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Latest political turmoil paints clear picture of winners, losers

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Education Minister Naftali Bennett’s demand and appointed himself defense minister, thereby nearly guaranteeing Likud a bump in the polls in ‎the next elections, scheduled for November 2019. ‎

Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman announces his resignation at a press conference in the Israeli parliament on Nov. 14, 2018. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman announces his resignation at a press conference in the Israeli parliament on Nov. 14, 2018. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

As the dust settles on the political battlefield, it is becoming clear that some of ‎those involved in the political turmoil that threatened to bring down the ‎government over the past week, gambled—and lost.‎

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged from the latest ‎coalition crisis as ‎a determined leader who does not yield to ‎political pressure. He weathered the threat of early elections, ‎triggered by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman’s surprise ‎resignation as defense minister, and withstood the ultimatum ‎presented by Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett, who ‎demanded to succeed Lieberman in exchange for remaining in the ‎coalition. ‎

Netanyahu rejected Bennett’s demand and appointed himself defense minister, thereby nearly guaranteeing Likud a bump in the polls in ‎the next elections, scheduled for November 2019. ‎

Habayit Hayehudi’s leader, for his part, did the math and opted to ‎withdraw all demands and remain in the coalition, citing the “good ‎of the country.”

Bennett’s decision to remain in the government still means ‎the ‎coalition numbers only 61 out of a total of 120 Knesset members, giving it a ‎very narrow majority with ‎which to function until the next election. ‎The coalition may not be stable, but Netanyahu has regained ‎control over when to call early elections, if at all. ‎

Bennett, for his part, narrowly avoided being labeled as the one ‎who brought down a right-wing government. For the most part, he ‎was able to do some damage control before being seen exclusively as someone ‎who makes empty threats. ‎

Yes, he will be the butt of many jokes and jabs in the next few ‎days, but in terms of the public’s collective memory, he will ‎probably be perceived as a responsible adult who was willing to ‎‎“take a hit,” rather than destabilize the entire country.‏

Kulanu Party leader Moshe Kahlon emerged from the coalition crisis ‎unscathed. While it may have appeared for a moment as though he ‎held the coalition’s fate in his hands, Kahlon made neither threats ‎nor promises, preserving his Teflon image. Still, it remains to ‎be seen what the future holds for his party, especially in the polls. ‎

The big loser to emerge from all this is undoubtedly Lieberman.

Yisrael Beytenu’s ‎chairman had hoped to see the election year through as a hawkish ‎defense minister that out-rights the right-wing government at every turn, but ‎given that his resignation failed to trigger snap elections, all he is ‎looking at now is months of boredom on the benches of the ‎opposition.‎

Moreover, his failed gambit has made him an easy target for other ‎right-wing parties in the coming election campaign, as his rivals will ‎constantly remind him how, as defense minister, not only did he fail ‎to defeat Hamas, but also bolted when the going got tough and nearly brought down a right-wing government. ‎

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