that Bibi had twisted thoughts about granting Lapid the FM and hoped to get him out of his task very soon. And it was also clear that the popularity and the openminded and warm behaviour of Lapid would get the upper hand. Bibi surely hates the man from the bottom of his heart, but in the end it will be him whose power will come to an end and very soon as Lapid has predicted!

You are missing the point. The loser will not be some kind of "King Bibi" in his palace - but you, the common Israeli. Also if Lapid is messing up the security situation with deep cuts it is you or you children who will pay for his mistakes with their blood (g-d forbid). This isn't about pushing left/right agendas. It never was. Israeli realities have very little margins for errors.

The average Israeli is a mooch a schnorrer, a whiner. He spends more time being envious of the other guy that working on his own concerns. Envy and jealousy is his main trait. What to do? Simple...take that government teat out of his mouth. Its not whom you know, but what you know. Merit..should be the only criterion by which one is to achieve anything. Cut the people off the government teat and let them run. Those who can, will, those who cant, wont. Its the free enterprise system that made America great. Its the social engineering that is tanking the once great America. As for the political intrigue..it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Netanyahu, Lapid etc etc are nothing more that moochers, schnorrers and takers.

Sever Plocker is perennially busy at attacking Nethanyahu and Likud. He takes every subject and turns it into an anti Netanyahu and anti Likud analysis. He has lost his objectivity (if he ever had it), and now his economic analyses are suspect.

Another anti-Netanyahu propaganda piece from a biased left wing writer. No credibility, here.

The article was written by somebody so left-wing blinkered that he can't see the wood for the trees. Doesn't Plocker read any newspaper other than HaAretz? The public is scorning and hating Lapid for the budget and blaming him for the downgrading of Israel's credit rating. Several years ago I made a quick list that would save me from reading tripe such as this. On the list? Ray Hanania - wishful waffle Eitan Haber - shallow Sever Plocker - Ron Ben-Yishai Nahum Barnea - Olmert spin Gideon Samet - extreme left Shmuel Gordon - spin Yoram Meital - just dumb I should start referring to the list again!

Lapid drank from the poison chalice .. and the people already hate him If you get your information from HaAretz then please don't post comments based on what you read there. HaAretz and articles such as this foolish and biased one are only useful in the smallest room in the house ;-)

Ever wondered what "brainless nonsense" means?! Wonder no more: read this Plocker's "masterpiece" and put your mind to rest.

Yair has his eyes on the government, he is screwing up the economy and getting praises for it.

Firstly, to write an open ed in a newspaper based on an assuption of natenyahus reasoning without any basis is foolishness at the very least. Secondly, lapid is not doing well at all. Example.....he wants to charge tourists to Israel another 17% of their hotel bill. Something which will drive tourism right down as currently tourists already pay expensive hotel rates compared to Israelis. Economists have predicted a loss of at least 200 million shekel from tourist revenue plus many more unemployed people from the tourist industry. But once again ynet will print any stupid article as long as it will promote their great lapid. Sad article, sad newspaper. I have yet to see an article in any uk newspaper assuming they know why David Cameron placed liberal democrats mps in certain posts.

Maybe - just maybe, Netanyahu and Lapid have similar goals and interests and are working together on this. I'm not sure why Plocker thinks a failed Finance Minister is a good thing for the Prime Minister - and why a successful FM is bad for the PM. Or possibly Plocker doesn't think!

Lapid's party success is the begining of a fundamental realignment of Israeli politics. Along with the gradual but sure opening up of the Haredi sector, Yesh Atid's new politics are leading us into a 3-4 major party system. Jewish Likud Center-Left Labor small religious parties in the middle.

This is a demeaning narrow-minded article. It supposes that the only thing the Prime Minister thinks about is his own political status and future. What about the country and its well-being? Did it ever occur to Mr. Plotsker that this might be a priority in the thought of the Prime Minister? Reducing a complicated human being to one narrow motive is mistaken in most cases. Here it is done to one'sidedly condemn the person responsible for the well-being of every Israeli.