Netanyahu's Past Actions Fuel Right-Wing Mistrust of New Parties

Former Israeli Minister Ayelet Shaked suggested that Benjamin Netanyahu's actions led to the downfall of her party, 'The New Right,' and subsequent election cycles. However, the article argues this claim overlooks the strategic decisions made by Shaked and Naftali Bennett when they left a well-established party to form a new one, engaging in an aggressive campaign that alienated their original voter base. The author contends that Bennett and Shaked's "political adventure" was a high-risk endeavor, not a consequence of Netanyahu "stealing" their votes.

The piece draws a parallel between the current political climate and a negative tourist experience in Greece, where subsequent visitors suffer from the actions of previous ones. It suggests that the "damage makers" have left, and new political figures like Ofer Winter are left to deal with the fallout of broken trust, particularly within the right-wing camp. This distrust is rooted in past events, including 'The New Right's' failure to pass the electoral threshold in 2019 and Bennett's subsequent formation of a government with left-wing parties and the Arab Ra'am party, despite prior public commitments against it.

Bennett's premiership, formed with only seven seats and with one MK dissenting, is highlighted as a problematic precedent. The article argues that this allowed a party with minimal public support to leverage the prime ministership as a bargaining chip, fundamentally altering the relationship between voter support and governing power. This precedent is seen as influencing current political maneuvering, with figures like Avigdor Lieberman aiming for the premiership despite low poll numbers, relying on the 'Bennett precedent.'

The article posits that the right-wing camp suffers from a "post-traumatic" state due to a history of electoral disappointments, including parties failing to pass the threshold and coalition deals that contradicted voter expectations. It suggests that Ofer Winter is entering this environment with a significant burden of skepticism. While acknowledging Winter's need to prove himself, the author cautions against using the 'Bennett trauma' as a doctrine that prevents the expansion of the national camp, arguing that new parties should be judged on their actions, not the perceived sins of their predecessors.