresponsible politics, but they've played hard ball with Netanyahu for years, with little concern as to what was good for the nation, as I attempt to show later. Netanyahu sees the long term negative consequences to Israel for having such a "bizarre ruling coalition" in power. This is a coalition that faces a "crisis of legitimacy with a Prime Minister whose party won only 6% of the vote".....and the party that won the most votes [was ] pushed out of office and into opposition."
There is only one moral foundation they share: "Anyone but Netanyahu!" So that makes Bibi the opposition, and opposition it shall be. It's hardball, and in hardball those curve balls are the pits.
You would think this would trigger new elections, however, according to RANE Worldview, of which Startfor is a part, this is what has to happen to trigger a new election.
- First, if another member of this government bolts, they can dissolve the Knesset and demand a new election.
- Second, under Israeli law they must pass a 2023 budget by December 31, 2022 or a new election must be held.
I've been waiting for this breakdown, and quite frankly, I'm surprised it's lasted this long, and now Israel will once again (they had four national elections in two years) have to go back to the voting booth early. But now there are two factors.
- First, it must now be clear to Israelis no competent government can be formed by these incoherent coalitions.
- Secondly, does anyone really believe another "anyone but Netanyahu" coalition can now form again? Creating that coalition was like open heart surgery without anesthetic. It seems unlikely it will happen again.
So, to answer to the question about this anti-Netanyahu government: What could go possibly go wrong? Answer: Everything!
And you think American politics is complicated.
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