As more time passes, the more this government's conduct resembles a struggle for survival. This past week, for example, the offices of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid weren't busy managing the country's affairs, but rather devoted their time and energy to salvaging their teetering coalition.
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From the directors-general and senior advisers (those who are left) to the department heads, secretaries, clerks, and spokespeople – all are hitched to one mission: to prevent the fall of the government. From their perspective, this is nothing less than a national mission, on behalf of which all the country's resources can be committed – from money to security. Everything can be sacrificed on the altar of political survival.
The major looming question pertains to the budget. Approving the national budget is a dramatic issue for the parties in the Opposition, and cooperation with the government in this area is a virtually impossible proposition for those repeatedly claiming they want it to fall. With that, certain compromises can always be reached at the right price.
The current government has shown it is willing to pay, and a lot. The Haredim are on the sidelines as Avigdor Lieberman continues hitting them with reforms and decisions against the Haredi sector, and there's no doubt that some of them would be happy to have it all stop in exchange for cooperation with the government. The more Lieberman pummels them, the more a single Haredi member of Knesset will be accredited with saving the day. Incidentally, not all the Haredi factions are necessary in this regard. It's enough for one MK to abstain, and the coalition will have a majority.
The national budget is another event that could wear the government down, assuming it breaks its own record for paying and surrendering to extortionists. In the meantime, it mainly continues appeasing the Knesset's Arab representatives. As of now, most of the partners in the coalition would rather bite their tongues than come out against the Arab MKs – whether their allies in the Ra'am party or those in the Joint Arab List providing them a safety net.
When Ahmad Tibi called MK Merav Ben-Ari the "scum of the earth" for refusing to voice remorse over the death of Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, her Yesh Atid party chairman, Yair Lapid, said on Twitter that "Merav is the best," yet didn't say a word about Tibi.
In a discussion at the Knesset's Education Committee, New Hope MK Sharren Haskel removed Yoseph Hadad – an Arab Israeli activist for coexistence who is proud to wave the Israeli flag, serve in the IDF, and support the country – after he was called a "collaborator" and "traitor to his people" by MK Aida Touma-Sliman of the Joint Arab List. This is how the Joint Arab List views an Arab who wants coexistence and supports serving in the IDF. These are the people with whom the current government is doing business. Haskel, who ran the meeting, heard the disparaging remarks and did nothing. Hadad was escorted outside by security. Sliman remained in her seat, safe and sound.
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