Post-Netanyahu: Israel’s Kitchen Is Filled With Cooks

Regardless of what one thought of Binyamin Netanyahu, the nation’s longest-serving prime minister, his control of the government left no room for ministers and other officials to pursue personal foreign policies. On Sunday, newly sworn-in President Isaac Herzog embarked on his personal diplomacy, taking the largely ceremonial office of president into one of the most contentious spheres: Israel’s relationship with Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Herzog is the third to represent the nation, following Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. It remains to be seen how well – if at all – these players coordinate their efforts, but seasoned foreign policy experts are already warning of the dangers of having too many cooks in the kitchen.