By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM –Last week it was Natan Eshel, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s former chief of staff. This week it’s Uzi Arad, his former security adviser. Next week it’s likely to be a further probe into his financial dealings. Though it sounds like gossip, it may turn out to be of national significance and beyond. Hence this.
*A few weeks ago, it became known that a woman working in the office of the prime minister had been harassed by his chief of staff. Though she herself didn’t lodge a complaint, three senior aides went to the legal adviser of the government and told him about it. Not surprisingly, the media made much of it.
As a result, Eshel was first suspended but has now resigned after a plea bargain in which he confessed to something that sounded like sexual harassment and admitted to having acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant. He undertook not to seek government office again. In exchange he wouldn’t face legal action.
Not long thereafter, the Prime Minister lashed out in public against the three “informers” because they didn’t come to him first. But it appears that they didn’t come to him because they feared that he would protect Eshel and thus sacrifice the hapless woman. As a result, one of the three – the director of communication – has already resigned. The others are still in office; nobody knows for how long.
*Starting last Friday in the mass circulation Yediot Achronot, continuing on television on Saturday afternoon and in many places thereafter, Dr Uzi Arad demanded an apology from the prime minister for being framed by his office. It appears that Arad was pushed out about a year ago because of a rumour that he had imparted secrets to the media. He strongly denies it and wants redress.
The dominant person in both the Eshel and the Arad story seems to be Mrs. Sarah Netanyahu. She’s rumoured to wield enormous power not only at home but also in the prime minister’s office. Eshel was her man and she was his confidant, we’re told. Had she known about the aggrieved woman before it became public, it’s inferred, she would have made sure that Eshel stayed.
Arad, too, alleges that Sarah Netanyahu has great influence – not in his favour, alas. Monday’s Ha’aretz understands Arad’s testimony to imply that though Israel isn’t a police state (medinat mishtara), it’s worse: medinat mishpacha, loosely translated as “mishpoche state,” a new kind of matriarchy.
*If that weren’t enough, when the prime minister returns from his North American visit, he’ll be questioned about some financial dealings from many years ago. It’s not clear if this is also a matter of “mishpoche state,” but definitely another headache.
Nothing of this would have been worth reflecting on if Israelis could see an alternative prime minister, either within his own party or in the opposition. But there’s probably nobody in either camp positioned to replace Netanyahu, which isn’t only a comment on the political situation but also an uncomfortable prospect of having a wounded and perhaps even discredited leader at the time when so much is at stake.
Thus the fear that in the present situation the prime minister may be more distracted than is good for the country and perhaps even more dependent, not only on his wife but also on hawkish Defense Minister Ehud Barak in the matter of Iran.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now dividing his time between Canada and Israel, he may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com