A government with no horizon and no future
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4655311,00.html
Over the course of its 67 years of independence, Israel has had various kinds of governments – narrow, broad, successful, failed, short-lived and long-lived. Most were established following complex negotiations, fraught with crises. Irrespective of the events leading up to their establishment and thereafter, these governments all had one whole magical evening of celebration – like a couple on their wedding night.
Not by chance does the signing of a coalition deal resemble the signing of a nuptial agreement: After pen has been put to paper, the in-laws bravely shake hands, the ministers' families arrive dressed to the nines for the vote in the Knesset, and then the ministers, positively glowing with joy, pose together for the photograph at the President's Residence – one for the album. When it comes to politics, there is nothing more wedding-like than a coalition deal.
But the enthusiasm, the optimism, the freshness and even the innocence that accompanied previous governments to the wedding ceremony are sorely lacking this time around. Israel's 34th government is starting out with the sense that it has no horizon, no future.
There was very little talk this week in the political establishment about a wedding, while much was said about a divorce – when, how and at what cost. The new government has yet to reach the starting line, and already its end is in sight. I'm reminded of that famous Israeli supermodel who married in order to save her career from the punishment of being drafted into the Israel Defense Forces. Her wedding was held under the shadow of the fast-approaching deadline, just like the marriage between Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett.
