On Liberal Democracy – Specifically, the British and Israeli Models – part 2

Part II

On Democracy

Western civilisation, the history books tell us, is based on Greek ideas, philosophies, knowledge and practices.

This wondrous, or so it is trumpeted, ancient Greek example was adopted and spread across the European Continent by the Romans; then by Constantine, the first of the Christian Roman Emperors who had a spiritual awakening and then declared at the Council of Nicea the famous Trinitarian doctrine that now holds for Christians; then by soldiers, believers and others.

From Europe the Greek, the Roman and Christian foundations spread to America, North and South; then eastwards to Asia and Africa.

Herzl, a Western European, with his nationalistic impulse, and his Religious Zionist compatriots, must have imbibed these cultural idylls – ideals which must have influenced the way that Israel’s polity was constructed.

From Western Europe, in the shape of Britain – the Parliament of which, known as the “Mother of all Parliaments”, based on the principle of elected representatives – spread to the land now known as Israel – and then to Israel itself.

Bearing in mind what has been said about Democracy in Part I, it must now be clear that the Western European democratic idyll, when put into practice, is a failure – of the imagination. It is flawed – as is Western European Civilisation, based as it is on its founding principles.

On Democracy and Israel

The burden of producing a better, not necessarily another, solution cannot but be on the “ideas powerhouse” that is the State of Israel. A better, more perfect, if not perfect idyll cannot but emerge from this state – just as monotheistic religion originated in, and developed from there.

Democracy in Israel, as it is at the time of writing, appears to the writer as a blighted political apparition.

Examples abound, viz the disproprtionate power held by extreme right wing lawmakers – right wing actors who claim that they have a mandate on the grounds that the coalition was voted, by the nation, into power.

Viz the claim that the judiciary represents the views of an elite, a minority and that, because far right lawmakers have their mandate (see the above) the judiciary should, in so many words, reflect their views.

In Part III the “Liberal” aspect of Western democracies will be discussed and as it applies to Britain and Israel.