The briefing is out. Each side has been appointed its own analyst as spokesman. Naftali Bennett is supposedly in real negotiations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but actually, a government under Yair Lapid is already in the formation stages. All that remains is to whitewash the process. And what message will be sent out to do that? Reporters have been told that the government that will include Lapid, Blue and White, Labor, Meretz, Avigdor Lieberman, and Gideon Sa'ar under Bennett is not a left-wing government. Is Pnina Tamano-Shata a left-winger? Is Orna Barbivai? Is Lieberman? There are 13 left-wing mandates (Labor and Meretz), and the rest are "center and right-wing." Similarly, those same analysts, who are politically to the left of Meretz, repeatedly explain to right-wing voters what is best for them: "Netanyahu? He's not right-wing at all. What right-wing policies has he promoted?"
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They explain that Netanyahu hasn't done enough, and in the same breath talk endlessly about the hybrid government, which is guaranteed to do much less. Because how can a government that ranges from Yamina to Meretz function? Bennett and Sa'ar's 13 mandates are met with 13 mandates for Labor and Meretz, with one difference – the 13 on the Left never thought for a moment of moving to the right-wing bloc after the election.
What will a "If it's not COVID, we don't care" government do about the re-adoption of the Iran nuclear deal? What message will it send to Europe and the US about lifting sanctions? Will Sa'ar object, and Merav Michaeli encourage it? Will Lapid speak before the Democrats and declare that Israel fully backs US President Joe Biden, while Bennett calls on the Republicans to prevent it? What policies will be instated? And when, if at all, will policy become of interest to the government? And what about the lawsuit against Israel in the International Criminal Court? Will Lieberman issue a call to boycott the plaintiffs, while Nitzan Horowitz invite them to Israel?
And this brings us to the Palestinians. The voices in the Biden administration, Jordan, and PA President Mahmoud Abbas are clear – they are next in line. Will Lapid and Gantz be working on a plan to withdraw from more territories, while Bennett and Shaked are trying to evacuate Khan al-Amar? Will Tamar Zandberg travel to Yasser Arafat's grave while Sa'ar, who so badly wanted to "win" Operation Protective Edge, finishes the preparations for Operation Protective Edge 2? And will Gantz once again be the one who is proud of taking care of the lives of the citizens of Gaza, while Lieberman takes out Haniyeh?
Obviously, when it comes to economic issues – the reason this government would be formed in the first place – the forces are working against each other, too. Image that Meretz and Labor raise taxes while Bennett puts together a "Singapore plan." How ridiculous can ideology be made? And worse, how can the true, existential need to run the country be treated to dismissively?
The only reason that this gang of politicians allows itself to continue to play this game at our expense is that Netanyahu fortified Israel economically, diplomatically, and in terms of security and defense. This national credit, which he created, they want to use to take power for four years. And they call this impasse and the architect of it (Bennett) "courage."
But in policy, lest we forget, there is never a vacuum. Standing still quickly turns into moving backward. Therefore, there is only one word for a government that has no intention of addressing the most fateful issues for the country: abandonment.
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