Expert over Hazan-Bennett debacle: "The issue here is not a problem within the Likud-led coalition"

Jerusalem, 27 October, 2016 (TPS) -- Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Likud MK Oren Hazan traded barbs on Thursday in relation to Hazan’s history of drug use, but according to at least one expert, the coalition does not seem to be in danger.  

Early Thursday, Bennett,who is chairman of the Jewish Home party, encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to “take action” against Hazan, saying it is the moral duty of public officials to set an example for the young generation.

“These details are a warning light for us and we are obligated as elected officials to disassociate ourselves from a person that has been found to have acted improperly,” Bennett told Army Radio.

Hazan quickly returned fire, saying Bennett had no claim to the moral high road, referring to financial fraud and corruption allegations against the Jewish Home chairman. He also accused Bennett of forgetting about his right-wing ideology by abandoning the residents of Amona to concentrate on public relations campaigns.

Asked about the ramifications of the affair for the Likud and the coalition, Dr. Emmanuel Navon, an International Relations lecturer at Tel-Aviv University and at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center and ex-member of the Likud Central Committee said to Tazpit Press Service (TPS) the mix-up between coalition partners is unlikely to threaten the government’s stability.

“The Likud members are avoiding the issue in the hope that it evaporates from the media as soon as possible, Navon said. “Their silence is not due to loyalty of the Likud over Bennett but over their main preoccupation at the moment of winning the primary elections.

“Netanyahu has similar political calculations. Although he could  ask the Ethics Committee to suspend Hazan, but that would just create more tension within the coalition, so I assume that for him such a political headache is not worth it. He will probably attempt to wait the matter out,” Navon stated.  

The fight stems from a court decision Tuesday in favor of Channel 2 journalist Amit Segal, who reported last year that prior to his election to the Knesset, Hazan consumed and sold hard drugs while serving as manager of a Bulgarian hotel, and provided escort services to some clients. Hazan denied the report and sued for defamation, but Tuesday, the Tel Aviv District Court rejected most of Hazan’s defense claims, saying Hazan has used drugs in the past but also saying he did not deal them.

In 2015, the Knesset’s Ethics Committee suspended Hazan from all Knesset plenary and committee meetings for a month after Hazan mocked Yesh Atid MK Karin Elharar’s disability.

On a similar note, MKs Michal Rozin, Tamar Zandberg, and Zehava Galon (Meretz) asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to revoke Hazan’s parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

“The issue here is not a problem within the Likud-led coalition, but rather an attempt by an opposition party to make use of the embarrassment such an affair and ensuing altercation represent in order to further their own political capital” said Emmanuel Navon to TPS. 

“They are succeeding in antagonizing the Likud while remaining popular in doing so, due the fact that it really is an embarrassment and the public opinion agrees with that premise.” he added.