Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister and Prime Minister-designate Yair Lapid are keeping a close watch on their coalition government these days. Repeatedly and both publicly and behind the scenes, Bennett has asked his partners to avoid any hot button issues until the government's supreme objective of passing a state budget is achieved. After all, should the state budget fail to pass, the government will be brought down.
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The Yamina and Yesh Atid party leaders have made incredible efforts to keep the government humming. Bennett has refused to comment on legislation targeting Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu and introduced by Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar that would prevent a lawmaker under indictment from forming a government until after the state budget has passed. Lawmakers have been asked not to give unnecessary interviews. If they are interviewed, they have been told to adhere to the coalition's messaging. While Meretz party members let off steam over plans to build in Judea and Samaria, they were given a few hints to quickly knock it off. Lapid, for his part, appears willing to accept any insult if it means the budget is passed and the rotation deal is respected. As for Defense Minister Benny Gantz, well, he has his own agenda.
Exactly five years have passed since concerns over Israel's acquisition of German submarines made the news. To the average citizen, this isn't exactly a pressing matter. Yet for the political system, it is absolutely explosive. In the past, Yamina party members opposed an investigation into the affair, known as Case 3,000, with Bennett saying he had supported the deal and knew for certain no corruption was involved.
Although Bennett has asked coalition members to avoid controversial issues, Gantz insisted on announcing his plans to propose the establishment of an investigative committee before the Knesset Secretariat Sunday. Although they had agreed the proposal would be raised after the passage of the state budget, Gantz couldn't resist giving the nation a promo of what was to come.
This was not the decision of another official such as the attorney general, the State Attorney's Office, or the court that required Gantz's response. This was Gantz's initiative. It's safe to assume the Israeli public would not have been too bothered had his request been made next Sunday. Gantz chose to raise the issue two days before the state budget is passed because he simply does not care what Bennett has to say. Bennett cannot conduct himself like a strong prime minister that sets the national agenda. He simply does not have the political clout necessary.
According to Direct Polling data published Sunday, Bennett would not garner enough Knesset seats to pass the electoral threshold if elections were held today. He cannot behave like a prime minister because he does not have the public's support. What he does have are political allies who gave him the premiership. They certainly don't owe him anything at all.
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