I admit that despite all I have seen and heard about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I was convinced that once Blue and White head Benny Gantz's three months in the role came to an end, he would allow for the authorization of a justice minister at the last minute.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
This is irresponsible, and Netanyahu's motivations are difficult to comprehend. The justice minister signs off on infinite documents, some of which are rendered invalid if they aren't signed. Without a justice minister, one cannot, for example, request extraditions, grant pardons, adopt legislation that passed three Knesset readings or regulations that are sometimes more important than legislation.
One can, of course, postpone meetings of Knesset committees headed by a justice minister, but there are a number of things that simply cannot be postponed.
When I received the thick, black binder of all of the powers granted to the justice minister by the State of Israel from my predecessor, I was stunned. A justice minister has the authority to order the closure of a court, for example. Contemplate what would happen if a minister were to decide the building that houses the Jerusalem District Court was in some kind of danger and ordered the court closed. Anyone who leaves Israel without a justice minister either doesn't know about that black binder or, as a result of the predicament they find themselves in, doesn't really care about dragging Israel into a fifth round of elections and preventing the government from passing a budget for over two years.
As I sit and wonder what led Netanyahu to leave the country without a justice minister for the first time in 73 years, I learned he was about to address the nation. Although I have gotten used to his frequent appearances that never leave any time for questions, my heart somehow still skips a beat every time the news channels announce they are about to broadcast the prime minister's remarks live.
I listened carefully to his remarks, and I asked myself whether this intelligent man really believed the things he was saying. He seemed to. He seems to have genuinely convinced himself that a long line of people he himself appointed or played a central role in appointing in recent years had joined up with the formidable Left and the media outlets to carry out nothing short of an "attempted coup."
He spoke of improper methods of garnering evidence, the concealment of facts, and the immoral conduct of the State Attorney's Office and declared that in no other democracy in the world would the prosecution do what it is doing now in Israel.
Much can be said about Netanyahu's bizarre press conference. While I am happy to say that esteemed individuals have already explained why the supposed facts the prime minister described are far from reality to the media, the numerous talks I have had with prisoners came to mind.
Some of the prisoners I met seemed completely normative. Many of them explained that they had been "targeted" by "the system." They can explain, down to the very last detail, why they were singled out for harassment while others weren't arrested and taken to court for engaging in similar behavior.
Yet their efforts to persuade you usually come to an end once you ask them: "Why were you specifically "marked"? How can you explain the police and legal system's motivation to look for a pretext to harass you in such a serious manner?" They don't feel a need to explain the system's motives. They see what's in store for them and convince themselves someone has decided to single them out.
The only difference is that this time, the person in question is Israel's prime minister, the same man who on Tuesday once again received the mandate to establish the next government.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
