Mi Neged Mi?

There is a Hebrew saying “Mi neged mi.” Literally “who’s against who.” In English, we might say we need a scorecard to tell all the players apart.

Let’s start with the West Bank, where settlers and Israeli border patrol units are clashing over an illegal settlement that has been ordered removed. The settlers are also clashing with Palestinian citizens of the West Bank, terrorizing them and stealing their land. In this, the army is often neutral, MIA, or else abets their efforts with overnight “operations” to arrest suspected Palestinian terrorists or members of proscribed organizations, taking down neighborhoods as they go.

Mi neged mi? Who’s against who in the West Bank? Is it just a big free-for-all? Is taking apart the settlement for show, or is it a too-little-too-late warning to Jewish terrorists?

The IDF’s major general, Eyal Zamir, hand-picked by Bibi Netanyahu, is clashing with Bibi and his government coalition in a very public way. When Bibi came up with a somewhat cockamamie scheme to somehow create a Hamas-free “humanitarian zone” in the middle of Gaza, Zamir called him out on the bluff. Zamir’s alternative solution is purely militaristic – occupy all of Gaza until they agree to every one of our terms. Bibi shushes Zamir, but does not rule out the possibility.

At the same time, Zamir is cutting down on reserve duty citing exhaustion and following a number of suicides among the troops. That is, he has not explained how occupying all of Gaza will be accomplished with fewer troops than it would take to police a zone – even one that would likely be the opposite of humanitarian. The real solution to this exhaustion after nearly two years is simple: End the war. Zamir shrugs his shoulders. It’s not up to him to end the war. Mi neged mi?

The issue is control of boxes – specifically boxes of food and humanitarian aid provided either by the Red Cross, the Americans or Israel. Hamas profits by grabbing the food once it crosses the border and selling it; the IDF has killed dozens of starving people who only wanted to get their share. Mi neged mi? Honestly, both are failing the people of Gaza, with horrific results. They are quite cynically giving the concept of “humanitarian” a bad name.

Look inside the county. The Knesset ministers voted unanimously to recommend firing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Bibi threatens to fire party loyalist, MK Yuli Edelstein from his post as chair of the Knesset defense committee, both of them for trying to uphold the law and hold on to a tiny bit of equality. Edelstein is only the latest in a long line of those dismissed for a smidgeon of rationality. Barahav-Miara is proving harder to get rid of – or to shut up. For some reason, she still insists on doing her job, and it is pissing off quite a few members of Knesset.

In the meantime, Likud MK May Golan is under investigation for misuse of funds, members of the prime minister’s office are under investigation for selling influence and leaking documents, and the AG has accused MK Ben Gvir of intimidation and abuse of power. In the meantime, Israeli soldiers are getting arrested in Europe and South America for war crimes, something the AG warned us would happen. The families of hostages are told: There will be an agreement any day now.” But also: “There is no real progress in the negotiations.” Mi neged mi?

Look outside the county. Bibi got his wet dream of pulling the Americans in a war with Iran (although they may have pulled out prematurely). But now he’s pulled them into the civil disturbances in Syria, and the Americans are complaining out loud. “He’s our of control…He bombs everything.” (At the same time, Israeli Druze, some of whom crashed the border gate to go help their brethren, believe he did too little too late. Mi neged mi?)

In other words, the crazies are calling our leader a madman. But it begs the larger “who against who” question: Do we really want to be the regional policeman? Can we stop being against everyone? Is there another way?

I can go on. For example – the Qataris. No one knows who they’re for and against. The Houthis, who keep up their Sisyphean attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea shipping lane, despite getting pounded every once in a while by the American or Israeli air forces. The apparently mute and deaf Palestinian Authority, which may or may not profit from this war, the Saudis, who dangle promises of agreements.

Have you figured out mi neged mi and placed your bets? All we can say is that we have been betting against Bibi for a while now, but the house always wins. We are no longer betting that democracy will prevail or that justice will be done. Other than that, anything goes.

In other news, researchers from Tel Aviv University observed, for the first time, a star entering a black hole and eventually coming out the other side. You could say it’s prophetic. We too, could come out the other side of this situation of absolute darkness and complete chaos. If only we could figure out mi neged mi, we too might emerge, our light still able to shine, from the black night we are experiencing.