עמוד 1 Amos Biderman Meltdown mode From Qalqilyah to Jerusalem, everyone is asking: Will Benjamin Netanyahu freeze or defrost plans for new housing? Meanwhile, Isaac Herzog got a shot in the arm from an unusual place for his Labor leadership bid Yossi Verter cusing him of misleading them about operation had been a success but the book page, along with a declaration, in the plans for Qalqilyah. Going after patient is, well, not so great. No, he Hebrew, that “there has not been and Mordechai was easier than taking on said, “Lieberman is still better than will not be a better government than bserving the actions of the the prime minister. Zionist Union.” this” when it comes to the settlement Netanyahu government over The defense minister wasn’t only If Herzog were defense minister, I enterprise. the past week, the Yiddish defending the army here. This is the pointed out, Netanyahu would be get- This did not satisfy the poor, deprived word “partach” springs to first time he’s been perceived as act- ting in his way on every little issue, settlers. Eight years they heard from mind. Shoddiness, improvi- ing on behalf of “the Arabs,” as one Li- which he’s not doing with Lieberman. Netanyahu how he wanted to build, to sation, amateurishness, charlatanismkud minister - put it. “We didn’t choose They seem perfectly coordinated. El- cover the land with homes, kindergar- Oall are encapsulated in this term,Qalqilyah which by chance,” he told Yisrael kin sighed. “Well, it’s all theoretical tens, health clinics - what not - but that so aptly describes what’s transpired Beiteinu lawmakers on Monday. “Qalq- anyway.” the evil Barack Obama was preventing with respect to two big issues on the ilyah has been one of the quietest cities What isn’t theoretical is the settlers’ him from doing so. After Trump was agenda: the construction plan for Qa- throughout the recent wave of terror anger at Netanyahu, which was further elected, Netanyahu asked for patience, lqilyah and the thawing of the building attacks. This is part of my ‘carrot and ratcheted up after the Qalqilyah de- until after inauguration day. Once the freeze in Jewish neighborhoods over stick’ plan.” bade. These most spoiled and entitled new president was in the White House, the Green Line in East Jerusalem. Lieberman called criticism of Mor- Jews found themselves feeling jealous the prime minister asked again for an The story involving Qalqilyah was dechai and Israel Defense Forces Chief of their Palestinian neighbors in Area indefinite respite, until it became clear widely discussed in the media. Last of Staff Gadi Eisenkot by right-wing C, because of all the abundance the what was happening with the peace ini- September, the diplomatic-security ministers - including Zeev Elkin, Miri government is to shower on them (by tiative taking shape in Washington. I’ll cabinet, which is ostensibly the gov- Regev and Ofir Akunis - “outrageous 2035) - while back home in the settle- get back to you, he promised. Maybe ernment’s more serious forum, dis- and unacceptable.” “Attack me,” Li- ments, the building freeze continues. he got back to them with sweet words cussed approval of a master plan for eberman said. “Leave the army alone. In Gush Etzion, one of the major about their pioneering Zionism, but the Palestinian city, situated in the It’s harming national security.” blocs of settlement that’s part of the construction permits? No way. West Bank not far from Kfar Sava. As soon as the defense minister put so-called consensus, no construe- In its most recent edition, the weekly The fact that there was a discussion is himself on the line, the politicians di- tion has been approved. The plan to Basheva, the most influential newspa- more or less the only thing about which verted their fire in his direction. He got relocate people evacuated from the per in the settler community, ran a brief there is agreement. All the rest - what hit by Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El has headline: “Embracing and freezing.” the ministers were told, what they de- Ayelet Shaked, and by Yossi Dagan, been floating around for five years - Next to it was a summary of the main cided, how many housing units were head of the Samaria Regional Council. although initial infrastructure work points of an article by settler leader Yaa- actually approved (6,000 or 14,000), How deliciously ironic: Over a year has begun in the area slated for the kov Katz: “Replace Netanyahu.” was the plan supposed to be about ret- ago, in the spring of 2016, the political former residents of the illegal outpost The prime minister sees such things roactively approving apartments built and settler right initiated a secret op- of Amona. Netanyahu even posted a without permits and/or about new eration meant to thwart Zionist Union photo of bulldozers there on his Face- Continued on page 6 construction - and a long list of other from joining the government. At the questions - turned into a “Rashomon” time, there were contacts between of competing versions. That of Prime that party’s leader, Isaac Herzog, and Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the Netanyahu, regarding a possible unity most original of them: He didn’t re- government and a move to convene a member what had been decided. How regional summit that would jump-start convenient. From here, the path to the negotiations with the Palestinians. The dispute that developed between minis- settlers and their representatives were ters from Likud and Habayit Hayehudi, terrified that peace was at the door, on the one hand, and Defense Minister with a Palestinian state not far behind. Avigdor Lieberman, and to a lesser ex- There was a two-pronged goal back tent Prime Minister Benjamin Netan- then: to keep Herzog and Zionist Union yahu, was a short one . out, and to slip forceful opposition law- That last sentence is liable to induce maker Avigdor Lieberman into Ne- a double-take. The right versus Lieber- tanyahu’s razor-thin coalition, which man. Once again, the defense minister seemed to be teetering on the verge is playing the part of the responsible, of collapse. The operation was spear- statesman-like, professional official. headed by Elkin, Shaked and Dagan; The metamorphosis he’s undergone the mission was accomplished. over the past 10 months would make I asked Elkin this week if he regret- great material for a documentary. He ted what they had done - whether the stepped in to defend the original tar- get of the Likud ministers’ wrath, Co- ordinator of Government Activity in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav “Poli” Mordechai, whom they marked as the guilty party, whatever the charge, ac­ עמוד 2 eration was run from the what we need to be able to Finance Minister and MELT premier’s official residence form the broadest front pos- Kulanu chairman Moshe by those whom disgruntled sible in order to replace the Kahlon also did his bit to help and sidelined party officials government.” Herzog’s campaign. In his Continued from page 5 referred to as “the father, the Sarnia’s lengthy post focus- speech at this week’s Herzli- son and the holy ghost.” A es almost exclusively on him- ya Conference, he referred to and gets stressed out. These secret digital campaign that self. Herzog is just a passing the possibility that the com- are his supporters. With- doesn’t leave any party fin- shadow, an extra in Sarnia’s position of the government out their votes streaming gerprints was run by friends exercise in self-glorification. could change in conjunction in during the last election, of Yair Netanyahu, who had He clearly thinks very highly with a possible diplomatic ini- it’s doubtful he’d be sitting served with him in the IDF of himself. He begins by writ- tiative. Kahlon inserted in his where he is today. Spokesperson’s Unit. ing that he decided to support speech - not in the smoothest The pressure worked: So who exactly knew what Herzog after engaging in way - a few lines seemingly The day the American and when? We’ll probably r a “deep thought and a long-term tailored for the candidate, president’s son-in-law and never know. But it’s worth strategic vision.” Is this guy a who is currently fighting adviser, Jared Kushner, refreshing the memory: The general or what? the perception that he tried landed this week in Is- last election was the most He then names each one to crawl into the Netanyahu rael with the special en- rowdy and violent since 1981. of the communities (20 in all, government in 2016 only to be voy to the Middle East, This time the right didn’t including regional councils) hustled out the door in favor Jason Greenblatt, it was throw tomatoes at the left in that he visited as part of his of Avigdor Lieberman and announced that the prime the city square: It hurled filth whistlestop trip to gain sup- YisraelBeiteinu. minister had directed the at and committed character port for his big in the Labor “Herzog has proved him- planning department of assassination of the left in the primary, and then lists all the self a man of principle. He the Jerusalem Municipal- established media and on the Samia, in 2012 photo. Half of a two-headed leadership? positions he held in the IDF, stood firm in his coalition ne- ity to unfreeze plans to ever-murmuring internet. Eliyahu Hershkovitz from company commander gotiations with Netanyahu. build 6,500 to 7,000 new Habayit Hayehudi com- on up, and his myriad great It’s not easy to say no when housing units for Jews over pared Zionist Union candi- achievements in the army a shiny Mercedes and the the Green Line.