As I write these words, I do not know if there will be early elections. Among the politicians and commentators who have spoken about the possibility of early elections, one will find the usual Netanyahu-phobes, who for years have excelled at protecting and glorifying themselves.
Both malice and evil are necessary to accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dismantling a right-wing government for personal reasons when there are no torch-carrying ministers acting to undermine him. Any reasonable person understands the outcome of an election cannot be predicted. Who understands better than Netanyahu that events that transpire on election day can impact the results? Flattering surveys, though indicative of a pervading atmosphere, are no guarantee their findings will be realized at the polls. Elections cannot truly influence the investigations. They can only further motivate investigators to hunt Netanyahu.
Years ago, Netanyahu's critics tried to convince the public he could be made to buckle under pressure. Netanyahu's firm stance against former U.S. President Barack Obama and his uncompromising defense of Israel's territorial integrity, however, have convinced a majority of the public that he in fact knows very well how to withstand pressure, the result of extraordinary mental fortitude. For the good of the country and the preservation of its marvelous achievements, Netanyahu cannot afford to govern a coalition in which every one of its components worries about its own sectoral concerns. It is impossible to imagine a situation in which at a given point, any minister can bring down the government. There can be no coalition government without collective responsibility. Running a government as if the interests of the state are a secondary concern is irresponsible.
On Sunday, the United Torah Judaism party's Council of Torah Sages proved it was not an independent authority. The fact is the council secretary issues statements about decisions without the knowledge of its senior members. Council members draw from the information and assessments relayed to them from their political representatives. They have no way of examining the authenticity of the information. United Torah Judaism leader Yakov Litzman is therefore the man deciding the council's moves. If preserving the integrity of the coalition is important to Litzman, then he should not hide behind the Council of Torah Sages. There exists a fair compromise that can address the issue of haredi enlistment to the Israel Defense Forces.
Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Lieberman is trying to raise the flag of secularism in contending with Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid. As far as Lieberman is concerned, immigrants from the Soviet Union, whom his party claims to represent, are a blatantly secular electorate. What then would he find more appealing than fighting for burden equality and hiding behind the IDF chief of staff or a committee established by the Defense Ministry or the IDF to examine haredi enlistment?
As decision time draws near, reason and responsibility will prevail. Security, the preservation of the land, accelerated economic development and concern for the weaker members of society will push aside the capricious interests of coalition members.
