By J. Zel Lurie
DELRAY BEACH, Florida –A few years ago a veteran Labor member of the Knesset, who had lost her seat in the debacle of Labor in the ’09 elections, told me: “Netanyahu can’t make any peace moves so long as his father is alive.” I thought she was jesting until last week. Perhaps it was only a coincidence but only a few days after the death at 102 of Ben-Zion Netanyahu, an extreme right-wing historian, events came fast and furious. His baby son, whom he called Bibi, announced new elections on September 5, thirteen months before his term expired. Then came the surprise of surprises. He and Shaul Mofaz, head of the centrist Kadima Party, signed a partnership agreement at 2:30 in the morning of Tuesday, May 8.
This column is being written on May 9. Their unity government will be center right. For the first time in Israel’s history the government will represent 75 percent of the Knesset. Chief opposition will be the rejuvenated Labor Party. Isaac Herzog of Labor began the campaign by calling the Kadima Knesset members “28 midgets.” Kadima is the largest party in the 120-member Knesset. But largest is only 28 seats. Electoral reform, which will eliminate the tiny niche parties that have plagued Israeli politics, is expected to be high on the new coalition’s agenda. The partnership agreement so excited the centrist columnist of Ha’aretz Ari Shavit that he wrote a column in which almost every sentence begins with “finally.”
Finally we have a government that represents a majority of Israelis. Finally we have a government that will not be subjected to extortion by tiny niche parties, who hold the balance of power. Finally we have a government that can enforce the draft law on religious men. Finally we have a government that can obey the Supreme Court ruling to destroy five houses built by Jewish settlers illegally on Palestinian property. The old Netanyahu cabinet had asked for postponement of the deadline to August. Last week the Court ruled that it saw no reason for an extension and demanded action on its ruling by July 1. Finally Israel has a government that will do more than give lip service to the two-state solution. And finally, we have a government in which the extreme right and the religeous have lost their veto power.
Shavit’s constant use of the term finally reminds his Israeli audience that three years ago Netanyahu refused to support the two-state solution. Had he agreed, Kadima would have entered his government in ’09 and he might not have made concessions to small ultra-right and religious parties. But Papa was still alive. Under pressure from Washington, Netanyahu expressed support for a Palestine state at peace with Israel in a speech at Bar Ilan University. But there was no action.The majority unity government was delayed for three years.
For those with very long memories, like the writer, “finally” goes back to David Ben Gurion 64 years ago. He could have had a unity government with a large secular majority. But rather than bring into government the left Zionist parties he made a deal with the religious, offering draft exemption to students who studied religious tracts all day. The tiny number of students who claimed exemption in 1949 has grown to tens of thousands, arousing the ire of the secular majority and modern Orthodox youth.
Netanyahu’s sudden actions surprised the public and the pundits. He pullled the rug out from under all the political analysts. Ari Shavit writes that a column he wrote a week ago is completely wrong. The election campaign, which has been called off until October 2013, reminded us that elections in Israel are limited by law to four months. What a wonderful idea. Here in the United States the election campaign seems endless. No surprises are expected and we still have half a year to go. We should all live so long and suffer.
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Lurie is a freelance writer based in Delray Beach, Florida. He may be contacted at jzel.lurie@sdjewishworld.com