The incipient government unity must wipe out not only the coronavirus pandemic but also the epidemic of hatred. Both Netanyahu and Gantz will be responsible for that. At the political level, the first step that must be taken to eradicate this plague is to remove Avigdor Lieberman, the main hatemonger here in recent years, from any position of power or influence.
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It would be a grave mistake to bring him into the government. Lieberman, who is consumed by blind hatred for Netanyahu, first spread hatred for Arabs, then for the haredim, and then for the settlers and the "messianic" modern Orthodox, as he termed them. Lieberman must be sent into isolation to be cured of his hate.
Appoint an Arab minister
The nascent unity also points to a victory by the Jewish state over the state "of all its citizens" that the Joint Arab List wants to establish here to battle the Jewish majority, its symbols, its consciousness, and its very essence. That victory is wonderful news, but for it to be complete, and to avoid a repeat of the same scenario in the next election -- and mostly because this is the right thing to do -- the government should initiate a process of reconciliation with the Arabs of Israel. Not the Joint Arab List, heaven forbid. The first step to be taken is to appoint an Arab minister, one who is not anti-Zionist and who isn't from the ranks of the Joint Arab List. There are some.
The citizens of Israel should be grateful to MKs Zvi Hauser, Yoaz Hendel, and Orly Levy-Abekasis, who threw themselves in front of a delusional minority government that would have been dependent on a party whose members include supporters of "shahids," who whitewash this dangerous phenomenon. We can only hope that anyone who was seriously considering that option will be held to account in the next election. We cannot forgive or forget it.
The prime minister must train Gantz
The approaching unity should also spark an internal process of change for Prime Minister Netanyahu when it comes to the question of who will succeed him. If Netanyahu indeed intends to vacate his seat a year and a half from now, and because the state must come first, he needs to rise above any personal considerations and begin grooming Benny Gantz for the role of prime minister. In this case, the training period is beyond vital -- not only for Gantz himself, but also for the nation. Gantz certainly understands that. We must hope that Netanyahu will, as well.
And finally, after (and despite) the coronavirus epidemic, the one-time opportunity for annexation and to establish our eastern border with US approval is still here, at least until the US presidential election. We mustn't miss it. The differences between the Likud and Gantz's Israel Resilience party when it comes to permanent borders are minor. The very least on which we can agree is freedom for the cabinet members and MKs to vote their conscience when the maps of annexation are brought to them for approval.
