Right Wing Response to Security Threats - and the Government's Reaction

• In Event: Explaining the Israeli Government’s Response to Crises

Abstract

The paper argues that the constitutional cue d'etat has found the rightwing in Israel divided between the notion that a reform was needed and the direct threats that came with the way the government has decided to launch its constitutional overhaul. I explore the interactions within the rightwing actors - and the government and prime ministers' responses on three junctions: the Galant night, when he was fired by Netanyahu and the effect of the strike the day after. How did the PM decide to fire Galant and then to not activate it and how it influenced both the rightwing opinion polls and the government's decisions. Second, the warning coming from the former high ranking officers and Brothers in Arms and the response of the government - delegitimizing them as 'refusniks' to serve. The event culminated in the vote to strike down the probability clause from the Basic Law and top ranking officers coming to the Knesset to explain the dangers for Israel's security - but Netanyahu forbids his MKs from meeting with them. Third, taking responsibility for the Oct 7 massacre failure - what was the way of all the top ranking officers and chief of IDF and minister of defence and what was Netanyahu's response to (not) taking responsibility - how it translated into conspiracy theory of the fifth column from within the right and Netanyahu's ideologues, how it was perceived by the rightwing base in the polls and how Netanyahu's government responded.

Author

• Gayil Talshir, Hebrew University of Jerusalem