Amit Segal: Netanyahu made severe political mistake

The political storm surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu's sharp speech at the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset continues to generate waves, and now comes criticism of the political wisdom of the move itself.

Political analyst Amit Segal offers an in-depth analysis of the speech, concluding that from a cold political perspective, it was a severe strategic error by the Fprime minister.

"Regarding Benjamin Netanyahu's speech, you can argue about the content. You can agree with him and you can think that the Arab parties are the greatest danger," Segal opened his analysis. "But from a cold political perspective, you can agree that this speech was a severe political mistake by Benjamin Netanyahu."

Segal explained the problematic timing of the speech, coming precisely on the day when difficulties and internal obstacles erupted within the Change bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot.

"Precisely on the day when it appeared that the Change government was receding and that in every area someone was creating obstacles, what would have been expected from Netanyahu, if at the end of the road he wants unity or elections, was to deliver the most conciliatory speech in the world," the analyst argued. According to him, a conciliatory speech would have caused figures in the system to understand that the unity option was preferable to a complex government leaning on the Arab factions or complete surrender to the chareidi parties.

"When Netanyahu comes and for 40 minutes delivers a speech, which by the way as I understand it was not the speech prepared in advance, he essentially at the end of such a day takes Yair Golan, Liberman, Bennett and Eisenkot again, and causes them to say: 'Wait, if this is the alternative, let's make another effort after all,'" Segal concluded. "And they have plenty of time, and they have the mandate. In summary, in my view, a severe political mistake by Netanyahu."