Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, unlike his equally unscrupulous “role model” former President Trump, believes he now has the Israeli Courts on his side. Disregarding all the disingenuous denials, Netanyahu appears set to carry this reform to its conclusion. The vote last week made it very clear that should he opt to capitulate to the forces seeking compromise, his Government will fall. The vote also has made it clear to his opponents that Israel’s Parliament has begun a process which will likely convert Israel’s democracy into a theocratic/authoritarian political system. As has been observed by numerous commentators and analysts, if the Israeli High Court is unable to successfully overturn this first phase of the judicial reform package, autocratic rule will reign in Israel.
The depressing part of what has transpired in Israel’s politics is that so much of it is wrapped up in Netanyahu’s personal determination to change the Israeli culture. If his super-nationalist and ultra-Orthodox hard right-wing coalition succeeds it could destroy the country in three fundamental ways. Bibi recognizes this but his arrogance is wrapped around prioritizing his own personal legal battles, at the expense of the future of the nation, Israel’s relations with Jews throughout the world, and Israel’s future place among the community of nations.
At Home
Prime Minster Netanyahu has convinced himself that he can master every crisis. He has exhibited no moral compunctions about any actions which he or any of his coalition’s members have committed—read Arye Deri, Itamar ben-Gvir, or himself. Ministers with criminal records and/or pending corruption charges are treated as honorable Members who should be excused for any improprieties.
Netanyahu appears unfazed at the economic consequences to the country both from inside as well as outside investors. He is certain that everything will bounce back. At the same time the Government is unwilling to increase demands on the ultra-Orthodox, charedi, citizens to do their fair share.
The Prime Minister has abdicated policies involving treatment of Israeli Arabs and those on the West Bank, to the extremists. Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir and Finance and Transportation Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich are being given virtual carte blanche in their management of potential security crises; thus, permitting their racist and religious zealotry to dictate policy.
Diaspora Jewry
Netanyahu believes that if or when Israel ever was to find itself in serious straits, the Jews of the world will unite behind Israel. He is acting almost in complete disregard of how deeply the pro-democracy movement in Israel has disturbed world Jewry.
If Israel becomes a pariah on the world stage, Bibi believes that he can play a guilt card on American Jews and demand total loyalty to whatever the Government in Israel will do. Undemocratic reforms have not played well with world Jewry and Netanyahu’s days of demanding and expecting blind obedience are over.
Jews in the Diaspora recognize that the people in a democratic country have spoken as is their right. The challenge for Jews in the United States and throughout the world is that many of the positions of the coalition members are anathema to them. Their concern for democratic values, the role of an independent judiciary, the power of rabbinical authority, changes in the educational system, dismissal of environmental protection regulation, and, most important, the rights of non-Jewish minorities within the State, are stirring up much more anger than Netanyahu is willing to acknowledge—at least publicly. Many of the domestic directions of the Government are contrary to the values and principles of most Jews around the world. World-wide Jewry can make its voice heard but ultimately the citizens of Israel are responsible for their own political leaders; yet Netanyahu can no longer assume that world Jewry will be silent.
Israel on the Global Stage
Prime Minister Netanyahu assumes that while the U.S. and other global democracies may not accept the position of the Netanyahu Government there will remain a mutuality of security interests which will protect any major rift from developing. At the same time there is an operating assumption, that if Israel actually were to face a major security threat, its allies and especially the U.S. would have their back.
The United States has seen that while intelligence sharing may be continuing as always, the disruption within the Israeli military caused by the anti-Government demonstrations has registered in Washington. Similarly, there has been increased questioning in the U.S. in some political and public circles of the continuing level of military assistance to Israel.
As Prime Minister Menachem Begin did in constantly invoking the memory of the Holocaust, so too is Bibi continuing to emphasize his “beware of a nuclear Iran” mantra. Not that the U.S. is any less concerned with the Iranian threat, but while the Biden Administration is trying to create some type of constraints on Iran, the White House is much more focused on regional issues. Any U.S. efforts to bring Israel and Saudi Arabia together or into the Abraham Accords will require the Netanyahu Government shifting from its opposition to a two-state solution. Shifting this hard-right Government’s position on agreements with the Palestinians could eventually be a deal-breaker, regardless of what the U.S. and Israel’s global friends desire.
At the end of the day, however, much of this disruption is a function of Netanyahu’s inability or unwillingness to rein in his extremist Ministers. Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to display an arrogance that he knows better than anyone else what is best. This type of hubris ultimately is doomed to fail and will produce very serious consequences.
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