Livni returns as leader of the Israeli opposition

When Avi Gabbay defeated Isaac Herzog last year and was elected head of the Zionist camp, he could not take the lead in opposition to the Knesset, a position reserved for outgoing members of the Knesset. When the Jewish Agency approved Herzog as leader in June, the issue of the opposition 's head was raised once again. A few weeks later, Gabbay decided that Tzipi Livni would replace Herzog in the post

Yair Lapid tweeted congratulations to Livni, saying, "She is the right woman at the right time. "But that was probably the last flattering thing that he will say about it until the election."

On July 23, Gabbay and Livni called a press conference They were all smiling when they announced the decision, Livni will begin her new job on August 1 and will enjoy all the benefits of the law by being a "symbol of the state." They include a security detail , a large office and personal briefings of the Prime Minister himself on security

Lapid will be the person to suffer the most from the appointment of Livni.At the beginning of the Knesset winter session, Livni will be the most important member of the opposition to the Knesset.Until now, Lapid has enjoyed the status of leader of the unofficial opposition.The polls have shown it flourishing because of the weakness of the Zionist camp, although this is the biggest party, now Lapid will lose a party e of his glory, especially when it comes to all his travels abroad as a foreign minister (self-appointed). Livni, who served as foreign minister and has accumulated real diplomatic and political experience, has a clear advantage over him.

What this means is that the Zionist camp led by Gabbay and Gabbay's No. 2, Lapid has to deal with a major headache. The situation is much more discouraging than dealing with Netanyahu and his right-wing government that they are all trying to bring down.

But it's also bad news for the center-left camp, which will be plunged back into an internal battle that is in charge. Both Gabbay and Lapid see themselves as Netanyahu's natural substitute, but now they will fight each other to win the support of the electorate on their own side. In recent weeks, Gabbay has waged a fierce campaign against Lapid for his support of the government's conscription law

But life will not be easy for Gabbay nor with Livni in the key role of president of the government. ;opposition. She has a lot more experience not only in diplomacy and security, but also as a politician. She has been a member of the security firm for years and does not seem to have abandoned her goal of being prime minister someday.

Gabbay knows all that. He deliberated for a while before making the complicated decision to promote the very person who might be his political hangman at some point. In their agreement, Livni is committed to maintaining the partnership between Hatnua and the Labor Party under the auspices of the Zionist camp. They also agreed that Gabbay would lead the Zionist camp in the next elections.

But political events, public sentiment, and current demands often have more power than any formal agreement. "There are members of the Knesset in the party who are considering the possibility of deposing Gabbay before the elections and replacing him with former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz or even by Livni, if the polls show that they would bring more seats than him. " A former party member told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

Let's go back to Gabbay's decision. Since the approval of Herzog's appointment as president of the Jewish Agency, the already tense relationship between Gabbay and Livni has degenerated into a low-grade war. Then Herzog quit his position as president of the opposition, presenting Gabbay, who is not a member of the Knesset, with a real dilemma: who should he appoint to replace Herzog? As for Gabbay, Herzog was the perfect partner since he had beaten her in the race to head the party in July 2017. Herzog was loyal and coordinated with Gabbay down to the smallest detail. Above all, Herzog was the kind of person who did not eclipse him.

Throughout the period when Gabbay served as Zionist camp leader and Herzog as opposition president, Livni locked himself into his own world. She may have been part of the partnership that created the Zionist camp, but she was looking for other options for the next election. As the leader of a separate party, Hatnua, she could be self-reliant or find new partners.

Once Herzog was chosen as head of the Jewish Agency, she put everything in play and published a public ultimatum to Gabbay: the opposition or she leaves the Zionist camp. Gabbay was trapped. While he gave up this partnership at a time when his position in the polls was not very impressive, he could lead Labor to a new low. On the other hand, if he named her to this post, he would jeopardize his political future.

To make the dilemma even more complicated, Walla published a poll showing that Livni was at the head of the Zionist camp, he would get more seats than Lapid, while the results under Gabbay were less promising.

In naming Livni, Gabbay proved his pragmatism, his understanding of risk management, and his ability to choose between two less-than-imperfect options. At least externally, everyone in Labor congratulated Livni, including party members who no longer serve in the Knesset, as former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Nevertheless, the choice left a bitter taste in the party.

Neither Livni nor Gabbay are an organic part of Labor. In other words, the game is led by powerful players from the outside. The frustration within the party is also increasing because when she renewed her agreement with Gabbay, Livni was badured that she would have a specific number of seats on the Knesset's list set aside for her. Meanwhile, Gabbay also has four seats set aside for him under an agreement he has reached with the party committee. This means that the chances of being elected to the Knesset in the next election on behalf of the Zionist camp will be very difficult, if not impossible.

Up to now, Gabbay and Livni have started this partnership voluntarily. At the press conference, they announced that they would proceed with full force to replace the current government. Gabbay spoke of a moment that he said "creates new energies and hope for an alternative government based on different policies, innovation and the right people." Livni, who played well with his ultimatum for Gabbay, shone and rightly so. how his phone sounds since his appointment to the presidency of the opposition was announced, and tweeted that it reminded him of a "sense of hope lost since 1945 ."