Comings and goings in the Likud
As Moshe Ya'alon is squeezed out of the defense minister position and the portfolio is given to Avigdor Lieberman, the inner workings of Netanyahu's Likud party start to show.
On Sunday afternoon, Moshe Ya’alon closed the door to his office in the Ministry of Defense after three years and two months of being defense minister. The prime minister, or another minister chosen by him, will fill his position until the newly appointed nominee, Avigdor Lieberman enters the 14th-floor office in military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Ya’alon is prepared to assist Lieberman on the intricacies of his new post, should the incoming minister request it. Items that he needs to be familiar with include classified subjects, security agreements, and information that only Ya'alon knows and can pass on. But Ya’alon knows that Lieberman is unlikely to ask for help. The divide between Ya’alon and his replacement, from the prime minister, and from the entire political camp that was undermining him is too vast.
This is why Ya’alon automatically refused to accept the foreign minister’s portfolio when it was offered to him, and the prime minister won't put too much effort into convincing him. Why would Ya’alon accept a position where he would merely act as a mouthpiece for the delusional policies dictated by Lieberman, Bennett and Elkin?
Netanyahu essentially gave Ya’alon a "divorce certificate" a few weeks ago. Even then, the former defense minister was afraid that he would be abandoned and that his boss would seek to catch him on the smallest of things—a speech here, a statement there. Even then he was afraid that the prime minister had gotten in touch with Bennett and Lieberman and was abandoning him and the army for the Bennett-Elkin-Liberman triangle.
Ya'alon believes that this is dangerous for Israeli society. When he heard Ehud Barak's speech on Friday evening who spoke about the "fascist elements" which had taken control of the government and warned about the integrity of the individual who would become the new defense minister, Ya’alon agreed with every word.
If there is one thing that irritates Ya’alon regarding how the Defense Ministry operates, it's the possibility foreign interests intervening in Israeli military sales.
During Ya’alon's resignation speech on Friday, he reminded his listeners—perhaps accidentally—of the fact that he had been in the loop that Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog had been contacted to try to widen the government.
Netanyahu kept Ya'alon involved, asked for Ya'alon's advice, and received Ya'alon's blessings to pursue the move. By Wednesday morning, while discussions had already begun regarding bringing Lieberman into the government, Ya’alon was still under the impression that the government was to be expanded with the Zionist Union camp. The story of Lieberman seemed to him to then be spin.
Then, on Wednesday afternoon, Ya’alon received the call from the prime minister who informed him that Lieberman had requested the defense minister’s portfolio. Ya’alon opposed it, but he realized that the decision had already been taken.
He had no intention of spending Saturday as a lame duck, which is why by Thursday evening, he had already begun writing his resignation speech. On Friday morning, he took the initiative, for the first time in this saga, and announced his resignation.
Ya’alon is currently sitting on the sidelines waiting for the right connections and the right timing. Today his price is high but tomorrow, who knows? From Netanyahu’s point of view, he is just another pawn amongst a number of security officials whom he brought to Likud, embraced, and then destroyed. It turns out that “Mr. Security” doesn't get along with security officials. When he believes they're getting too strong or that it's impossible to restrain them,he gets rid of them. From Yossi Peled to Yitzhak Mordechai, Dan Shomron and Shaul Mofaz, Ehud Barak and now Ya’alon. He tempts senior security officials, cozies up to them to gain legitimacy, uses them, and then stings them: not because he needs to, but because this is simply who he is.
The Defense Ministry’s director general, the military secretary and others have already begun to compile briefings for the incoming minister. There are certain central items with which the incoming defense minister has to be familiar from his very first day in office.
It was only last Thursday that Ya’alon approved for the army to implement a series of reforms—some of which carried policy implications—which will become operational under the direction of the new minister. Lieberman will need to be exposed to classified information that he has never seen about subjects that he has never known.
In addition, he'll have to learn about the multi-year plans, the agreements with the Finance Ministry, the situation on all the different fronts, past events, being updated on the tunnels and what was agreed upon regarding them in the cabinet, and more.
It's so much material that it's nearly impossible to make a dent in it, and an equivalent amount of responsibility. It all depends on how curious, patient, and willing to delve deeply into the material Lieberman is.
