I did everything I could in recent months so that the Yamina Knesset list would garner a significant number of votes in the elections and Naftali Bennett would be Israel's prime minister. I believed in him, his integrity, and his love for Israel and Zionism, and I supported him with all my might. Even at this time, it is completely clear to me that his intentions are good. Yet this is not the path.
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You said loudly and clearly: "I won't be prime minister with 10 mandates. That not moral, and it's not democratic." To my mind, you are right. The premiership should express massive public support, public support we didn't earn.
Every decision you make as prime minister will require the de facto approval of the Yesh Atid party, a party that is three times as large as Yamina but shares none of its founding principles - not on questions of the relationship between the legislative and judicial authorities or questions of policy or public security.
There is no real agreement on issues concerning the State of Israel's DNA either. Yesh Atid is identified with President Reuven Rivlin's talk of a "collection of tribes" and opposes the nation-state law. Yamina, on the other hand, has no qualms about the State of Israel's definition as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
One week before the election, you explicitly wrote: "Share so we can fight the fake news. Bibi's spin is an absolute lie." You said: "These are my principles for the next government: 1. Lapid will not be prime minister. I am a man of the Right, as are a majority of voters. 2. The next government that will be established will be a right-wing government. 3. We will establish a right-wing government that cares."
In retrospect, it turns out the spin was Yamina's: Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid will be prime minister, and although a majority of Yamina's voters are members of the Right, the government that will be established tomorrow is a government of the center-left, with the addition of a few fig leaves from the Right. Yamina broke a majority of its promises to voters, through the gross violation of the most basic of democratic codes: Tell the truth to voters and make an honest effort to meet your commitments to them.
Now for the significance of the decision to establish a left-wing government: From a societal standpoint, this is in no way a "unity" government, but rather an elitist government that excludes over a million right-wing voters while offering a stinging slap in the face to the lower classes and the traditional Jewish sector, portions of which supported us forcefully and now find themselves in a state of shock.
When it comes to the balance of power between the legislative and judicial branches, we are handing the State Attorney's Office and the judicial branch a victory. They have proven that through the use of show trials, an elected prime minister can be taken out of office, with no conviction necessary.
I would gladly be less suspicious of the judicial system, but remarks by its leaders, such as Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber and former State Attorney Shai Nitzan, don't leave much room for doubt as to their political motivations. In conclusion, with the forming of this government, we should expect to see the establishment of an incomparably strong judicial system.
In the international arena, let us not be mistaken: The establishment of a left-wing government that includes those who side with the International Criminal Court will be yet another blow to the nationalist-conservative axis. We should expect to see victory parties in Washington, Ramallah, the Gaza Strip, and above all else, Iran.
In the Talmud, there is an ancient commentary on the difference between a path that short and long and a path that is long and short. Unfortunately, Bennett has chosen the short path, and for that, we will all pay a price.
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