The ugly reality on our streets requires a change of policy and proactive measures to quell the wave of terrorism. There is consensus on that. The quiet intifada has slowly crept into our collective psyche, and now everyone wants an aggressive response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon never spoil for a fight; their track record proves as much. The exact opposite can be said. Those who want Israel to adopt harsh counter-terrorism measures still feel that Operation Protective Edge was a missed opportunity. They also believe the recent measures -- including the proposed legislation to impose severe punishment on rock throwers and deny National Insurance benefits from families of terrorists -- are just a procedural recourse, not an all-out assault on rampant terrorism. Netanyahu's recent comments on the need for restraint elicited criticism on the Right. This was hardly unexpected. While such criticism is valid, it comes off as both hypocritical and misleading when it is sounded by ministers. They want to have it both ways by attacking the very government they are part of. In case they forgot -- they share collective responsibility for cabinet resolutions. Any novice politician could have told them that, and their attempt to distance themselves from the government will not work. The rules have changed, and the public no longer tolerates such behavior. It is a relic of a bygone era. Yes, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked has every right to lash out against the government, and by doing so she is probably channeling what most of her voters feel. But not only is Shaked a minister, she is a member of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet. Her constituents know that all too well. Perhaps she should ask her colleague, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, whether his public assault on the government during Operation Protective Edge helped him in the general election the following year. Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog's criticism of Netanyahu is easier to understand, because he not part of the government. But the words coming out of his mouth represent a drift on his part toward the delusional Left. He promised to do some political soul-searching following his poor electoral showing in the March 17 election, and now, it seems, he is convinced that the public is much more receptive to his lectures on a "regional peace conference" and territorial concessions in Judea and Samaria. Woe to a party whose leader arrives at such a conclusion.
Ministerial responsibility
מתי טוכפלד
הפרשן הפוליטי של "ישראל היום". התחיל את דרכו העיתונאית ברדיו "קול חי", המקומון "מלאבס" של רשת שוקן וב"מקור ראשון". שימש ככתב פוליטי של "ישראל היום" מהקמתו ועד מינויו לפרשן הפוליטי. במהלך עבודתו הוביל את סיקור התחום הפוליטי בשורה ארוכה של חשיפות וגילויים על המתרחש במסדרונות הכנסת ובמשרדי הממשלה. נשוי לנעמה ואב לחמישה ילדים. מתגורר בירושלים.