Our political echelon has been plagued by constant animosities. As if this was an electrical device, these relations serve as the input data that feed the next news cycle in a constant feedback. Our national state of affairs reflects this situation. This week's events showed that the coalition was on the brink of collapse and things were getting worse. On Thursday, Channel 2's Rina Matzliach reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar had a falling out after the presidential elections in June. Each tried to get a Knesset majority for their preferred candidate. Reuven Rivlin, who was Sa'ar's choice, ultimately won, to the dismay of Netanyahu. Now that the Gaza offensive is behind us, former Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon has re-entered the political fray. Sa'ar and Kahlon both see themselves as the "real Likud." They could have a real impact on the party if they join forces and take it on together. They can also wield a great deal of influence if they run on a joint ticket in the next Knesset elections. Let's not forget all the other protagonists in the government and their troubled relations with each other. Netanyahu has viewed Finance Minister Yair Lapid with suspicion as of late, concerned that he might choose to dissolve the government; Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon has stood firm as Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett has tried to encroach on his turf. The infighting inside Likud will only get worse as we approach the Sukkot holiday in October. At least four party MKs see themselves as worthy successors to Sa'ar in the Interior Ministry, and each will likely pester Netanyahu until he makes a decision. Generally speaking, personal animosities are not enough to unravel a coalition. It would take more than that to break up the coalition less than two years after it was formed. The government has failed to set a national agenda for what it seeks to accomplish over the next few years. Now that Operation Protective Edge is over, there are fissures inside the coalition over what the next step should look like vis-à-vis the Palestinians -- assuming the Gaza cease-fire holds and the talks in Cairo progress. The various parties in the coalition disagree over whether Israel should re-engage the Palestinian Authority or close the door on the peace talks. The government has also been unable to formulate a plan to create more affordable housing. The proposed legislation that would exempt first-time home buyers from paying value added tax has almost zero chance of maturing into a law. The defense budget is still a hot-button issue, driving a wedge between the Netanyahu-Ya'alon duo and Lapid. Even the bill that would empower local rabbis to perform conversion has been shelved for now. In fact, it appears that the weekly cabinet meeting was cancelled over disagreements surrounding the conversion bill, not the defense budget. And this, despite the fact that the parties have agreed on the general contours of the new conversion mechanism. Sa'ar's departure attests to the crisis the government has experienced, which comprises two components: the lack of an orderly agenda and bad blood. When things get worse in one part, it adversely affects the other. Constant feedback, again. In light of this new low, Netanyahu must act as the responsible adult. He should summon the big movers and shakers in the coalition for a lengthy discussion, which would last well into the night. They must hold a frank discussion about the path the government must take. This would not be just another social gathering that ends with general statements, it would include a lengthy discussion about the nuts and bolts of the executive branch, in an attempt to find out whether they have a common denominator that would make it possible to stay together until the winter of 2015. The alternative would be to opt for early elections, well before their time. Although such a move is unlikely to redraw the political map, it could produce a more robust coalition. I am generally in favor of letting the Knesset serve out its term. But things are only going to get worse unless we deal with this crisis. It seems that no one is enjoying this fight.
