The resignation of Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabbay May 27 was presented to the public by most of the media outlets as a heroic measure. Not surprisingly, the opposition also attacked the Kulanu minister's resignation speech, in which he explained that he simply couldn’t bear the dismissal of Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon.

The drama died down quickly, and Gabbay’s warning of imminent catastrophe went unheeded. But Gabbay, who was not especially prominent as the minister of environmental protection and did not succeed in averting or influencing the gas outline, which he opposed, succeeded in resigning as a hero and was not confronted with tough questions.

First and foremost, why did such a principled person who went into politics to make changes and was partner to the establishment of the social justice party abandon the public that bestowed 10 mandates on Kulanu? Why didn’t he try to challenge and change things from the inside? It would have been preferable for Gabbay to have become a champion within the government, a preacher at the gate in real time against extremist policies. His criticism would have been much more effective than a bombastic speech before a hasty and slapdash resignation that is still not clear to observers.

It is hard to escape the feeling that Gabbay forfeited his place around the government table too easily. Gabbay, who was parachuted into politics by Kulanu head and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, simply jumped ship. Thus, Gabbay violated his unwritten contract with the public. Gabbay’s resignation proves that in the Israeli parliamentary regime, a professional minister coming from outside the political world is not always the right choice.