Nothing could better describe the actions of the Opposition to topple the Bennett-Lapid government than the Proverbs verse "For you shall wage war for yourself with strategies," or a more literal translation, "with ruses."
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Although in hindsight, one might think that the downfall of the government was brought about by demonstrations and public pressure on an odd coalition, which included right-wing as well as Islamist parties, Israel Hayom has learned of the Opposition's detailed plan to achieve this goal.
It included, among other things, leaking information from within the government, and causing the difficulties it faced with defecting MKs Idit Silman, Nir Orbach and Mazen Ganaim and Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi.
The political strategy was entrusted to Likud MK Yariv Levin as well as the heads of the parties in the Opposition (Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, Aryeh Deri, and Moshe Gafni), whereas responsibility for the tactical management was entrusted to Yoav Kisch (Likud) and Orit Struck (Religious Zionist Party).
The plan had two major focuses: to analyze matters that could bring about disputes in the coalition that would tear apart its right- and left-wing members and to create a legislative logjam that would undermine the government's ability to pass laws.
"We outlined the matters in which the coalition was expected to crack," Struck told Israel Hayom. "We called these the 'core issues' and set out to achieve these goals and expand these cracks into larger crevices … which, of course, were mostly created by reality, due to the ideological gaps between the parts of the coalition."
Among the "core issues" were the Negev, settlement building, and the coalition's commitment to maintaining the religion and state status quote.
Opposition members also received information from inside the coalition from government officials and faction leaders about internal disputes within the coalition, such as disagreement, vetoes, and differences of opinion. The Opposition used the information to deepen the crisis and expose it to the public.
Struck had a Whatsapp group that included the "whistleblowers" who sent her documents about government ministries. For example, on time she received a Public Affairs Ministry document that said that the demolition of villages in the Negev would be put on hold for two weeks.
Another group monitored financial payments made to Arab authorities at the request of then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which the Opposition disclosed to the public and exhert further pressure on the coalition.
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