No matter where he went over the past few days, Knesset member Isaac “Buji” Herzog, chairman of the Labor Party, found himself surrounded by the heads of the ultra-Orthodox factions in the Knesset. They hailed him and they praised him, telling anyone who would only listen that he was their candidate for prime minister.
In the midst of the turbulent struggles between the coalition and the opposition in the Knesset, which is going on recess next week, attention focused March 11 on the warming relationship between Herzog and the ultra-Orthodox parties. The image presented to the media, largely by the ultra-Orthodox themselves, was that a new political alliance had been forged between the chairman of the Labor Party and the ultra-Orthodox, who turned their back on the right and on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. What really happened is much more complex.
While it is certainly in line with his character and temperament, Herzog was quick to bask in the compliments and respect heaped on him by his new supporters in the Knesset. For their part, the ultra-Orthodox went out of their way to show Netanyahu that they intend to wreak vengeance on him over the Sharing the Burden Law, which includes criminal sanctions for ultra-Orthodox men who refuse to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). But while the ultra-Orthodox may be moving closer to the Labor Party, calling it an alliance is premature.
Ever since Netanyahu left his ultra-Orthodox allies out of his government, and even more so after he threw his support behind the Sharing the Burden Law in the spirit of the Yesh Atid Party, ultra-Orthodox leaders have been looking for ways to settle accounts with him. At this stage, the decision to designate Herzog as their recommendation for prime minister, and to announce this decision in every possible forum, is nothing more than spin. Even when the chairman of the Shas Party, Knesset member Aryeh Deri, turns to Herzog and makes the pompous statement, “My blessing to you is that you ascend higher and higher,” and then expresses the hope, “If only we could coronate Herzog as prime minister,” there is no real reason to consider these statements a binding declaration.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
