The new Israel Government headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is one week old and already it appears that politics in Israel truly may be returning to a type of normalcy that has not been seen in years. While it is ridiculous to make a serious assessment after six working days in office, what is apparent is that amazingly this new Government seems to be operating on all cylinders. It appears that it is ready to act decisively and assertively. It wants to demonstrate that a wide coalition can actually work, if it understands a basic rule of politics that former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gave up a long time ago. In politics when one person wins always a democracy cannot function. On the other hand, when everyone can win somethings and lose somethings, then the Government can operate.
The first crisis that the new Government faced was Tuesday’s Flag March in the Old City. Despite its provocative nature it was not cancelled as was requested by Bennett’s moderate-left parties; but it was re-routed and limited. There were some arrests and some incidents, but after a day it was no longer a significant issue.
When Hamas launched balloons carrying rockets against Southern Israel on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday night the new Government wasted no time waffling—at least in public—as to how to respond. It recognized that it was being tested by the Palestinian leadership as to how far they would go in retaliating. Bennett immediately wanted to set down a clear marker. His Government was not prepared to tolerate a persistent irritant and dangerous exposure for its citizens in the South. Hamas thus was being told that the new Government would act immediately; but it also was indicating that it would act proportionally and incrementally. Bennett essentially told Hamas, “No Games.” For Bennett’s right-wing, his speed of action was the signal they wanted to see. For the center and left the limitation was what they wanted. Even the Islamic Arab Ra’am faction did not buck, although they did not approve.
Part of the reason that Ra’am’s response to the bombing in Gaza might have been somewhat muted was that the Bennett Government was about to announce the immediate transfer to the West Bank Palestinians 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. The fact that they were about to expire, and that Pfizer agreed to replenish the supply in the fall, did not matter. Bibi had not done that.
The exchanges already on Sunday and Monday between the United States and Israel were clearly staged to affirm the Biden Administration’s approval of the new group of leaders in Jerusalem. Washington knows they have the ability to make Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid look good--quickly.
There was congressional testimony already on Thursday by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking Congress for funds to be allocated for Israel to replenish the Iron Dome rockets which it exhausted when it repelled the nearly 4000 Hamas rockets launched against Israel last month. In addition, there was an intimation of a Washington visit to be extended to Bennett very soon, which then could permit a possible follow-up visit by Mahmoud Abbas. This was an indication to Israel that it should find a way to renew a dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. While it also would be a strong signal to Hamas and its backers, that the Biden Administration intends to return to pursuing a two-state solution; without involving Hamas. At the same time, it also will test Bennett’s own ability to control his right-wing many of whom oppose a two-state solution.
Inviting Bennett and then Abbas could enable President Biden to quiet the anti-Israel rhetoric which circulated on Capitol Hill during the Gaza confrontation, especially among the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Prime Minister Bennett and Foreign Minister Lapid will be encouraged by all their political advisers to make a major effort to reach out to the Democrats in Congress—as well as to the Republicans. Many Democrats continue to be stewing about Netanyahu’s dissing of President Obama and his kowtowing to President Trump. The new Israeli Government could make strides in repairing the damage, even though there may well be continuing differences with the U.S. on Iran policy.
Finally, when Bennett does come to the U.S. it will be very interesting to see how far he will extend himself to the Conservative and Reform Jewish communities. As Israel’s first Orthodox Prime Minister, Bennett frequently has noted in the past that he favored implementing the accord reached concerning non-Orthodox access to the Kotel (Western Wall). Netanyahu had championed this as well but never implemented it for fear of alienating the ultra-Orthodox (charedi) members of his coalition. Bennett has no such problem. Such a move now might begin an ameliorating process in Israel’s relationship with the many non-orthodox Jews who had been distancing themselves in their support for Israel.
----------
Footnote
It is true gesture of obnoxious defiance of civil norms, that Netanyahu has announced that it will be several weeks before he leaves the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem. Once again emulating his political bedfellow former President Trump, Bibi did not attend Bennett’s official swearing-in. Now he is thinking nothing of embarrassing his country by behaving like a petulant schoolboy and not vacating the Prime Minister’s official residence upon having been replaced.
Comments