Weekly Commentary: Zoabi's has traditional sectoral demands, what truly
drives Netanyahu?
Dr. Aaron Lerner May 22nd 2022

#1. Sectoral politicians serving the economic interests of their sector.

When MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi of the left-wing Meretz announced last week
that she intended to leave the coalition, she talked about settlement
construction, al Aqsa and other matters which might be termed associated in
some way or another to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

That was her talk.

But as the days passed and she discussed behind closed doors what she wanted
in order to remain in the coalition none of these issues were apparently on
the table. Instead she wanted money, which already received preliminary
approval, to go to a hospital in Nazareth and for the target for Arab
employment in the public sector to be adjusted upwards.

In a word - a politician representing a sector wanted money and jobs for her
sector.

Reshet Bet reported a "scoop" this morning, revealing what Abbas of Ra'am
was getting to keep him in the coalition: the money already approved in the
budget for the Arab sector is to be spent now.

Again not al Aqsa,

To conclude, you have every right to choose to be dismayed that left wing
Meretz or Islamic Ra'am is in the ruling coalition. But no matter how black
the full page ads in Makor Rishon and elsewhere may be, the concessions
which they are gaining hardly appear to be earth shattering. After all, no
one saw fit to spend money on ads condemning Netanyahu for passing what, at
the time, was record breaking funding for the Arab sector.

#2. What Netanyahu really wants

Binyamin Netanyahu honestly believes that he is literally the only
politician on the Israeli scene today who is qualified to be prime minister.

Netanyahu is convinced that the very survival of the Jewish State is in
jeopardy every minute that he is not prime minister.

So when Binyamin Netanyahu does everything and anything to get back into
power it isn't because he lusts for power, but instead to save the country.

Netanyahu thinks that allowing a bill sponsored by the coalition to grant
scholarships to soldiers helps the coalition stay in power, thus endangering
Israel's survival. So he instructed the Likud to vote against it instead of
having it passed in the first reading with the possibility that it can be
amended in committee to reflect whatever improvements he claims justify
defeating the bill as currently written.

And it also means that Binyamin Netanyahu can address the Knesset saying
whatever he thinks may further hurt the ruling coalition regardless of it
veracity or lack thereof.

So if you share Binyamin Netanyahu's assessment that our survival hinges on
his being prime minister you are most certainly justified to blindly embrace
and parrot his every word.

Otherwise, it is necessary to carefully examine each of his claims and moves
before promoting them.
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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il