Translated by Hillel Fendel
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| MK Benny Gantz (photo courtesy of inn.co.il) |
Q. What's this we hear about the expiration of Benny Gantz's mandate to form a government this coming Wednesday? What does this really mean?
A. MK Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue and White Party, received from President Ruby Rivlin the authority to form a government after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu failed at the same task. The period in which Gantz must form the government ends this Wednesday evening.
Q. And if he does not succeed by then?
A. If he is unable to form a government, the State of Israel will enter a situation that has not occurred for dozens of years. For a three-week period, any MK who can gather the signatures of 61 Knesset Member colleagues [a majority of the Knesset] endorsing his or her bid to form a government will be the next – and last – one charged with this task. He will have 14 days to put together a government.
Q. And if no one gathers 61 signatures?
A. Then we go to elections within 90 days, somewhere in the middle of March.
Q. The Likud fears that Gantz and Lieberman will form a "minority government." What is that?
A. A government in Israel requires a "simple" majority of the Knesset, that is, a majority of the MKs present for the vote. There is no need for 61 MKs. Therefore, since Gantz and his allies have 44 MKs plus Lieberman's 8, plus another 2 MKs that he is trying to entice from the right-wing bloc, and if the 13 MKs of the Joint Arab List agree not to vote against them, then a coalition government can be established by a 54-53 margin.
Another possibility is that some or all of the Arab parties vote with the government and Lieberman's 8 MKs and several others abstain.
Of course, the moment that the Arabs decide to vote against the government, or if two coalition MKs vote against it – the government falls. A "minority government" is clearly not a very stable one.
Q. Has there ever been a minority government in Israeli?
A. Yes, both times led by left-wing MKs. Yitzchak Rabin, during part of his second term, headed a minority government, as did Ehud Barak.
Q. Does this appear likely to occur again now?
A. No one can be sure, but the chances appear to be quite slim. Cooperation of this type between Lieberman and the Arab list just days after a mini-war in Gaza appears beyond anyone's imagination. In addition, within Blue and White itself are MKs who would have trouble supporting such a government. But of course, in politics sometimes it is the most incredible option that happens.
Q. If it's so unlikely, why is Netanyahu so worried about it?
A. Because both Lieberman and the Arabs are scaring him by appearing to play the game. Neither of them is willing to say outright that they absolutely won't go for such a government. MK Ahmed Tibi said it clearly today: "We want to keep Netanyahu in hysterics." Q. So what will be?
A. "Rabbi Yochanan said: From the day the Holy Temple was destroyed, prophecy was taken from the prophets and given to the fools." (Tr. Bava Batra 12b)