Our leaders need to act responsibly

An extraordinary scene played out at Sunday's cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prevented Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz from speaking to the press during the brief time the media was present at the beginning of the meeting. It was embarrassing for anyone who saw the interaction, which was captured on tape for all to see. But it was especially embarrassing, or it should have been, for Netanyahu and Gantz. The scene appeared to be a childish display on our leaders' part, as if they were fighting in the sandbox rather than dealing with affairs of state. Reportedly, Netanyahu was upset with Gantz for making a statement in support of retired general Amir Haskel, who had been arrested outside the Prime Minister's Residence over the weekend in a protest against corruption. Whatever the reasons, the farce at the cabinet only emphasized the tension that exists between the two supposed leaders of the country. No doubt Netanyahu feels he can treat Gantz shabbily because his poll numbers have cratered. Netanyahu also appears to be increasingly channeling the behavior of US President Donald Trump, thinking that treating his rivals in this way will appeal to Trump and make Israel more liked in the White House. It is no surprise he did this on the eve of annexation with the president's negotiators in town. Netanyahu's tactics, attacking the press, police, justice system, rivals and everyone else in his way, has led to a crisis of confidence. Gantz and Netanyahu's inability to coordinate policy and attempts to upstage one another, usually at Gantz's expense, are potentially disastrous for the country as it faces a second wave of COVID-19 and annexation of parts of the West Bank. Months ago it appeared the leaders were being responsible. After three elections they sat down and decided on a unity government in the midst of a lockdown. That was the right decision instead of yet another round of wasteful elections. However, since then, the government has behaved irresponsibly in tackling the next wave of the coronavirus amid dire warning from health officials. Why did the country do so well between March and May and then let down its guard? Is it because the prime minister feels empowered now and no longer feels the need to deal with pesky questions from the public or other ministers, or is it merely arrogance and complacency at the top? There are questions that need to be answered as Israel appears to be lurching into yet another crisis with annexation. In recent days, there has been lack of message discipline from Jerusalem on basic issues. Blue and White officials have been speaking to media saying the July 1 date regarding annexation was not firm. Meanwhile statements from Washington have been delayed and US envoy Avi Berkowitz was in Israel to discuss and presumably arrive at a decision on how the sovereignty plan is going to look. At the same time, a great segment of the population could care less. That's because hundreds of thousands are out of work due to the pandemic and are not receiving basic government support. While these citizens are struggling to determine where their next paycheck is going to come from, the government didn't hesitate to approve Netanyahu's appeal to receive hundreds of thousands of shekels in retroactive tax breaks. The profound lack of seriousness with which the leaders appear to take the variety of crises does not bode well. Whether it's the annexation plan – with the government flip-flopping and zig-zagging – or the handling of the pandemic's second wave, the people deserve better. We deserve leaders who don't argue on camera about who gets to talk. We need leaders who can put personal animosity aside and focus on the critical issues at hand. And most of all, we need a government that can work together to make decisions as the country enters one of its most fateful stages, both in terms of how it's going to look and the health of its citizens.

Our leaders need to act responsibly

The profound lack of seriousness with which the leaders appear to take the variety of crises does not bode well.

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