What happens when Bibi gets Heimish

Netanyahu is arrogant, that much is clear. His attitude toward the Chareidi journalists is as an elderly teacher to his young disciples. In the beginning, he seemed very callous and degrading. Later, when I realized that he treats Barak Obama the same way, and that this is his personality- I felt better.

The PM convinced me today. I was convinced that his personality, as problematic as it may be, should not worry nor interest me because to run the state, he runs through his personal sense alone, but one cannot say he does it without intelligence or responsibility.

Even if I don’t believe everything I heard today- and regretfully the things that were said, in a beautiful one-man show, five and a half hours long, are not permitted to be quoted- Netanyahu persuaded me as to his abilities. If he runs the state as he presented to us, I am as of today already a calmer citizen.

Yet, even with all these virtues, I am worried. Especially as a Chareidi. Presently, I have no doubt that Netanyahu will have no trouble rejoining Lapid, in the event that politics should lead him there. He doesn’t feel the need to apologize for the past government and its unfair laws, or for his full reinforcement of the Bennet-Lapid alliance when actually, during those times, he was nowhere to be found when we needed him and he hid nicely behind political restrictions. This could happen again, despite the obvious and unusual disdain he shows now towards those two. That is just the way he relates to anyone who tries to compete with him.

Netanyahu is not a man of small details- in the matters that don’t really interest him. I understand now better than ever our need for Chareidi representatives who care for our needs and know how to stand up for them to him. In which context, he kept on emphasizing two names- Gafni and Litzman.

Netanyahu must have lost some weight lately. There were a few topics that Netanyahu spoke about with such pathos, to the point that when he stood up and paced back and forth in excitement- his shirt peeked out from his pants. There are a couple of things that anger him greatly, and anyone can understand that the media’s treatment of his wife is one of them, but I was impressed that he truly likes and respects Chareidim, as people and for their goodness and their sharp brains. He was calm, smiled easily, full of humor, as only one who is sure that the love of Chareidim is in his pocket.

The air-conditioning actually worked well in the PM's office, the room in which Cabinet meetings are also held- and yet there still were among those attending who were sweating. In general, the matter of sweat is a dominant motif in the atmosphere. Even so, and despite the image so often depicted of him, Netanyahu himself did not sweat. Outside, during the few minute-long break (after all, we are Chareidim and need to Daven Mincha, on the other hand, he is the prime minister and it is logical that the Mossad head and others may need to meet him for security briefings in the middle of the day), there was a small amount of sweat. It seemed that the bureau employees were surprised by the unusual length of the meeting – we entered at 10 a.m. and left at about 5, that’s how it is when Bibi feels heimish.

Netanyahu's well-known method for pushing off the solution to a problem turns out to be a rational strategy. Specifically, for matters dealing with religion and state and their developing compromises. The prime minister has a set plan for the issue, I’m sure. He won’t share everything with us, but he knows how to play the “Lapid threat” very well against the Chareidim. In this matter, Litzman- with his extreme approach to “Yesh Atid”- helps the PM a lot.

I felt a Russian motif floating in the air throughout the hours of the briefing. It’s called Putin. It may be that that is Netanyahu's model.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!