Whoever didn't defeat Netanyahu within 3 days, it's doubtful they can after 3 years

Einav Schiff argues that the entry of Gantz and Eisenkot into the emergency government after October 7 is what saved Netanyahu politically. Whoever didn't defeat him in the first three days, it's doubtful they can do so after three years. The column describes the public relations battle that began during the fighting, and the 'miracle of the jug of legitimacy' that turned a few days into long months.

In his column, Einav Schiff argues that the entry of Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot into the emergency government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, days after the October 7, 2023 massacre, is what saved Netanyahu politically. According to him, the agreement with Netanyahu ensured that no significant change would occur on his part, and Netanyahu himself asked Yair Lapid immediately after the massacre: 'And what about my 64?' Schiff quotes a report from 'Uvda' in which Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on the day of the massacre: 'We have a few days of legitimacy... In another 48 hours they will call on us to resign because of the failure. And they are right.' After 48 hours, it seems even Netanyahu was stunned by the magnitude of the success of the cognitive containment battle. The result, according to Schiff, was a 'miracle of the jug of legitimacy' – what was supposed to last a few days lasted for long months. The entry of Gantz and Eisenkot, he claims, was 'the blanket that smothered the fire of rage' that could have led to Netanyahu's resignation or forced him to establish a state commission of inquiry. The conclusion: whoever didn't defeat Netanyahu within three days, it is highly doubtful they can do so after three years.