These are not the ingredients for a vigorous democracy. That, I fear, is the message in Ben Caspit’s assessment of Israel’s pursuit of a strong man to keep them – and God – safe:
In the end, Netanyahu won, at least in the public forum. His supporters are not put off by the investigations into his affairs and accuse the “deep state” and the left of conspiring together to depose him. Other, less prominent suspects are also benefitting, including minister Haim Katz, Aryeh Deri and Yaakov Litzman, Knesset member David Bitan and others. The public is rapidly losing faith in the rule of law.
These efforts all culminate in a campaign to denigrate and delegitimize the Supreme Court. Netanyahu is well aware that it holds his last and most important chance to exonerate himself. If and when the Knesset grants him immunity so that he can escape justice, the issue will inevitably be brought before the Supreme Court. That is why the court, one of the most important beacons of light in Israel’s democracy, has been attacked and battered over the last year like it has never been before. And it is why Netanyahu tried in April and will try again in September to form a coalition that would enable him to legally emasculate the Supreme Court and strip it of most of its authority.
The upcoming Israeli election is more than just a referendum on Netanyahu. It is a referendum on the rule of law itself, which large parts of the population see as little more than a leftist mutation whose sole purpose is to hurt their dear leader. [AL-Monitor]
It’s a sad commentary on what used to be a vigorous & healthy democracy. The threats to Israel’s existence, real or imagined, that were once met with diplomacy where possible, and violence where necessary, are now handled with violence as will be tolerated by Israel’s allies, namely the United States. Diplomacy? Is it diplomacy when Netanyahu repeatedly implores the United States to bomb Iran?
And the zealotry? It acts to smother any other approach to the situation. Speaking as an agnostic, I recognize that sometimes a religion can be transformative, but in this case it appears to amplify the xenophobia that is latent in all human beings, and leaves the believers scrambling for those who will protect their physical beings. And, yet, there are communities that refuse to contribute to the defense, even as they demand it.
The next few months may presage the American future.
