It's one thing to slap at your political enemies. It's often expected one should do so, depending on the political circumstances surrounding the 'slap'--and, of course, depending as well upon the general political climate that exists at the time of the 'slap'.
But slapping your allies? That's not what we expect from politicians we vote for. We expect better.
Certainly, if any politician should understand that you don't slap your friends in the face (metaphorically speaking), it's Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Relying on such a lesson may in fact be the very reason a longest-serving PM got to be longest-serving in the first place: Netanyahu knows how to treat those who stand with him.
But in recent days, Netanyahu's actions seem to suggest that he has forgotten this lesson. Take, for example, Netanyahu's treatment of Rightist politician Naftali Bennett.
Recently, Bennett has been Interim Defense Minister (his days as Defense Minister ended today, with the swearing-in of the new government, one that included a new, different Defense Minister). Bennett performed ably and competently in his job as Defense Minister, especially when the coronavirus pandemic hit Israel (see below).
For example, Bennett ordered (either directly or indirectly) IDF soldiers to bring food to shut-ins during the nation-wide lock-down. He created innovative--and effective--ways for the IDF, working with Israel's High Tech and Defense industries, to invent, build and deliver cost-effective ventilators for use in Israel. He opened several IDF field hospitals to help house coronavirus patients. He even had time to initiate needed infrastructure corrections at Israel's Cave of the Patriarchs, in one of Israel's holiest cities, Hevron.
As a consequence of these accomplishments, Israelis gave him high marks (here). Not only did 65% of Israelis express satisfaction with his corona crisis management, but of the three politicians measured in this poll for their perceived pandemic crisis management skills--Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Naftali Bennett--Bennett was the only one of the three to receive positive feedback from all sectors in Israel (ibid)--religious, secular, Left, Right.
More important to our point here, Bennett supported Netanyahu during the recent national elections, even as some other natural allies criticized Netanayhu. Bennett also criticized Netanyahu--but nonetheless stood steadfast in his support of Netanyahu.
How has Netanyahu rewarded Bennett? In Israeli politics, you reward your most steadfast political allies by offering them plum Ministries to manage. It's the Israeli way.
Bennett received nothing. He got no offers at all.
This was a slap in the face. Worse, it was public.
Put mildly, this was an extraordinary show of ingratitude. It's certainly not how Israelis have learned to treat a political ally.
Bennett wasn't alone. There were others. The first of these allies to receive similar treatment was Avi Dichter.
Dichter is counted as one of the first eleven names on the Likud political List. In Israeli politics, your place on a Party's 'List' is very, very important. It means that, should your Party's leader be chosen to become Prime Minister, the reward for being a highly-place Member of that Party is to be first-in-line to receive a Ministry to control.
Dichter is a strong, experienced and articulate Right-wing politician. But according to news reports, the offer made to him by Netanyahu (to receive a Ministry to manage) was so minor, so unimportant--given the man's past experience--as to be an insult. Dichter was described as ''disgruntled" over this insult (here). In the end, he received nothing.
There were others. MK Gideon Sa'ar is higher up on the Likud List (at number 5) than Dichter (number 10--or, 11; he's been listed in the media with both numbers). But as of Sunday, May 17, 2020’s new government swearing-in ceremony, Sa’ar had no role in the coalition (here). He'd been shut out by Netanyahu.
In what might be an unprecedented incident, there are at least five additional politicians (see below) who are not only angry that Netanyahu didn't offer what he'd already promised, but were also angry about that public snub.
Then there's the case of Rabbi Rafi Peretz, head of the Jewish Home Party, and (once) a Bennett ally. Peretz had recently joined with other high-profile Right-wing politicians to stand together as a Right-Wing bloc--and to support Netanyahu, no matter what. He pledged to remain loyal to his Right-Wing bloc.
But Peretz faltered. He allowed himself to be convinced by Netanyahu to go over to Likud at the very last minute, in order to receive a Ministerial post.
But then, almost immediately after bolting from the Right-wing bloc to join Netanyahu--indeed, just moments after the news of Peretz' bolting was aired--Peretz got completely blind-sided by Netanyahu.
You see, supposedly, to attract Peretz to Likud, Netanyahu had promised Peretz to take over the 'Jerusalem' Ministry. Peretz accepted. But immediately after Peretz went public with his decision to join with Netanyahu, Netanyahu announced, 'oh, sorry. I've promised that Ministry to someone else' (here)!
Peretz suggested he'd retire from politics if he didn't get an 'important Ministry' (here). Less than 24 hours later, he announced he was joining the government as the 'Jerusalem' Minister' (here).
Perhaps Peretz had called Netanyahu’s bluff to get what he wanted. We don’t know. But we do know that the 'optics' of what Netanyahu did to Peretz weren't pretty. The entire 'affair' looked like Netanyahu had tried to humiliate Peretz, showing Peretz to be an unfaithful/disloyal politician who had no apparent scruples (see reader comments here). Is that how Netanyahu treated a brand-new 'political friend'?
By my anecdotal count, Netanyahu had somehow 'slapped in the face' some 11 Israeli politicians--including 7 from Netanyahu's own Likud: Naftali Bennett, Ayelet Shaked, Betzalel Smotrich, Rabbi Rafi Peretz, Avi Dichter (number 10/11 on Likud List), Gideon Sa'ar (number 5 on Likud List), Nir Barkat (9), Tzachi Hanegbi (number 15 on Likud List), Gila Gamliel (number 10), David Amsalem (number 19) and David Bitan (number 25). Had Netanyahu really so egregiously insulted both his allies and his own Party Members? (here).
Just hours before the swearing-in-the-government ceremony, Netanyahu continued to try to shoe-horn some of these spurned MKs into a Ministry portfolio (here). He succeeded only with Gila Gamliel and David Amsalem. Gamliel received the Minister of Environmental Protection. Amsalem became Minister for liason between Cabinet and Knesset.
Can such last-minute maneuverings erase the insult of making so many high-ranking Likud MKs wait to the very last minute to be given a Ministry?
Netanyahu's behavior may not have erased any insult felt by MKs. Indeed, as if to make sure everyone in the Knesset heard about Netanyahu's 'insults', long-time Netanyahu-hater Avigdor Liberman did the unspeakable, even for an Israeli politician. He stood at the Knesset podium today (May 17th) during the new government’s swearing-in ceremony, and recited for the entire plenum how Netanyahu had--according to Liberman, at least--betrayed a series of MKs (here). It was a despicable performance by Liberman.
It left a bad taste in many a mouth. It left some wondering if Netanyahu had really lied to MKs (ibid). Had Netanyahu wrecked his own Party (here)?
We don't know. But we do have a question. Does this unpleasant picture (see here) of Netanyahu suggest how the Netanyahu era will end--with one 'slap' too many?
Stay tuned. You may get the answer to this question sooner than you think.
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