Here is a scorecard of how the Bennett coalition has fared, up until now, on some key issues
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, among others, often boasts about how nobody thought the coalition would last a month, much less a year. Historically, Israeli governments last an average of about two and a half years, so come back in one more year and tell me how you’re doing.
Ever since the coalition lost its majority two months ago, when Yamina MK Idit Silman quit, every new day features a different coalition member demanding either more funding, or passage of pet legislation in exchange for staying put. It’s no way to govern, but shaky as it looks, the government has shown skill in avoiding the worst of the political potholes strewn in its path.
In one week, while so many pundits were predicting their demise, the government won an agreement from a far-left party (Meretz) to extend legal protection for Jews who live in Judea and Samaria, while embarrassing the Likud for (initially) putting politics before patriotism on a bill to grant scholarships to combat soldiers. There are more tests to come, but the government has shown some mettle.
GRADE: B-
In a country where religion and state are inseparable, and more than 55% of the Jewish population identifies as either chareidi, dati, or traditional, the government is struggling in its efforts to water down the status quo. The first phase of kashrus reforms took effect, allowing rabbis from one city to offer kashrus services to establishments in other cities, but there are enough choices to allow strictly kosher consumers to avoid such pitfalls.
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