Netanyahu thought his exodus from the last, messy government would lead him to the promised land of easy-to-handle coalitions.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu probably thought, back in December, that he was organizing the perfect Passover for himself – in which he could celebrate going from the slavery to freedom, or from running a combative coalition that was no longer able to get anything done to heading a manageable government of his “natural partners,” the Right and the haredim.

The election went better than Netanyahu could have expected. Over and over, including on Thursday, the prime minister and members of his party called for a government with their natural partners. They seemed to believe a Passover miracle was closer than ever: A new government before the “holiday of freedom.”

What the Likud seems to have forgotten is that it took 40 years in the wilderness before the Israelites reached the Promised Land – or in this case, 40 days until Netanyahu’s deadline to form a government. Continue reading