In the exiting coalition, we saw lawmakers that sacrificed themselves so that the convoy that set out to take out Benjamin Netanyahu โ made up of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and Construction Minister Ze'ev Elkin โ could pass. They will now pay a heavy price, as will several spoilers to whom we owe an early election.
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Not only will they swallow a bitter pill, but most of them will never return to the Knesset ever again. A Greek tragedy brought to you by Israel.ย
Bennet is the most tragic character of all. Although he will forever hold the title of former prime minister, this is the end of his political career. He attempted a daring act that went against his values and agreed to form a government with the Islamist Ra'am party, but did not do enough to address the concerns of his faction members.ย
His conduct brought about the fall of the government, with perhaps no choice left for Bennett but to return to the high-tech field. His right hand, Ayelet Shaked, will also be affected. She can either join Sa'ar or run independently, but her path to the Likud is definitely blocked.ย
Sa'ar told his voters that whoever wants Netanyahu should not vote for him. He left Likud for good, and took Elkin and a number of other Likud MKs along with him. Despite his accomplishments as justice minister and the loyalty of his faction, his performance in polls is far from flattering.ย
Sa'ar has taken a break from politics in the past, and might be forced to do so again, until the Netanyahu era passes and he is able to return to the Likud. The same is true of Elkin.
Another tragic character is Idit Silman. After catapulting from Habayit Hayehudi into Yamina, she voted in support of the coalition and praised the Arab-Jewish partnership. And above all, she served as the chairwoman of the government and ensured the majority in all votes.ย
Then, in an equally glorious move, she shocked the coalition by announcing her resignation and refusal to "have a hand in hurting Israel's Jewish character." In return, Silman was promised a ministerial position with the Likud.ย
Nir Orbach, another tragic character, also turned his back on those who had appointed him to various positions in the past. He too received promises by the Likud if he helped topple the government. None of the promises have been written in stone. As former Prime Minister Levy Eshkol famously said, "I promised, but did I promise to keep my promise?"ย
Given the opposition within the Likud to the appointments, it is possible that Silman and Orbach will exit this political drama with nothing to show for it.ย
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