The coalition marginalizes Lieberman and allows Netanyahu to play him against the haredim parties.

To prove the absence of a permanent population, the FM claims Palestinian ambiguity on the right of return. This is nonsense. Israel also claims the right of return for Jews worldwide, yet her domestic population is definitely permanent. If anything, Israel faces a higher emigration rate than Palestine.

On the ‘defined territory’ criterion, the paper cites absence of agreement with Israel on Palestine’s borders. By the same token, however, Israel has no internationally recognized border with Palestine.

On the absence of effective government, the FM cites the fact that Abbas does not rule Gaza. Well, a few weeks after Palestinian Independence and IDF withdrawal, Hamas would rule the West Bank as well.

As for the final criterion, the capacity to enter into relations with other states, Palestinians can travel visa-free to more countries than Israelis.

Instead of inventing legal absurdities, Lieberman should have taken care to prevent Abbas’ diplomatic mission abroad by denying him a transit permit in Israel.

It would be exceedingly easy for Netanyahu to stop Palestine’s bid for statehood: cease tax transfer payments, close Israel’s borders to Palestinian workers and produce, and stop selling them electric power. Let them enjoy true independence in a nutshell.

Clearly, only extremely anti-Israeli reporters would board the flotilla, so why did Netanyahu object to a measure of reciprocity against them?

Allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons would lead to similar missile attacks from Hezbollah, which would then be protected by an Iranian nuclear shield.

Dagan added that the regime change in Egypt is unimportant. Huh? Getting Fatah and Hamas to come to an agreement within a few days, opening Rafah, and ending Israeli-Egyptian security cooperation do not seem like minor things to us.

On Syria, Dagan said that removing Assad would serve Israeli interests by putting a stop to Hezbollah arms smuggling. We fail to see why any new regime would be less interested in controlling Lebanon.

There were some irregularities with tenders and work procedures. But what is the alternative? Should Mossad buildings be constructed by Arab workers or Thai illegals? Naturally, the secret service prefers dealing with certain companies. We trust Mossad to kill people without judicial oversight; can we not allow it to build without tenders?

Among his new responsibilities are Israeli minorities.

Update: Netanyahu has revoked the Home Front’s new responsibilities, obviously as a matter of political correctness.

The reform was prompted by the High Court’s decision last June, which made it illegal for the state to treat religious students preferentially to secular ones. The court’s decision was absurd: if we call our state Jewish, then Torah studies are of course more important than politology, cosmetology, dietology, and similar courses taught in atheist universities.

And in any case Netanyahu is afraid to address the most pressing issue: state subsidies to Israeli Arabs, which are allowing our enemies to breed into a demographic majority.