Our new government

Like anything else in our small country, the new government is being put to the test by its own people. It appears that newspapers abroad are magnifying the Israeli “assault” on its own government, making it out to be our most problematic government yet.

Yes, this government is somewhat different then our last government, which contained a more diverse group and had its own problems. The new government has for the first time a strong religious presence, which may pose a threat to the secular majority. New ordinances which might further restrict the independence of Israelis may be coming. Restrictions on Shabbat activities comes to mind immediately.

Then, the ever-present question of the settlers in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) who are under constant attacks by Palestinians. This long-time threat has pushed its population to the right prior to the election, leading to a more hawkish style of a government.

There is also the fact that some of the elected officials were convicted in a court of law, thus giving the opponent a reason to fight back, which they did. The exact nature and details of their offenses were not the focus. Since all that is happening in a Jewish state, the election gave rise to harsh condemnations by the foreign press, including the US.

The bottom line: this government, like the ones that have come before and will follow after, should be given the chance to start with a clean slate. Who knows, maybe all the fuss about sinking, will not even happen. Good Luck.