Benjamin Netanyahu’s achilles heel: The Sabbath

Some of Israel’s enemies might be happy to know that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office rests quite a bit on the Sabbath

Benjamin Netanyahu’s achilles heel: The Sabbath
Bibi (Flickr / Donkey Hotey)

As usual, Haaretz political analyst Yossi Verter leaves some of his best (and funniest) stuff for the last few parargaphs.

This time he’s covering the latest changes in the close circles around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s well known that there are many other jobs which are probably more steady than working with Bibi. He changes advisers faster than Hugh Hefner changes wives. But his latest round might mean he’s going to have some extra work on Shabbat. I’m pasting an excerpt from Haaretz.com with some of my own additions, that they omitted from the original  in Hebrew:

In recent weeks, several of Netanyahu’s seven senior advisers have left: media adviser Nir Hefetz, political consultant Shalom Shlomo and National Security Advisor Uzi Arad. Hefetz was replaced by his deputy, Gidi Shmerling; Shlomo has no designated replacement yet, and may not be replaced. Bureau chef Nathan Eshel (who will remain as an advisor) was replaced by Gil Shefer…

…As stated, Arad’s slated replacement is Yaakov Amidror. Amidror’s arrival to the aquarium of the Prime Minister’s Office creates an unprecedented lineup in the history of the prime minister’s office: Four of the seven top spots will be filled by religious skullcap wearing Jews, namely Shefer, political adviser Ron Dermer, Eshel and Amidror himself. The three others, military secretary Gen. Yohanan Locker, government secretary Zvi Hauser and media consultant Shmerling are secular – thank God.

Could it be that in the state of Israel, in the Middle East, where there’s hardly ever a dull moment, that the prime minister will not be able to speak with his chief of staff, his diplomatic advisor and his national security advisor from the beginning of the Sabbath to its end? What happens, for example, when the regime in Egypt is toppled on a weekend? Does Netanyahu wait for the first stars to appear before beginning his telephone consultations with advisers, or is it Pikuach Nefesh and therefore allowed to harass his staff?

Do Sabbath observers even know what’s going on during their day of rest? They can’t watch television, use the Internet or listen to radio. Does it make sense for Netanyahu to be the one who briefs his advisers on Saturday nights regarding the events of the past 25 hours? No. It doesn’t. But then again, that’s not the only illogical thing going on in the Prime Minister’s Office.

I know what Jackie Mason would have said: “Too Jewish.”

(I tried to post this before Shabbat came, but it just didn’t work out. Still, I thought it was important enough. Pikuach Nefesh, you know…)

Shabbat Shalom!