Naftali Bennett is a weak prime minister. That isn't the opinion of a political commentator or publicist or the findings of an analysis of his personality or behavior, it is simple mathematical fact. As a prime minister from a party that garnered just six Knesset seats, Bennett has zero flexibility and no room for political maneuvers.
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Those who needed proof got some on Saturday when Bennett quickly capitulated to the Islamist Ra'am party's demands to transfer the Authority for the Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev from the Prime Minister's Office to the Welfare Ministry. On Saturday morning, Ra'am MK Waleed Taha tweeted that "Ra'am lawmakers will not take part in committee discussions and will not vote for laws in the Knesset plenum until further notice." Just a few hours later, Ra'am's demands had been reportedly met in full, with the Welfare Ministry made responsible for the authority, effective immediately.
Why was this demand so important for Ra'am? At this stage, one can only guess. It may be easier to conduct affairs from within the Welfare Ministry, a relatively inconsequential office, instead of a large and central body like the Prime Minister's Office.
Moreover, there are claims various municipal officials of local authorities in the Negev may be more amenable to working with Welfare Minister Meir Cohen and his Yesh Atid party.
While this is only conjecture, one thing is clear: This move was of utmost importance to members of the Islamic Movement. We can assume Ra'am party members were not motivated by a desire to increase governance and law enforcement in the Bedouin community.
The Authority for the Development and Settlement of the Bedouin in the Negev was established over 20 years ago. It constitutes a sort of government within a government for Bedouin in the Negev and serves as an operational body aimed at transferring the Bedouin population to permanent communities, managing very large development projects to the tune of millions of shekels.
To many, this is an anachronistic body that maintains a different status for the Bedouin, distinguishing them from the rest of Israeli citizens, thereby creating civil distortion and that should therefore be shut down. Nevertheless, for as long as it continues to exist, the authority is an incomparable cash cow. Ties with the authority offer many opportunities for various agreements on construction, regulation, freezing enforcement, and in connection with the overflowing budgets the state provides. Ultimately, the disappointing data is clear: In every year of its existence, the authority has succeeded in "regulating" a handful of Bedouin families, if any. But nothing will get in the way of the money the government continues to pour into the authority.
Ra'am's threat of a parliamentary strike worked, and they got what they demanded. This time around, it may have been the result of an agreement signed upon the establishment of the government. However, the moment such extortionate ties are established, there is no reason for things to end here. The demolitions and enforcement are already frozen in practice, and one doesn't need too much imagination to see where this is headed. Ra'am has learned a simple lesson: The Bennett government gives in to pressure. Protection works, and Bennett will be made to pay increasingly more as time goes by.
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