Are Leftists Driving Us Off a Cliff?

Alt-leftists have been protesting against judicial reform in Israel for ten weeks. At first, this seemed like just another political disagreement, but now there is rage in the streets, and the country appears on the verge of “civil war” because of it.

What Are They Protesting?

Since Israel does not have a constitution, the current judiciary is not anchored in the framework of an absolute law of the land. Right now, the Israeli Supreme Court can appoint its own justices and overrule laws and actions that are uncontested.

Even though I don’t agree with the proposed “override clause” that would let the Knesset overrule the Supreme Court with a simple majority, the left, which dominates the judiciary, goes much further and is protesting the otherwise reasonable judicial reforms that are needed to fix the Supreme Court imbalance and bring Israel in line with all other democracies around the world.

The left is coming out firmly against any judicial reform because it is in their best interest to keep their one-sided veto power over every government, law, and action in Israel.

In short, they yell “democracy,” but their demands for a perpetual, self-sustaining liberal court are exactly the opposite.

Additionally, funding and support are coming from outside governments and NGOs, who are behind many of the agitators and the reckless course they are driving Israel towards.

An Attempted Coup In Progress

The left is losing popularity not only because they have been weak on security but also because of their reckless and destructive actions.

2023 so far has been disastrous for Israel at home and in the public sphere as the world watches the leftists endlessly rally, scream, block highways, burn cars, steal tanks, name call, threaten, refuse military service, take money out of the country, shut down businesses, hurt the economy (check the stock market, currency, etc.), ask for international intervention, and create hate and disunity at a time when we need to work together more than ever.

• In one particularly disgraceful action this week, El Al had to look for pilots to take Prime Minister Netanyahu to Italy for meetings because the plane crew refused to do their job.
• In another instance, this time in America, Jewish groups are shunning Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on his trip to Washington this week because they disapprove of his far-right views.

While it’s okay to disagree, it’s not okay to be disrespectful and destructive to the functioning of Israel and its official representatives!

The protests are not designed to resolve the conflict but rather to shut down the country indefinitely and overturn the election. Let’s call it what it really is—an attempted coup d’etat.

Dire Consequences

No doubt, these agitators know that they are snarling up the works of an already endangered, tiny Israel, where terror attacks are frequent and devastating. In addition, just this week, Iran and Saudi Arabia joined forces. Given that Iran has enough fissile material for a bomb now, Israel is under an existential threat that has arguably not occurred since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The left protests that they have the moral high ground, but while they vie for power, they ostensibly don’t seem to care whether, in the process, Tel Aviv is reduced to radioactive ash. Instead of being overly focused on power politics, let’s listen to each other with respect and work together to constructively solve problems in a good way.

A Spiritual Reflection

After synagogue today, an Israeli friend said to me,

I am really worried about what’s going on in Israel. This can end very, very badly…either in civil war or in a horrible regional conflict with Iran when we are so disunited at home.

This past week, we celebrated Purim, where the Jews came together and, under G-d’s miraculous hand, mutually fought against the evil Haman in the Persian Empire (today’s Iran).

Further, the first and second Temples were destroyed because of Sinat Chinam (baseless hatred of one Jew against another), and now disunity and greed for power risk destroying our third Temple.

Just as we have in the past, the Jewish people, with Hashem’s help, must overcome our fractious ways and work together to save our people once again.