As this item is being written, Israel’s former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is meeting the incumbent, Ariel Sharon, to inform Mr. Sharon as to whether he is prepared to serve as foreign or finance minister in a narrow, rightist government.
The media assumption is that Netanyahu will say no, but let us play a game for a few moments and build a government with him as foreign minister.
Tomorrow Sharon will ask the Knesset to approve the appointment of Shaul Mofaz as defense minister. Mofaz retired as Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff just four months ago.
So, for the sake of our game, Mofaz and Bibi have the top jobs under Sharon. Now all eyes are focused on one man. Avigdor (Yvet) Lieberman. The head of the hawkish Yisrael Beiteinu party and leader of the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu political grouping, Lieberman is reputed to be a bully. He formerly served as Netanyahu’s bureau chief in the Prime Minister’s Office, before the two parted ways somewhat acrimoniously.
He is said to favor staying out of the coalition. However, his number two, the head of the Moledet party and leader of the National Union, Benny Elon, seems desperate to return to the ranks of the cabinet. A “yes” from Lieberman means Israel will arguably have its most right-wing government since the 1948 creation of the state.
Sharon, Netanyahu, Mofaz, Lieberman, Elon, Public Security Minister Uzi Landau, National Infrastructure Minister Effie Eitam and Tourism Minister Yitzhak Levy are all known as hawks who favor a tough stance against the Palestinians, and Iraq – should the need arise.
Now back to the headline. It is very simple. If you believe that all Israel should care about is its very survival and not give a hoot about the rest of the world, you should be in heaven if this team forms the government. If you care about anything else, well there could be problems ahead.
But do not forget, this was just a game, and given the fluid state of Israeli politics, all sensible bets are off as to the composition of the next (coalition) government.