Opinion: If leaders of the center and left wing parties think they can escape responsibility for the chaos and destruction that the incoming government will bring, they are wrong and while Netanyahu’s downfall will not present them with political advantages, the cost to Israelis will be high
I’ve said before that the combined Knesset seats of the Likud, Yesh Atid, National Unity and Yisrael Beiteinu parties present a majority vote for establishing a united center-right government.
I also added that I believe leaders of centrist and right-leaning parties should join with Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu in order to prevent a hard right coalition that was not voted for by the public.
I’ve discussed this with two leaders of centrist parties. One of them said doing so would be breaking his promise to his voters, and that should he approach Netanyahu to consider such an option, it would only serve to lower the demands made by other right-leaning parties, before they agree to join his coalition.
The other leader, invited me to a meeting where he told me that Netanyahu would prioritize legislation that would lead to the cancellation of his criminal corruption trial, and that he had no interest in aiding the man who was indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, in doing so.
The dangers posed by the emerging government of right-wing and religious extremists, to our education, health, economy, legal system and religious freedoms, are slowly becoming clearer.
Some even fear that the U.S. will cease to enact its veto powers in the UN Security Council to protect Israel, that the EU will stop its support for scientific and technological research programs, that Israel’s credit score will go down, and that the Americans will suspend supplies of vital refueling aircraft and spare parts for Israeli military aircraft.
“Are all of these scenarios – including giving control of education curriculums to radical-right Noam party leader Avi Maoz, creating chaos on the West Bank by use of excessive forces and annexation in all but name of Palestinian territories – better than joining with Netanyahu?” I asked the centrist party leaders. They did not provide me with satisfactory answers.
Netanyahu, whose political prowess is clear, seems to be outrageously agreeable to terms dictated to him. But accepting cigars, Champaign, and manipulating unfavorable press coverage – for which he was put on trial – are lesser crimes than the ones threatening to unfold here, in the future.
Such horrors would not be the fault of his government – should it be formed – only. The leaders of centrist and left-wing parties, who could have prevented them, would be responsible, as well. But they have opted to wash their hands off the whole mess.
Their hands, however are not clean. They have either for reasons of righteous indignation, childish humiliation, or personal animosity, have all neglected their responsibilities to the nation and will share the blame.
If they hope to win a political advantage from Netanyahu’s downfall and that of his government, we the citizens of Israel will bare the cost.
Every leader of a centrist party in Israel bears a scar from his dealing with Netanyahu. But they need to understand how much their personal vendetta is harming Israel, and how much they are expected to rise above it.
As reported by Ynetnews