The resumption of intensive fighting with Ronen Bar— the center left’s latest darling— still in the picture worked to Netanyahu’s advantage
The Shabak director may have failed on October 7th, but he’s not in a hurry to step aside (Photo: Flash90)
The image of Prime Minister Netanyahu sitting next to Shin Bet head Ronen Bar to oversee Operation Might and Sword — the resumption of the war in Gaza — distilled Israel’s surreal political reality. Just two days earlier, Netanyahu announced his intention to have Bar dismissed at the next cabinet meeting.
In that sense, the operation last Tuesday night was reminiscent of the Hezbollah pager operation. Then, Netanyahu sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, having just come from a conversation with Gideon Saar, whom he was courting to replace Gallant, on the 14th floor of the Kiryah.
Benny Gantz, who served as Netanyahu’s defense minister during the 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls, after their relations had hit a snag, told me at the time about Bibi’s unique talent for compartmentalization. As someone who sees emotion as nothing but a useful tool, he doesn’t find it difficult to hold a professional discussion with someone he was trying to take out a minute ago.
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