So this is what a 'prime minister for all' means
Op-ed: Netanyahu's speech at the President's Residence was the exact opposite of what came out of his mouth only nine days earlier; those who are not part of his camp could experience for a few moments what it feels like when your prime minister doesn’t incite against you.
The president's coolness, or should I say reservation, almost made his criticism against the prime minister unnecessary. And it was there in every world. Each of the tasks mentioned by Rivlin concealed harsh criticism against Netanyahu: The first task, reinforcing the relationship between Israel and the United States (or in other words: The relationship that you, Bibi, managed to destroy);
the second task, restoring the political system's stability (the stability that you, Bibi, managed to undermine) and restoring the public's trust in the system (the trust which was lost in your six years in office); and the third task, healing the painful wounds and rifts opened in recent years (the years you served as prime minister), which grew stronger during this election campaign (in which you stopped at nothing, including incitement and instigation, in order to secure your re-election).
Netanyahu's speech was the exact opposite of the texts which came out of his mouth only nine days earlier. The viewers at home, those who are not part of Netanyahu's camp – the left, the Arabs, all those non-Zionists – could feel for a slight moment what it feels like when your prime minister doesn’t incite against you.
If they closed their eyes, they could experience for a few seconds the meaning of a prime minister for all: A prime minister who says he is aware of the responsibility placed upon him. who sees himself as the prime minister of each and every one of us, those who elected him and those who didn’t, who promises to work to mend the rifts between the different segments of society, who talks about equal rights for all citizens, regardless of religious, race or gender.
Even the challenges Netanyahu presented were suddenly normal. Suddenly we're talking about peace again, and life itself isn't just Iran, but also the cost of living and cost of housing, and an acknowledgement of the need to preserve the friendship with the US. Okay, so he did repeat the need to act against the agreement with Iran, but on a small scale, without the usual intimidations. On the contrary, we suddenly have a partner, we have a partnership with the Arab states in the region.
Rivlin, in his own speech, alluded to what he hoped he would manage to do – lead to the establishment of a national unity government. Allow me to estimate that the president is pushing at an open door. Isaac Herzog is waiting for a phone call, political sources in the right and in the left said this week. They were not referring to the "red phone," and definitely not to that phone ringing at 3 am. They were just implying that Herzog would very much like to join the government, and that it's driving him crazy that no one is calling him.
It seems no one is impressed by the denials coming from the Zionist Union about a national unity government. I doubt anyone is even buying into Herzog's message, which he is trying to convey to the leaders of the parties designated to enter Netanyahu's government, that he is not a leverage and tool in Netanyahu's hands and that they should not be alarmed by Netanyahu's attempted spin.
This is a spin of evil-hearted people, Herzog says. I made it clear that we are in the opposition. I even attacked Netanyahu directly, saying that everything I warned of is indeed happening. All he wants to do is reduce the parties' price.
So why isn't anyone convinced?
