Netanyahu embarks on senior civil service 'beheadings'
Several ministry director-generals have either resigned or were dismissed in what is perceived as an attempt to weaken these ministries.
Yael Endoran, the director-general of the Ministry of Finance, resigned her post only 10 days after the elections, almost two months before Moshe Kahlon was sworn in as finance minister. She was the harbinger of things to come. Last week, during Netanyahu's first day of work as communications minister, he dismissed Communications Ministry Director-General Avi Berger over the phone.
On Monday, the director-general of the Foreign Ministry, Nissim Ben-Shitrit, was added to Netanyahu's dismissal list. He was replaced by Dore Gold, a close confidant of the prime minister; Netanyahu, meanwhile, is also serving as foreign minister.
Simultaneously, Antitrust Authority Commisioner David Gilo and National Insurance Institute (NII) Director General Esther Dominissini both resigned.
The background to each of these dismissals and resignations differs, but what they all share is the attempt to "clean the stables". In the US, and in other countries, it is customary for most if not all of the senior ministers leave their posts after the formation of a new government. But in this case, Netanyahu and the Likud still composed the new government.
Zionist Union MK Yoel Hasson stated: "The Prime Minister's Office dismissals are beheadings. Netanyahu is involved in targeted and effective assassinations of the foreign and communications ministries for the benefit of those who speak "Netanyahu's language", so that they will maintain his leadership and serve as his long and oppressing arm."
Professor Gilo announced his resignation from his post as Antitrust Authority commissioner, in light of the government's desire to come to an agreement with the drilling companies on the ownership structure of the natural gas fields.
"I am convinced that the draft that was drawn up will not bring competition to this very important sector", he stated in his resignation letter to Economy Minister Aryeh Deri. At the faction meeting Netanyahu said that he "very much admires" Gilo's work, "but in this case he was the only one who opposed to the draft offered by the professional authorities. Besides him, all the participants support the draft which will allow us to materialize the gift given to us by nature."
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yachimovich turned to Aryeh Deri in the Knesset plenum and told him that Gilo's resignation was a "big blow to the public and a victory for the gas companies and their representatives in the government. I'm turning to you and asking you to call Gilo, ask him to stay. You will discover that he is a true professional and friendly. You will benefit from this as a minister, and especially the public which you represent will benefit from this."
Deri replied: "I agree with you. I have already done that. I turned to Gilo and asked him not to resign. To my chagrin he refused."
Omri Balali, who is leading the Green Course environmental group's battle over the drilling for natural gas by Israel, said that "Gilo's resignation stresses the Israeli government's powerlessness to deal with the energy sector, its continuing disregard and its theft of the natural gas from the public."
The end of the sole recommendation to be implemented
Dominissini told Ynet that her decision to resign arose when she realized that the incoming deputy health minister, Yaakov Litzman, had no intention of using the authority of state hospitals, founded less than a year ago by former health minister Yael German of Yesh Atid.
"It's sad that we invested so much energy, we built a foundation, we set up a hierarchical structure, a work plan, we set objectives, and in the end it all went down the drain", said Dominissini. The authority was the only one of German's committee that was implemented.
Dominissini pointed out that a year ago the government decided to found a body that would bring about reforms in the health system and to deal with the conflicts of interest built into the system, but in the last few days she realized that Litzman had no intention of using it.
She said: "From the day Litzman entered his post, he expressed several times that he hadn't yet decided whether or not to use the authority. This highlights the lack of continuity of governance in this country. Every new minister decides something else. Less than a year since the government's decision, the body has been around for only a couple of months, and the incoming minister says that there is absolutely no need for it."
She added: "I understood that the new minister had a different set of priorities. It's clear that in order to undertake long-term reforms the incoming minister has to say 'I support it and am committed', as we are dealing with complicated proceedings that in the end were supposed to lead to shorter lines, shorter waiting times in emergency rooms, removal of beds from corridors, and the balancing of the periphery and center's infrastructure. To my dismay there are many governmental decisions that aren't implemented, and this is just one more."
Outgoing director-general of the Foreign Ministry, Nissim Ben-Shitrit, was dismissed by Netanyahu, who is also serving as foreign minister, and was replaced by Gold. Ben-Shitrit's removal was perceived by the ministry's staff as a slap in the face, and as as part of Netanyahu's campaign to weaken the Foreign Ministry and the dismantling of its responsibilities to different authorities, a process that was sped up with the various authorities given to Minister Gilad Eran.
Senior authorities in the Foreign Ministry said that the move leaves the Foreign Ministry paralyzed after they chopped up its responsiblities. Other senior officials said that there is a feeling of despair in the ministry, and warned that dismantling the ministry and the division of its responsibilities will harm the state's interests. Israel's foreign embassies are facing a tsunami, they said.
The departing foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman referred to Ben-Shitrit's dismissal at his Yisrael Beytenu party's weekly faction meeting on Monday.
"I also heard that the prime minister decided to dismiss the director-general of the Foreign Ministry," he said. "This is in fact his right, director-general is a position of trust, but in the end, it has to be made clear that no appointment is a substitute for a defined policy."
