What took place ahead of the swearing-in of the Knesset Sunday was a disgrace for all those who hold our democracy dear.
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The shouting by members of the Right and the Haredim was not in response to the remarks of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, but rather a premeditated move aimed at keeping him from opening his mouth. Like the disciples of the late Rabbi Meir Kahana, they raised signs and banners during Bennett's repeated attempts to speak. At every instant, a Haredi lawmaker, Likud member, or member of the "religious Zionist" sector got up and shouted. As soon as one rabble-rouser was escorted out of the Knesset, one of their companions proceeded to yell until they too were escorted outside. Outgoing Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin begged the outgoing ministers to stop screaming so as to avoid needing to have them removed, but they appeared to be in a trance.
Not since the first elections were held in Israel in January 1949, has there ever been such a spectacle at a Knesset swearing-in ceremony. The devil knows why anyone thought this mockery would impress someone or help garner the public's support for the outgoing coalition government that is now in the opposition.
Netanyahu didn't even pretend to ask his supporters to put an end to this spectacle, and with his silence, lent a hand to its continuation. Bennett's speech quickly became a secondary event. His beautiful words about Netanyahu were met with mockery by members of the outgoing coalition, his promises to serve as everyone's prime minister drowned out by the roars of his opponents. The existential difference between Bennett and Netanyahu was expressed in what the new prime minister had to say about US President Joe Biden's administration. At a time when Netanyahu lauded his confrontations with the administration, he spoke of appreciation for American support and promised to overcome disputes between Jerusalem and Washington.
Netanyahu did not try to play the role of the gentleman who admits his failures in trying to establish a government. Gritting his teeth, he wished his rival luck in the job. The man who appointed Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman foreign minister and defense minister suddenly remembered to call them out for their corruption. The man who felt no shame announcing he would violate the rotation deal with Blue and White party chief Benny Gantz condemned Bennett for violating his campaign promises.
The man who, just a few years ago, declared his support for the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state, stood on the Knesset podium and accused a majority of the members of the new coalition of supporting the two-state solution. The man who agreed to freeze settlement construction for 10 months accused Bennett of being incapable of withstanding demands from the Biden administration to freeze construction.
Yet while Netanyahu spoke, the country was silent. Members of the incoming government listened to Netanyahu's whining speech that was replete with self-praise with the necessary respect and with almost no interruptions, thereby salvaging, if just a little, the dignity of the institution.
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