In US and Israel, stunning setbacks for democracy

Trump the Avenger prevails; Netanyahu sacks a hero.

American Zionists who cherish democratic values and leaders who place country over self suffered a devastating double blow on Tuesday night.

In the US, Donald Trump, who has flaunted the Constitution and seeks to emulate strongman leaders in autocratic countries, was re-elected president, handily defeating Kamala Harris, who opposed Trump’s increasingly dark “us vs. them” message that has further divided the country.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “put his political survival above the state’s fundamental interests,” observed Times of Israel editor David Horovitz, by firing widely admired defense minister Yoav Gallant in the midst of the country’s most devastating war. The surprise move was seen as staving off the potential collapse of Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition because Gallant opposed passing a law proposed by two Haredi parties that would continue to protect Haredi young men from serving in the military.

Taking chutzpah to a new level at a time when the great majority of Israeli society is suffering from the exhaustion of more than a year of war, when the IDF has a shortage of soldiers and desperately needs new recruits, and as fatal casualties among brave IDF soldiers and over-extended reservists have dramatically increased in recent weeks, Haredi leaders are not only ignoring the recruitment law but calling for increased funding for their community.

A number of prominent Orthodox rabbinic leaders in Israel have called out the ultra-Orthodox community, citing Jewish texts in noting that none are exempt from obeying the laws of the land. But to no avail.

An already strained and traumatized society is further divided over Haredi resistance and the increasing awareness that the fate of the hostages is not a top priority of the government. Gallant has been a thorn in Netanyahu’s side on both issues.

In a speech delivered three hours after he was dismissed, Gallant told the nation he disagreed with the prime minister by insisting all Israelis of military age should serve. He also asserted that a hostage deal is still possible and that the government has a moral mandate to prioritize the return of the hostages even if it means ending the war with Hamas, which essentially has been won. And Gallant called for a commission of inquiry into how Israel was so woefully unprepared for the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. Netanyahu, knowing an internal investigation would lay blame on him, has said such an inquiry should not take place until after the war.

For now, despite spontaneous protests in Israel against Gallant’s firing, Netanyahu has replaced him with Israel Katz, a close Likud ally with no background in military experience, solidifying his hold on the coalition for now.

A Poignant Passage from Psalms

Americans woke up this Wednesday morning to the news that Donald Trump has been elected again, soon free to act on his pledged reign of retribution against his political and other “enemies within.” Jews have good reason to worry. We thrive in democracies, not in other forms of society.

Each morning’s prayer service ends with a Psalm for the day of the week, and today, Wednesday, we read Psalm 94, which includes the passage: “Can injustice be framed into law?” That is a very real concern as a man convicted of breaking numerous laws will soon put his hand on a Bible and swear to uphold the very Constitution he has said should be “terminated.”

One can debate whether or not Trump’s personal views make him a protector of or danger to Jews, here and in Israel. But this election’s results underscore the fact that Trump’s dark message of America in deep decline, requiring a powerful leader to “fix it,” resonates with the majority of voters in this country. Jews, not so much.

Students of history understand that societies that tend to dehumanize minorities and blame them for economic and social problems inevitably turn their ire on Jews. Trump has called illegal immigrants “animals” and “vermin” and plans to deport millions of them. In an increasingly divided and violent America, where antisemitism is at an all-time high and the former and soon to be president favors – and is adored by – white Christian nationalists, our community, more than ever, needs to protect our rights, strengthen our resolve and deepen our efforts to seek unity among us.

It’s fitting that this Sunday, November 10, the organized Jewish community is calling on American Jewry to attend a “unity” gathering in Washington, DC. The event, “Stand Together” is primarily on behalf of Israel and in support of the hostages. The program, planned well before the election and not in reaction to it, will also focus on combating anti-Semitism and thanking the US military for its support of the Jewish state.

No doubt this event will not draw the huge crowd that came together almost exactly a year earlier, November 14, in solidarity with Israel. The painful realities of the war have sapped energy and enthusiasm over the last 13 months. But the cause remains just, the time is now, and as the organizers noted, we must “seize the moment” to “reaffirm our commitment to one another and to the values we all hold dear.”

For more information, and to secure free tickets to the event, visit standtogethernovember10.org