Some articles can be written without the involvement of a human (or AI) reporter. All you have to do is juxtapose two press releases. So, for this morning’s experiment, we’ll need press releases from the State Dept. and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Here we go:
PRESS STATEMENT BY ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE
The United States strongly opposes Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount on August 13, which demonstrated blatant disregard for the historic status quo with respect to the holy sites in Jerusalem. These provocative actions only exacerbate tensions at a pivotal moment when all focus should be on the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of all hostages and create the conditions for broader regional stability.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Office has made clear that the actions of Minister Ben Gvir are inconsistent with Israeli policy. We will look to the Government of Israel to prevent similar incidents in the future. The United States reaffirms our commitment to the preservation of the historic status quo and will continue to oppose unilateral steps that are counterproductive to achieving peace and stability and undermine Israel’s security.
PRESS STATEMENT BY ITAMAR BEN GVIR, NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER
Before the holiday of Sukkot, a senior security official asked me not to go up to the Temple Mount because it “could stir up the area.” I respected his request, even though it was clear to me that for our enemies the reason for the attack against us is our very existence. A week later, the October Seventh Massacre came.
Now, after I went up to the Temple Mount this morning, and Jews prayed there, the security officials are again telling us that this is what will cause the area to ferment.
It’s as if they had learned nothing. As if October 7 did not prove to them that Hamas and Hezbollah do not need any excuse to massacre us. The very fact that we breathe is sufficient reason for them.
The security position I hold, as Minister of National Security, is clear: we do not back down. We demonstrate sovereignty with all our might, especially in the most sacred and important place for us. And if the enemies threaten – we do not bow our heads but lower their heads.
POLITICS IS ABOUT UTILIZING OPPORTUNITIES & BACK STABBING
Both notes are self-explanatory, right? The Americans and the Israeli security establishment wish to hang Hamas’s, Iran’s, and Hezbollah’s deep-seated antisemitism on Ben Gvir, and Ben Gvir fires back. Except that by being resilient, honest, and brave, Ben Gvir has helped create a coalition of his enemies, some inside the government, some in the opposition.
The Haredi daily Yated Na’aman, affiliated with MK Moshe Gafni’s Lithuanian side of UTJ, came out Wednesday morning against Minister Ben Gvir’s ascent to the Temple Mount on 9 B’Av, with the above-the-fold headline: “The Temple Mount Tramplers Endanger Jewish Lives.”
The Shas daily, Hadarech, also attacked Ben Gvir, with its above-the-fold story that proclaimed, “Shock and disgust at the provocative and brazen behavior of the minister of National Security Ben Gvir, who trampled the sanctity of the Temple with an uncouth foot and went up to the Temple Mount again.”
What Shas leader MK Aryeh Deri and UTJ co-leader MK Moshe Gafni have in common is a deep and justified fear of Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit which has already robbed each one of them of a seat in the current Knesset. Ben Gvir appeals to the healthy instincts of young Haredi voters from all the denominations. His in-your-face political style is very attractive to them, and he is getting results: his sweeping move to arm standby units in Israeli neighborhoods everywhere has been welcomed in Haredi enclaves that had been vulnerable to terrorist attacks because their residents had not served in the army and so could not get hold of weapons. They are prepared to forgive his shenanigans – Ben Gvir is a master of street theater, indoors and outdoors alike – because they love his attitude.
There’s great tension in Netanyahu’s cabinet because there’s a chance that Netanyahu intends to go for a bad deal with Hamas and lose Ben Gvir and Smotrich. Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) announced long ago that he would back the government if it went to the hostage deal, and Ben Gvir and Smotrich attempted to dismantle the government.
Right now, the Haredi parties are not doing well in Netanyahu’s government: there’s an impasse regarding the IDF draft, and there’s an impasse regarding government support for needy Haredi communities. The Haredi math is not simple, but quite elegant:
- Netanyahu acquiesces to a deal with Hamas, and instantaneously gains the support of the Biden administration, the EU, and maybe even the ICC in The Hague.
- Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government, sticking Netanyahu with a minority coalition.
- Yair Lapid supports the Netanyahu government against no-confidence votes and helps pass the budget.
There’s a more ambitious version of the above math:
The Haredim scheme with Lapid to jump ship and join his government, without the Arab parties and possibly without Liberman. Lapid and his defense minister, Benny Gantz, give the Haredim whatever they want in return.
That last one is not very realistic, but, you know, Aryeh Deri is said to be the smartest Israeli politician alive today, and Moshe Gafni’s mama didn’t raise a fool either.
There are even reports that Aryeh Deri met with Yair Lapid to pass a Knesset resolution declaring and confirming the views of Rav Ovadia Yosef, that it is forbidden for Jews to go up to the Temple Mount. The irony, as reader Ilana Brenner pointed out, is that Lapid would be trying to pass a theocratic law, something he claims to oppose.
The only conclusion of both scenarios is that Netanyahu must not surrender to the Americans and Hamas and insist on pursuing total victory in Gaza. His political future and our national future depend on it.
Postscript: For your amusement, an interview with Yair Lapid where he said he fully supports and even permitted Jews to go up to the Temple Mount, and that one doesn’t need to be Ben-Gvir to believe that Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are ours.
כל הכבוד ליאיר לפיד שעל אף המחלוקות מגבה את בן גביר בכל הנוגע לעליית יהודים להר הבית. pic.twitter.com/VLY6lRpYD6
— Yotam zimri (@YotYotam) August 14, 2024
