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Likud's sharp shift to the right is political suicide for Netanyahu

вторник, 27. ноября 2012 - 15:15

The systemic storm that overtook the Likud at the end of two days of foul-up filled primaries has such extreme implications that pundits suggest Netanyahu would need the good graces of FM Lieberman to 'moderate' the final slate a bit.

Back in the mid-1980s, during one of those ugly and brutish power struggles in the Likud, the party chairman and prime minister at the time, Yitzhak Shamir, cried out bitterly: “This is a suicidal movement!” Since then the Likud has only flourished and prospered, but the deeply imprinted tendency among its members to commit hara-kiri from time to time is immutable.

A political movement that chooses to expel three decent, worthy, skilled ministers with much to their credit like Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, Minister without Portfolio Benny Begin and the Minister for the Improvement of Government Services Michael Eitan, and in the same breath to replace them with representatives of its anti-Supreme court hardliners – MKs Danny Danon, Ze'ev Elkin, Tzipi Hotovely and Yariv Levin at the top of the slate and extreme right-winger Moshe Feiglin in a good spot in the middle – it is doubtful that such a movement is worthy of being a ruling party.

Begin, Meridor and Eitan have paid a high price for their allegiance to the rule of law, their stalwart and uncompromising stance against the attempts by the settlers and their representatives in the Knesset to launder their every dirty deed in the territories of the West Bank.

The systemic storm that overtook the Likud at the end of two days of foul-up filled voting has such extreme implications that pundits suggested Netanyahu would need the good graces of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, his partner in the leadership of Likud Beiteinu, to “moderate” the final slate a bit.

What have we come to that Lieberman and none other than Lieberman has become – at least according to this notion, for which there is no official confirmation – Netanyahu’s flotation device and the official softener of the Knesset list?

And a few more observations about the primaries:

Benjamin Netanyahu is the big loser. This is exactly the list of his nightmares; Danny Danon, Tzipi Hotovely, Miri Regev and Moshe Feiglin are in. Dan Meridor and Benny Begin are out. One of the strongest and most stable prime ministers ever to preside here has discovered he has zero influence, zero power and zero ability to shape the slate at the top of which he will run for the Knesset.

The people close to him – Finance Minister Yuval Steiniz and MK Ofir Akunis – were pushed way down. His favorite candidate, Benny Begin, is out. Home Front Defense Minister Avi Dichter, who left Kadima, is also out. Tzachi Hanegbi, another Kadima leaver, is in – barely.

Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar has gained the most. He has made history: For the second time he was chosen in the number one spot on the slate, after the prime minister. He is establishing his status as the successor after Netanyahu leaves politics. Not long ago Sa’ar said he would be delighted to retain the position of education minister in the next government as well but it is very possible that his seniority will force Netanyahu to give him the most senior portfolio among the Likud ministers – the one now held by Finance Minister Steinitz.

The members of the Likud learned an important lesson on Monday, which will follow them into the next election cycle and will affect their conduct during the coming term: Feiglin and his people have a lot of power. An awful lot. The deal between Feiglin, the leader of the extremist Manhigut Yehudit faction, and MK Haim Katz, Israel Aerospace Industries union chairman, played an important role in their placement on the slate. Another piece of bad news for Netanyahu: During the next term the Knesset members and his government ministers will be batting their eyelashes a lot at Feiglin. Not at Netanyahu.

By Yossi Verter

Источник: 
www.haaretz.com/
Тэги: 
Likud
Netanyahu
primaries