Israel may soon have a government. Let's hope it does the right thing

Let’s hope that once the new ministers get to work, they will put their personal ambitions on the back burner and devote all of their focus to the issues at hand.

By JPOST EDITORIAL
Israeli children watch as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a live press conference on the new government restrictions for the public regarding the coronavirus COVID-19 on March 19, 2020 (photo credit: CHEN LEOPOLD/FLASH90)
Israeli children watch as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a live press conference on the new government restrictions for the public regarding the coronavirus COVID-19 on March 19, 2020
(photo credit: CHEN LEOPOLD/FLASH90)
They said it couldn’t be done. And it might not last long. But finally, after three elections spanning 18 months filled with uncertainty, anger, senseless expense and political paralysis, Israel now seems to be on the verge of having a government.
It’s a coalition built on a flimsy house of cards that could be blown over at any moment, full of unlikely bedfellows whose main shared trait is a deep mistrust of one another. Whether the tenuous prime minister rotation agreement reached between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz will prove to be a viable working model depends on so many factors, not the least of which is Netanyahu’s trial, which begins later this month.
There are so many question marks about this coalition; but on the other hand, it’s a government. And a sizeable number of Israelis seem to be willing to accept the lowest of bars by holding their noses while simultaneously breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
There’s much to be desired in the makeup of the new government, beginning with the shameful appointment of some three dozen ministerial positions and several new deputy minister positions – the most in Israel’s history.
With the country in such a precarious economic position and with so many thousands of citizens having experienced unprecedented economic woes due to the last two months of shutdown, the last thing Israel needs is a bloated government.
But, as usual, the demands of the coalition partners trump the needs of people they are supposed to be serving. Ostensibly formed as a selfless unity measure to combat the effects of the pandemic, the nascent coalition quickly turned into a selfish, power-hungry ministry grab.
Let’s hope that once the new ministers get to work, they will put their personal ambitions on the back burner and devote all of their focus to the issues at hand, because there is no shortage of urgent concerns facing the country.
First and foremost of course is the critical challenge of digging Israel’s economy out of its coronavirus-induced crisis while minimizing the health risks to the population. Incoming Finance and Health ministers Israel Katz and Yuli Edelstein have their work cut out for them.
Beyond the formidable obstacles posed by coronavirus, Edelstein is inheriting a health system that was on life support even before the current pandemic emerged. This is what Israelis care about – and how the new government addresses the health system crisis is how it will be judged.
Another pressing issue that the government will need to immediately face is that of  annexation of parts of the West Bank and the overall framework of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. There stands to be robust opposition within the government to unilateral annexation of certain “consensus” settlements and the Jordan Valley from coalition members Blue and White and Labor.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized during his brief visit here this week that annexation is Israel’s decision to make, which raises the long-standing question – what does Israel want? Will the new government be able to lay out that elusive vision?
Of course, planning visionary moves must be integrated with the here and now, and the tenuous situation on Israel’s borders must take up considerable band width of the new government’s attention. Incoming Defense Minister Benny Gantz brings a wealth of experience to the field, which will be vital to face the ongoing threats from Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah in the North, and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the South.
Overall, it’s a daunting task facing Israel’s 35th government. Let’s hope its fateful decisions will be made based on the greater good of the country and not on the narrow agenda of parties or ministers. Those decisions will shape the country for the coming decades and require a vigorous sense of responsibility, a modicum of humility and unflagging energy and commitment.
We wish the new government well and hope it lives up to the expectations of the people it is meant to represent – people who deserve functioning, caring and efficient leadership.