Sipping a vanilla milkshake at a Tel Aviv café surrounded by hi-tech offices, he recounted a conversation with his frequent ally, Bayit Yehudi faction chairwoman Ayelet Shaked, that exemplifies the poisonous atmosphere in the coalition: “She said she just wants the winter session to be over already – and it only starts next week!” Still, the end of the always-lengthy summer recess marks at least one change Levin sees as positive – Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Ze’ev Elkin will replace him as coalition chairman.

“One of the things that most concerns me about no longer being coalition chairman is what I will do when I’m not being threatened on the phone every day that someone will leave the government or vote against the government,” he said sarcastically, but clarified: “This happened every day. I’m not exaggerating.”

Levin has been in the Knesset for fewer than six years, but he already misses the good old days: “What’s missing in politics today is responsibility.” Continue Reading