As to the Rock of Gibraltar, which thrusts, stable and trustworthy, out of the tempestuous waters below, so the eyes of the Jewish nation are uplifted in these turbulent times to the Ministerial Forum of Seven.
Many myths roil around this legendary body, which in some quarters is considered comparable only to the Round Table of King Arthur or the Vatican's College of Cardinals. Even though its members are known, there are many who wonder: What goes on in those secret meetings? What do they really talk about? What kind of interaction exists among all these brilliant folks, who complement one another with spectacular synergy, on the way to the white smoke of the perfect policy decision?
A meticulous gleaning of crumbs of information affords us a first glance into the heart of the abiding mystery of our very own Camelot. What follows is a sketch of the part played by each of the magnificent seven in action.
Netanyahu, Benjamin - Mr. Decisiveness
The Forum of Seven under Netanyahu is said to be conducted with a high hand. The prime minister puts forward a policy proposal and suggests that the forum vote against it. Two forum members immediately announce that this is a wimpy approach that will only induce more pressure. The discussion moves to the issue of the flotilla; there is talk of floating platforms and drilling rigs. Someone mentions a raft his dad once built. Food is ordered. The ministers doze off. They watch a game. They wait for Obama's term of office to end or for the soccer World Cup and the vuvuzelas to make everyone forget the demands being made of Israel, at least until after the war. Outside the room a loud quarrel can be heard - must be Uzi again. The phone rings. It's her. There's a decision, but first come home. The Forum of Seven will meet again tomorrow.
Barak, Ehud - humbly attentive
Hesitant, shy, modest as a wallflower at a ball, Ehud Barak's presence is hardly felt in the discussions. Barak is above all the great listener: silent, absorbing, thirsting for others' input and output. He agonizes over the decisions. Turns beet-red when asked for his counsel and says, "I'm not up to it," "I haven't reached a conclusion," "I don't have a clue about the flotilla - ask Shelly Yachimovich or Daniel Ben Simon."
Barak is a closet Hegelian ideologue. In a country in which the flotilla operation is considered a success, he is considered a representative of the Labor movement. He's said to have said, "Socialism is dead - long live sociopathy."
Lieberman, Avigdor ("Yvet" ) - Mr. Nice Guy
During one of the recent international crises revolving around Israel's ostracism, a senior member of the Forum of Seven, Avigdor Lieberman, was overheard to say that he was giving serious thought to "no longer being Mr. Nice Guy." Enough with the affability, enough with the polite refinement, enough with the conciliatory stuff and the ingratiating noises. That behavior, as has been proved beyond a doubt, will get no results and bear even less fruit. Lieberman, then, considered removing the kid gloves he's known for wearing, abandoning the gentle minuets that are his piece de resistance, giving the porcelain of diplomacy the boot and telling the world where to get off.
But threats are one thing, reality often another. The gentle soul of our "Yvet" could do no different, even if he wanted to. Sweetness runs in his blood. Don't we know that a mini-Chihuahua puppy, though it may growl, froth at the mouth and bare its teeth like a Doberman, will only make those around it want to chuckle, hug and pet it? It's the same with the foreign minister of Lilliput: terrifying, perhaps, in the eyes of his pals in the doghouse of the Seven, but generating only mocking guffaws from outside observers.
Meridor, Dan - the fiery prodder
The most hot-tempered, tough and daring member of the Forum of Seven. His nickname, "Hotspur" - whether derived from Sir Henry ("Harry" ) Percy, the medieval English warrior and rebel, or after the Tottenham soccer club - alludes to his seething and violent temperament.
As the name suggests, Hotspur spurs his colleagues on and strikes fear into their hearts with his uncompromising struggle for unequivocal decisions on every issue: from advancing the negotiations with the Palestinians to going into the minutest details of every military adventure to the point of preempting it altogether. In his thunderous voice he sounds his roughhewn credo: "We are not sitting on our asses here just for the honor of it, or in order to while away the time and lose fees we could be earning elsewhere."
It's said that he's the only person Ehud Barak truly fears, so that, to avoid his trenchant gaze and his sharp queries, the defense minister prefers to conclude things in the kitchen cabinet - or, better still, the clothes cabinet, which consists of him alone - instead of bringing them before the Forum of Seven. For example, Barak succeeded in snatching Operation Sky Winds from under the very nose of Meridor. That was after Hotspur pounded the table with his fist and declared that any attempt to stop the flotilla would mean another operational disaster; whereupon Barak replied that it wasn't a flotilla, but a tortilla. So it was that, for once, the whole matter eluded Meridor's eagle eye, and we are all paying the price.
Begin, Binyamin-Ze'ev - the rubber kid
Ideological flexibility, conceptual radicalism, daring interpretations and the ability to adapt quickly to changing situations - these are some of the qualities that characterize cabinet minister Binyamin-Ze'ev Begin. Being an incorrigible optimist in regard to peace with the Palestinians, there is no idea that Begin isn't ready to entertain from a fresh perspective, if only to find a crack in the wall which to others looks unbreachable.
In meetings he often urges the prime minister and the defense minister to hurry up with concessions and withdrawals, emphasizing the "generosity" aspect of Jabotinsky's well-known axiom. Known as the "rubber kid" for his astonishing pragmatism, which scorns all doctrines. Gained fame with his quip (mistakenly attributed to Moshe Dayan ): "Only a mule doesn't change its mind." A one-man brainstorm. Regarding the flotilla, he discerned from the outset that "these are not regular sailors," but, with typical creativity, suggested surprising them by greeting them with floral wreaths, swaying of hips and singing "Aloha" and "Bali Ha'i." His suggestion was rejected, with the predictable consequences.
Yishai, Eli - man of the world
Whenever there's a need for a decision that involves someone of broad horizons, an enlightened vision and tolerance for all things near and far, all eyes naturally turn to Eli Yishai. That's because people know that this warm, rational humanist will always place humanity and human beings at the center; will always find a compromise solution or come up with "a decision not to decide" that will please all and sundry.
As a cosmopolite who is well versed in the world's ways and cultures, and with a special appreciation for minority groups, Yishai shows fondness for world music and for thinking in the spirit of the Tao. Often, in the midst of an important policy discussion, he will astonish his fellow ministers with an unexpected Zen koan, such as: "What is the sound of one hand clapping, if the other hand of the illegal is handcuffed to the police van?" Or: "If a settlement is established in Samaria in the middle of the night and no one sees, does it count?"
Few know that he is held in high regard as a storyteller in the Arab sector and the Palestinian diaspora, under the name Daoud al-Manhus. As such, and thanks to his radiant personality, he is viewed as a bridge to peace. In the deliberations about the flotilla he waxed nostalgic for Abie Nathan's peace ship and especially for his "Twilight Time."
Ya'alon, Moshe ("Bogey" ) - the brain
In every group of people there is always one who stands out, who constitutes an almost natural intellectual and spiritual authority, even without his wanting it. When he is silent, his silence speaks for itself; when he opens his mouth, all ears prick up. That's Moshe ("Bogey" ) Ya'alon, the thoughtful thinker who stays out of the limelight, the sociable guy who is a devotee of the collective brotherhood. Never will he blame others; always will he find a good word to say about everyone.
Like Socrates - or Chauncey Gardiner - he always provokes his listeners to think. In the discussion about negotiations with the Palestinians he said, "Let's not feed them straw and alfalfa." In the deliberations about the flotilla he called "for milking with rhythmic movements the positive echo we received in the world, but be careful not to kick the pail." In regard to a committee of inquiry, he called "for taking the bull by the horns but beware of a kick in the balls." It's said that Netanyahu does not make any decision without him (or with him ).
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