Netanyahu's Dysfunctional Coalition
While still within the 100 days of grace since its establishment, it can hardly be said that grace characterizes the new Israeli coalition, embroiled in an “all-out war.”
Even before it has been in power 100 days, one thing can be said for the continuum of crises and bumps in the road facing the new coalition, namely that it is not surprising. Indeed, we see the scenario all of us could have pictured just three months ago, as the coalition agreements were being signed, playing out before our very eyes: The connection isn’t working, the deal is faltering.
The following is a current and brief status report on the coalition: a deep coalition crisis, including threats of leaving the government; an embarrassing loss in the vote for appointment to the Judicial Selection Committee, where for the first time since the establishment of Israel, the coalition will not have a representative on this important committee (we will discuss this later); growing differences of opinion on issues of religion and state among the different parts of the coalition; and gaps in diplomatic views between the partner parties. If we add the fact of the weak obedience of coalition members, who leave the building without giving advance notice even before votes, the picture is clear — a coalition crisis.
The “dream coalition” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had in the previous Knesset ran like a well-oiled machine, in which each cog knew its place and they all worked together in harmony. Now, turn the tables 180 degrees and you’ll get the current situation: four parties comprise the coalition, and each of them is embroiled in a deep conflict with the other three.
Take, for example, the HaBayit HaYehudi party, which is engaged in one dispute or another with all of the other factions.
