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Photo: Gil Yohanan
Gilad Erdan. Politically dead in Netanyahu's eyes
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Eitan Haber

Netanyahu showed Erdan who's boss

Op-ed: Four rising politicians who set their sights on the prime minister's job were used by Netanyahu for his political needs, then thrown away; Gilad Erdan was the only one who didn't see it coming.

Only several weeks ago, a roar traveled from one end of the country to the other: Had there been an alternative to Benjamin Netanyahu, it would have been possible to elect a different candidate for prime minister of Israel. But there isn't. The buzz was that Netanyahu is the one and only who can serve as prime minister here, and therefore, left with no other choice, everyone must vote for him. Remember?

 

 

And is there anyone in this land of short memory who remembers that only a few months ago people spoke about Avigdor Lieberman as the prime minister's possible successor? And Moshe Kahlon? Well, they are not anymore.

 

The same fate will be shared by Gideon Sa'ar and Gilad Erdan. They were not ashamed to mumble at different times that they are headed to the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem in order to settle there permanently. And it doesn't matter if it was a slip of the tongue or if they only implied that that is their intention, or if they kept quiet in a way journalists like to refer to as a "deafening silence." It's safe to assume that in Netanyahu's eyes, they are now politically dead. The political magician from Kaplan Street in Jerusalem showed them who's boss.

 

We are talking about four officials in whom Netanyahu spotted a risk to his position. They can be divided into two groups: Lieberman and Kahlon, Sa'ar and Erdan.

 

Erdan (R) and Sa'ar. Small 'Bibis' with great ambitions (Archive photo: Yaron Brener) (Photo: Yaron Brener)
Erdan (R) and Sa'ar. Small 'Bibis' with great ambitions (Archive photo: Yaron Brener)

 

Lieberman is the most veteran one. A cunning political tactician of the highest degree, a collector of votes, a leader. At the beginning of the road, he was Netanyahu's teacher inside the Likud maze. He saw and heard everything from the inside and apparently decided that "anything you can do I can do better," as the famous Broadway song goes. In Netanyahu's eyes, he had dangerous potential: In his age, in his maturity, in his political ability. Throughout the years, Netanyahu sent him ropes to hang himself. Lieberman was erased in the eyes of the public as well from the list of candidates for prime minister.

 

Almost the same things can be said about Moshe Kahlon: The same maturity, and worse, huge popularity as the leader of the cellular reform, which affected every citizen's pocket. The danger on Kahlon's part was even bigger: He realized that he didn't know much about certain government areas and went to study. He tried to bridge gaps.

 

As a veteran and seasoned political activist, he was almost the first to understand that newspaper headlines such as "Kahlon is more popular than Netanyahu" could only hurt him, and he quit his position and the party in order to outflank Netanyahu from the right or from the left on his way to the prime minister's bureau. Kahlon left all options "on the table," and was left with just the table, but he has yet to say the final word in politics. If I were his friend or advisor, I would warn him not to excel too much. Because then it will be Netanyahu who will have the final word.

 

We are left with Sa'ar and Erdan. These two haven't concealed their intentions over the years: In their vigorous activities, by throwing hints, building political power and invisible preparations. The race between them was expected to be a political bloodbath. We are talking about two relatively young people, active and energetic, Netanyahu-like in their ambitions, not political backstabbers yet, but already practicing pulling out knives - small "Bibis" with great ambitions. Whether he saw himself and his style in them, or was afraid of successful people beside him, Netanyahu made their lives a living hell, using them for his political needs and then casting them aside.

 

This means that they still have to learn about politics, although they were both on the Dean's Honors list in this area. Sa'ar was the first to understand that no grass can grow under Netanyahu's tree, and he left in order to return when the next opportunity came along.

 

Erdan remained in the school, began the first grade, tried to excel in the very first class and was ordered to stand in the corner as a punishment. If he has yet to understand what happened to him, he will sooner or later.

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.20.15, 12:29
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