Victories, in the battlefield or in political arenas, can
often be short-lived, or even worse they can easily turn out to be Pyrrhic
victories. This is almost certainly what happened on Monday, when the
ruling Israeli coalition passed the first item of a controversial judicial overhaul
batch of amendments that, critics believe, will undermine the independence and
oversight of the judiciary over government policies.
اضافة اعلان
One step closer to becoming authoritarian
The far-right coalition, led by Likud leader
Benyamin Netanyahu, scored its first victory after a six-month-long battle to undermine
the power of the Israeli Supreme Court and move the 75-year-old state closer to
becoming an authoritarian one.
This is the opinion of almost
half of Israelis, who, in
their tens of thousands, had protested against the so-called judicial overhaul
since it was first unveiled in January.
A matter of absolute survival
For outsiders, the legislative quarrel may seem arcane and
unfathomable, but for most Israelis, on both sides of the divide, it is a
matter of absolute survival: Whatever happens next will decide the
identity of the Israeli state. This should matter to Israelis, but also to those who have
vehemently supported the Jewish state from its onset.
It will certainly not be liberal, nor will it be democratic. The followers of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have something else in mind. While the two once-fringe politicians may not agree on everything. They both want to see a new Israel: One that is ultra-nationalist, ultra-religious with an agenda that seeks to recreate a Biblical Israel.
Israel’s founding fathers envisioned a secular,
liberal, and socialist state. The first
Israeli Prime Minister of Israel
David Ben-Gurion, was quoted as saying that: “Since I invoke Torah so often,
let me state that I don't personally believe in the God it postulates ... I am
not religious, nor were the majority of the early builders of Israel believers.
Yet their passion for this land stemmed from the Book of Books ... [The Bible
is] the single most important book in my life.”
Sowed the seeds of destruction
One Israeli critic said that Ben-Gurion planted the roots of
a secular state but at the same time sowed the seeds of its destruction, the
seeds of religious-messianic evil. Another historian wrote in Haaretz that
Ben-Gurion was a pragmatic politician and to realize his life’s ambition, the
establishment of the state, he enlisted religious messianism because
nationalism alone is an empty shell that needs something juicy inside to arouse
enthusiasm. He no doubt thought he would be able to control the wild weeds that
would grow in his garden.
The wild weeds are now flourishing
These wild weeds are now flourishing in the state of Israel.
Israel has been hijacked by a coalition of far- right parties, each with its
own agenda.
A politically affiliated
Benyamin Netanyahu is leading a
coalition of far-right fanatics who are certain to take Israel from the
secular, liberal, and democratic state that it projected itself to the world
for many years, into an unknown ultra-orthodox entity. It will certainly not be
liberal, nor will it be democratic. The followers of Itamar Ben-Gvir and
Bezalel Smotrich have something else in mind. While the two once-fringe
politicians may not agree on everything. They both want to see a
new Israel:
One that is ultra-nationalist, ultra-religious with an agenda that seeks to
recreate a Biblical Israel.
Netanyahu, now 73 with signs of failing health, may have
never wanted to lead such a coalition. It is doubtful that can rein in his two
rebellious partners, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. Most analysts forget that the
entire overhaul scheme was concocted by Likud minister, which Haaretz described
as “pessimist, austere, bespectacled snake”, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who
was seen by critics “as leaving the indelible impression that he was not
seeking to improve the judicial system but to eviscerate it.”
Save his career and himself
For
Netanyahu, who has been a political player since the
mid-1990s, the main objective is to save his career and himself. He faces a
number of serious charges including bribery and corruption. The judicial
overhaul amendments would neutralize the judiciary and provide him with a way
out: But at what price?
Pundits believe that
Netanyahu has become a hostage to his
coalition partners. No one knows what Israel would become if the far-right, the
ultra-religious-ultranationalist alliance, would do if the Supreme Court is
sidelined.
Trying to understand what the religious Far Right
wants is enigmatic. The secularists warn that liberal democracy is in danger;
that women rights, LGBTQ rights, and others will be erased. The Haredi
influence on Israeli politics has become substantial. Moreover, Israel is a
political mosaic, with almost 12 political parties represented in the Knesset,
and more than 100 political parties out there. The fall of the Soviet Union
leading to the immigration of tens of thousands of Jews to Israel have altered
the demographic map of the country.
The most crucial test is taking place as we speak
The most crucial test of
Israel’s unity is taking place as
we speak. The far right wants to change the genetic nature of the country—from
a liberal, secular and openly democratic state to a religious entity that is no
different from what Daesh wanted to create. It will be a homophobic, misogynist
and an ultranationalist society.
Another historian wrote in Haaretz that Ben-Gurion was a pragmatic politician and to realize his life’s ambition, the establishment of the state, he enlisted religious messianism because nationalism alone is an empty shell that needs something juicy inside to arouse enthusiasm. He no doubt thought he would be able to control the wild weeds that would grow in his garden.
This is not what Netanyahu really wanted. But he is
being held hostage to a coalition that has an extremist agenda. That
includes annexing the West Bank and creating an Eretz Israel, with which
Netanyahu agrees. But the price he has to pay for colluding with the extremists
may be too high.
The impact of Monday’s event will go viral. There will be
mass demonstrations, and hundreds if not more of army and air force reservists will
stay at home. There is a consensus among the security and army senior cadres
that
Israel will suffer; that the military establishment may even crumble;
something that has never happened before in the history of the state.
The Histadrut, the largest labor union, may soon
declare a nation-wide strike.
Israel is at a juncture: the myth of a
liberal democracy is at an inflection point and moving forward will expose the
country for what it is: An apartheid state that is normalizing an isolationist,
fascist and ultra-religious system!
Osama Al Sharif is a journalist and political
commentator based in Amman.
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