Netanyahu's procrastinating no longer pays off - analysis

What Netanyahu put his ministers through will result in him having new enemies in the party

By GIL HOFFMAN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo credit: REUTERS)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Throughout his career, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a strategy of never making political decisions until they were absolutely necessary.
He knew that if he had to upset people, it was wise to wait at as long as he could before getting around to doing it.
That strategy has worked for the most part, enabling him to become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, while breaking countless political promises.
But sooner or later, that risky strategy had to come back to harm him – and that is what happened on Thursday night.
The Likud ministerial hopefuls knew that the battle for the party’s cabinet seats would be a bloodbath. Out of 18 ministers and MKs who saw themselves as ministers in the next government, there were only 10 portfolios to be had.
“This is going to be a world war,” one minister said on Saturday night.
That same minister said on Thursday it turned out to be even worse than expected.
Netanyahu kept stringing along all the candidates until time ran out. It did not help that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took away many hours of precious time on the eve of the government’s formation.
Likud MKs questioned why the first post-coronavirus crisis visit by a foreign dignitary and the first major trip abroad by the US secretary of state could not have waited two days until Israel formed its first fully functioning government in a year and a half.
Ministers complained there was no communication with Netanyahu’s office. One minister said Netanyahu always knew how to find them when he needed them but now he vanished.
“I waited and waited and waited and then I gave up,” one of the ministers said.
Others complained Netanyahu ignored the results of the last Likud primary and appointed ministers based on loyalty to him and his family. They were especially angry about the quick rise of outgoing Justice Minister and incoming Public Security Minister Amir Ohana.
“Netanyahu made a mistake by not respecting democratic decisions in Likud,” a minister said. “The Likud list is the objective criterion.”
What Netanyahu put his ministers through will result in him having new enemies in the party. He offered more than one to be an ambassador, but they rejected his offer to get out of the way and leave the country.
“There is plenty that is important to do in the Knesset,” one minister said. “We love the prime minister, but we are tired of being disappointed. I need to be here in Israel to replace Netanyahu.”


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