Will Lapid call Benny Gantz? Mickey Levy: "Ha, absolutely not. He would do well if he went""

January 20, 2021   

MK Mickey Levy Mish Atid, a retired police chief and former commander of the Jerusalem District Police, spoke with Anat Davidov and Golan Yochpaz on their program on 103FM, and addressed the future of the connections in the center-left bloc. He called on Defense Minister and Blue and White Party Chairman Benny Gantz to follow his lead. It's rare to hear Gafni not address such an audience in a monologue. Maybe he was asked to do it by someone? Even by the Prime Minister? ""That 'someone' will say it with his own voice. Rabbis are religious leaders, spiritual leaders. I don't want them to determine the future health of my grandchildren and yours. I want the government to make decisions.". If you were leading the country, what would you do differently? How would you treat Rabbi Kanievsky differently? ""The police force is small in the State of Israel. They can declare a lockdown dozens of times, but that's impossible with the tasks they have. That's why they talked, and I didn't invent the wheel, about differential closures. If the morbidity in a certain locality exceeds what is determined, it has to be closed. That's the only way to make it much more hermetic and tight.". If you rely on religious voices, this cannot happen. They do not allow it to be done. ""When it comes to health, to our future, we need to make brave decisions. Netanyahu doesn't make brave decisions. Netanyahu works according to the wind that blows.". But do you understand that if he closes down Bnei Brak and Mea Shearim, he doesn't have a coalition? It's very simple. ""If he closes down Bnei Brak and Mea Shearim, he saves those who live there and also the other citizens. Netanyahu has no courage, everything with him is conducted according to political considerations. Therefore, the results we see are horrifying results of high morbidity.". How does it work with the police? Does it get a wink from Netanyahu and the Minister of Public Security not to deal with the Haredi sector? Or is it simply unable or afraid?  ""No. God forbid. The police receive policy from the political echelon, and must carry it out, but their means are meager. I say again, the police are small and work based on intelligence. They can't be everywhere, just as you can't put soldiers every meter on the border between us and our enemy. The police are not the problem, they are the result. The problem is the Israeli government, which is not willing to make courageous decisions and makes decisions based on political considerations.". Let's get to politics: Who do you associate with, if at all? ""Listen, connections aren't made in the media.". Forget it, I'm not talking about negotiations. On a principled level, who would you like to see on the list? "יש עתיד היא גוש מאוד יציב, ואני מניח שעד הסוף אנחנו נרוץ לבד, אלא אם כן מישהו יבוא וייכנס לתוך המפלגה מבפנים ולא מבחוץ. אנחנו לא יכולים להרשות לעצמנו את מה שקרה בפעם הקודמת. מפלגה בתוך מפלגה, שדקה וחצי אחרי שהחיבורים נהרסו, אותה מפלגה לקחה ימינה או שמאלה ופרשה לדרכה. "שוב, חיבורים לא עושים בתקשורת, אני אומר את זה חד וחלק. אנחנו ביש עתיד הוכחנו שרק עלינו אפשר לסמוך, ואנחנו המפלגה הגדולה ביותר בגוש. כולם מוזמנים להתייצב יחד איתנו ולהשתלב בתוכנו. אנחנו נעשה כל מאמץ בכדי להקים ממשלה ליברלית ושפויה כי מה שקורה עכשיו זו ממשלה לא ליברלית ולא שפויה". Is the connection with Gantz over? ""I think it will be difficult to go back. He didn't keep his promises to the voters.". He hasn't called Lapid yet? ""Gantz knows the phone number by heart, but no call was received regarding this matter.". And Yair Lapid won't pick up the phone? ""Ha. Not really.". Would you like to see Gantz out of politics? ""Gantz is probably a good guy, but he made all the mistakes in politics, he's not mature. He would do well if he vacated his position and went his own way.".