This Government Caused Irreparable Damage to the Right Wing

Ma’ariv, Israel, April 16

It is not necessary to follow the polls to understand that the right-wing government is in decline. Those familiar with the sentiment of the Israeli public, particularly in the strongholds of the Likud and the Right, can easily discern this. Increasingly, one can hear disappointment from the mouths of [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu’s adherents, who have unswervingly followed him in the past but are having difficulty supporting his and his government’s failed conduct these days. Many of the proponents of the judicial reform, in line with [Justice Minister] Yariv Levin’s theory, are primarily Likud businessmen who have their own interests at heart. Additionally, there are those who are driven by a desire for revenge and deep-seated animosity toward the Left, who see the reform as a means of gaining power. The most ardent supporters of this reform are the ultra-Orthodox, who have long been dissatisfied with the High Court’s rulings. Their backing of a weakened High Court is mainly meant to stave off the implementation of any legislation that would force their public to serve in the military, which has always been a point of contention. Finally, the religious Zionist camp rounds out the reform supporters, as the High Court has been blocking their ambition to build the complete land of Israel. This disastrous coalition has ushered in a government of unprecedented ineptitude in Israel, one that seeks to place itself above the law and prioritize the needs of the prime minister and his family over the real and pressing needs of the state. Despite its promises to address security, the cost of living, governance, education, and housing, it has instead become consumed with a legislative agenda that has left citizens feeling as though they are living under a regime coup. The Israeli public has made it clear that it is not apathetic to the changes being attempted in the country. Bibi [Netanyahu], Levin, and [Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman Simcha] Rothman likely believed they could execute their coup without drawing attention, yet the Israeli public mobilized in mass to thwart their effort. Demonstrations became increasingly larger and more widespread throughout the nation, with even right-wing voters joining in. In the roughly 100 days it has been in power, this government caused severe damage to our deterrence, economy, and society. It will take a great deal of effort and time to restore them. We have witnessed the government’s preoccupation with its own survival, its ministers’ inefficient performance, its inability to confront major challenges, its spreading of falsehoods and accusations about its predecessor, and, above all, its prime minister’s drastic departure from previous behavior. Netanyahu has become subservient to [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich, too scared to implement fundamental planks of the Likud platform, such as the application of sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, the execution of the High Court’s verdict to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar, and the implementation of construction plans in Judea and Samaria. The damage done to the Likud and the right wing is irreversible. In the next elections, it is likely that Israeli voters will opt for a party and leader who will demonstrate credibility, integrity, and pragmatism, and who will prioritize the state’s interests over his own. —Ephraim Ganor (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)