Israeli Politics, Always "Just Before Elections," Nu Gidon Saar?

Haaretz, Gideon Sa'ar. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi 

Former Likud MK and minister Gidon Saar chose the pre-Passover Likud toast in Acre to return to political/public life. Even though his carefully written/prepared speech claimed there aren't Knesset Elections on the horizon, we all know that here in Israel it can change on a dime.

What's most interesting here is that Sa'ar is sticking with the Likud and not trying to form a new party or join one of the coalition or opposition parties. Being almost a generation younger than Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, that's a good tactic. Netanyahu will be turning 68 towards the end of the year, which is younger than American President Trump but past Israel's official retirement age.

Sa'ar may not be all that charismatic, but he's no dummy. Marketing experts say that one should hold onto one's customers and add to that base. Sa'ar has his support in the Likud, and switching parties would necessitate building a rather new support base.

Even if Bibi has inherited his father's longevity, there's a very strong chance that he and his family will be happy/ready to hand over the reins, or more accurately, headache of running the country and the Likud within the next five years. The question here is whether or not Sa'ar's wife, television news star Geula Evan, will be willing to give up her profession to be Israel's "first lady."  I assume that she has agreed, since he gave up his job in the early years of their marriage, so now if/ he reaches top job, she'll be the one. 

Israeli politics is never dull and politicians can never relax. There's no job security, but the pension is great!

PS You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned anything about Gidon Sa'ar's politics/policies/opinions. The reason is simple. I just don't trust anyone to keep their campaign promises.

Israeli Politics: Pre-Elections Shake-Ups?

While the Israeli Opposition hasn't let up much in its campaign to unseat Bibi and the Likud, things haven't been very pastoral on the Right of the political spectrum.

Pundits have been hinting and nudging the recently "retired" Gideon Sa'ar to reinvent himself and against Netanyahu, and they now claim he will. OK they've said it before... Let's see. I wonder about a lot of things when it comes to him, and the biggie is whether his wife, Israeli news anchor Geula Even, is willing to have her professional wings clipped if he re-enters politics. And I'm very cynical about his actual ideology, how Right he really is, especially push comes to shove...

And the other really big news is that in the newly Puritan Israel, which once prided itself on the sexual prowess of its politicians, considered it even admirable that sexual conquests were "easy" and condoned and even braggable, now condemn all that.

The latest "victim" of the new morality is none other than Sylvan Shalom who finally resigned when the accusations got too hot to handle even by his wife Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes. He'll be replaced in the Likud Knesset line-up by Amir Ohana, who'll be the Likud's first out of the closet homosexual MK. Let's see what the Israeli media will do with that.

And considering the super narrow coalition of 61 that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heads, politics will stay rocky for as long as he has those thin delicate reins in his hands.

Feeling Sorry for Geula Even-Sa'ar

I can't say which of the potential power couple Gidon Sa'ar or Geula Even the IBA Televison heads is hated or feared more.

Channel 1 suspends Sa'ar's wife pending his run

Israel Broadcasting Authority suspended Channel 1 anchorwoman Geula Even Monday pending a decision by her husband, former interior minister Gideon Sa’ar, to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister and Likud leader...
“This is yet another attempt to harm me in my workplace,” Even said. (Jerusalem Post)

Even and Sa'ar with
baby David, credit

They aren't even letting Gidon Sa'ar make up his mind and throw his hat into the ring before taking his wife Geula Even off the air.  I'd consider that a threat. Why are they so afraid of Gidon Sa'ar?

"Teflon" Lapid and Other Israeli Coalition Thoughts

Flash 90

Will Yair Lapid, Finance Minister pay a price for his Shabbat-breaking faux pas?

Will Lapid's Sabbath Desecration Bring Down the Coalition?
A coalition has already broken apart in a similar gaffe to Lapid's Shabbat press conference; MKs warning action may be taken.
Finance Minister Yair Lapid's (Yesh Atid) decision to hold a press conference in his Tel Aviv home on Saturday in open violation of the Sabbath has religious and non-religious MKs alike furious, with many waiting to see if the move may spell the end of the rocky coalition government.

Arutz 7, which observes the Shabbat, had the above article in a prominent position, but besides the also Sabbath observing Jewish Press, I couldn't find any other site that stressed the significance or possible ramifications of  such a breach of Israeli political protocol.

Sabbath observance, no matter how one defines Shabbat, is an integral part of Israeli life. Considering that Lapid is still campaigning for public bus service on Shabbat and supports stores being open seven days a week, it's pretty clear that he is against a public day of rest. Lapid wants shopkeepers, bus drivers and the media to work 24/7. His concept, if he has one, of human rights is rather cruel and old-fashioned.

It seems like Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu doesn't care, nor does the media, nor his coalition partners including the religious Naftali Bennett of the NRP aka Jewish Home. There should have been a major public hullabaloo protesting Lapid's Shabbat press conference.

Silence is acquiescence to this break in protocol. I think that Bibi is perfectly comfortable with Lapid's anti-Jewish policies. If Bennett wants to show his leadership potential he must break out of the coalition. I doubt if he or his MK's will do it. Their campaign promise was to be in the coalition, which is the main reason I refused to vote from him.

And about Gidon Sa'ar's resignation from Likud politics. Once I read that his wife Geula Even had been suspended just before the resignation for breaking her "don't interview Likud MK restriction," it was perfectly clear that their careers conflicted. One had to change jobs, and they decided that he would be the one.

Even and Sa'ar with
baby David, credit

Since Even is married to outgoing Interior Minister and Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar, she was instructed that interviews with Likud politicians are taboo on her nightly current affairs program The Supplement.
Despite the warning, Even interviewed Likud MK Gila Gamliel, which resulted in an argument between her and Hasson. (Jerusalem Post)

IMHO, it's pretty obvious that is the reason.

Another interesting political couple, Likud minister and media personality, are MK Sylvan Shalom, Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water, Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galil, Minister of Regional Cooperation (a hodge-podge of minor ministries because he is in competition with PM Bibi,) and Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes scion of Israel's main (Leftist) media dynasty. Last week Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes spoke at the Tefillat Chana, Shiloh Hakeduma-Tel Shiloh event, playing up herself as just like the religious women in the audience. For many of the attendees it was quite a surprise to see her in Shiloh. I heard from a friend that she spoke about her visit to Shiloh very positively on her radio show. She and her husband have been positioning themselves more and more on the religiously Traditional and Right of Israeli politics and life/society. I would keep that in mind when trying to predict what's next.

Israeli politics is never dull, and no doubt I'll have lots more to write about in the near future.