Not one good word can be said about the size of the government sworn in yesterday at the Knesset. It is too large, too inflated, too wasteful. This is true especially in light of the coronavirus crisis, which has claimed the livelihood of thousands of self-employed citizens wounded moderately to severely in the fight for their economic survival. Even if the argument that another round of elections would have cost more is plausible, the government's outward appearance, particularly the invention of embarrassing and redundant new ministries, cannot be easily swallowed.
Despite it all, though – if we put the embarrassment aside for a moment – we shall see that this government offers a particularly hopeful message. It will be the most representative and diverse government in Israel's history – one that, perhaps for the first time since the state's establishment, includes nearly all of the movements, genders, ethnic groups, and opinions that make up Jewish-Israeli society.
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Who could have imagined that advocates of Greater Israel such as Yariv Levin and Yuli Edelstein could sit at the same table with representatives of the Labor Party – Amir Peretz and Itzik Shmuli? Who could have dreamed that three openly gay MKs would cooperate with Gur Hasids, a Belz Hasid, and several Lithuanian Haredim? It is heartening to see representatives of the periphery alongside those of the central Gush Dan area – from Kiryat Gat's Miki Zohar to Tel Aviv's Asaf Zamir.
Despite the unjustified exclusion of Yamina, religious Zionism is also amply represented, in all its shades – from extreme Hardalim (nationalist Haredim) such as Rafi Peretz, to Hotovely and Tropper, to the formerly religious Hendel.
To this we should add the two representatives of the Ethiopian community to fulfill the roles of minister and deputy minister, as well as representatives of the kibbutzim, the vegan movement, and the elderly – comprising a widely inclusive government.
The first thought that comes to mind in response to this combination is – trouble. Almost every issue may spark controversy, whether it is the opening of grocery stores on the Sabbath, the Surrogacy Law, economic policy, budget approval, or the annexation of the West Bank – not to mention the judicial system, which is at the heart of the political-ideological conflict.
This may, however, be an opportunity. All of the components of Jewish-Israeli society are here convened under the same roof for four years – let them talk to each other. True, this can bring about a clash, which will boost TV ratings. But there is also a good chance that the new government's members will achieve insights, solutions, understandings, and national reconciliation.
