Executive-legislative relations in an era of accelerated reform: Reshaping government in Israel

The real problem is the underlying tension between the MKs and the ministers, which explodes as we get closer to the primaries. The MKs know that if they back the policies of the government, they will disappear from the political map. This pushes MKs to be exceptional, and results in competition for headlines. The behavior of the prime minister does not help the matter: he does not allow the ministers to participate in decision-making; he comes to meetings with his mind made up; and he receives information from outside sources, which he trusts. This creates great frustration among the ministers. After all, we have a very dominating prime minister, who casts a shadow over the entire government, and who is very exposed to the media.