The political facts, unusually, are made of iron. No one has changed power when they came from within the government.
Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Rabin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon - all seized power from within the opposition. Netanyahu could have been Olmert's defense minister, even though he headed a faction with 12 seats. But he gave up - and later seized power.
And what is the fate of those who "went in to influence"?
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
In one fell swoop, they transform from an independent political force into dependent units, swaying in the wind. Barak came in in 2009 and transformed from a politician in a weak position to a politician who cannot pass the electoral threshold.
Livni came in in 2013 and went from being a disappointing politician to someone who can no longer lead anything. Fuad, Peres, Mofaz - everyone who came in under Netanyahu evaporated politically.
Bozhi Herzog knows this well, of course. It's understandable why he ignores the political lesson and wants to get in. Who knows better than him that only by a miracle was he a realistic candidate for prime minister, and he probably rightly estimates that this miracle won't happen twice.
From his perspective, it's better to make an exit now and become Foreign Minister.
The real point is the enormous damage that such an entry would cause to the little trust the public has in Israeli politics in general and the Labor Party in particular.
You can say anything about Bozhi and Shelley, but they were never caught breaking a public promise. Those who chose Herzog did not do so because they were impressed by the candidate's qualities. Hundreds of thousands of voters chose Herzog only because they wanted Netanyahu to go home.
Taking these desires and using them to help Netanyahu govern is the kind of sin for which there is no forgiveness.
By the way, in my opinion, the chances of this happening are low. Not because Herzog doesn't want to (and Yachimovich, unfortunately and surprisingly, isn't really on his hind legs either), but the Labor leaders have never gone through a real public Zobor. It's doubtful that they have Ehud Barak's ability to disconnect their mobile device in these situations, to shut down and move on as if nothing happened.
In this context, Herzog is making a double mistake. In the end, he will neither be foreign minister nor will he enjoy the public sympathy that is reserved for those who have given up the chair.
Herzog deliberately leaves room for ambiguity in his public statements. Maybe Bibi will call. The result will be that everyone will assume that he didn't come in, because Bibi didn't want him at all. The most humiliating thing there is.
A few words about the "influence from within.".
In the Netanyahu-Lapid-Livni government, construction in the settlements continued continuously. The boycott law was passed. For several months there was pseudo-negotiation, which is worse than the absence of a political process, and let's assume that a billion shekels for Holocaust survivors can be given even when the center-left representative is not in the Finance Ministry.
Foreign Minister Herzog will have no real influence on policy toward Iran, and after the latest campaign, it is already clear that there are no circumstances that will lead Netanyahu to truly promote the two-state vision.
What is the real added value of Shelly Yachimovich as Minister of Economy? For this to kick everything they told us like that?
Unity supporters say: Only Labor will protect the Supreme Court. Nonsense. First, Netanyahu has no intention of giving the justice portfolio to Yariv Levin or Ze'ev Elkin. Absolutely not. The Supreme Court justices can come out of the shelters.
And what exactly did Justice Minister Livni do? She did not advance important basic laws, human rights, or the protection of minorities. She failed to enforce even a modest goal like transparency in the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs.
No one has any expectations from Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the value of his public promises. His stock price has long since doubled due to systematic breach of promises.
The situation of Herzog and Co. is completely different. Their blatant violation of the promise to the public will deal a blow for years to the hope of ever changing the government.
