A dark day in the history of Israel

Monitoring the Responses

Amid every last-ditch effort, made by some of Israel's most influential political players, including Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant and former deputy prime minister, Benny Gantz, the Reasonableness Law was defeated, removing the Supreme Court’s right to determine if government appointments or agendas are reasonable. The change of law will now allow for an extreme, right-wing coalition to push forward whatever else they want because their biggest impediment to do so has vanished.

It's hard to ignore the role which Justice Minister Yariv Levin played in pushing this legislation to the finish line, as he refused any and all compromises right to the end.  Proudly claiming that the bill’s passage was completed just before a long recess, he was careful to assure everyone that he was not gloating.  

Reaction was swift as the people of Israel literally began spilling out onto the streets of their country, expressing their anger and outrage towards a government that has continuously refused to hear or consider the plural nature of its citizens, their vastly different outlooks and their government’s defiance to reach any sort of compromise which would work for all. 

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange was yet another indicator that 'all is not well,' as shares began to show losses along with the weakening of the shekel. There is much fear that this newly passed controversial legislation has the potential to seriously damage both the economy and big tech investments, which have been a great source of prosperity for the Jewish state over the last decade.

In response, Israel’s largest labor union conglomerate, Histadrut, has called for a 24-hour general strike, resulting in yet another day with no services provided by 800,000 people from 28 unions. This will include banks, health care providers, educational services, port workers, social and welfare workers, agricultural workers, credit societies and construction workers – in short, nearly every segment of Israeli society will participate in the strike. 

No statement could sum it up better than that of Nadav Argaman, former director of Israel’s Security Agency (ISA), who declared that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost the people of Israel” in favor of pleasing the coalition. The chorus, once sung for Bibi by the electorate, calling him, “King of Israel,” is no longer heard, for they know that their king is no longer for them.  

Opposition leader and former Interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party boldly stated that Israel no longer has a prime minister but rather a puppet who is being controlled by his extremist coalition. 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, gleeful of his victorious win, unashamedly stated to the reporters, waiting outside the Knesset, that this was just the beginning. More legislation will be forthcoming, and already the next phase is being planned with great dispatch, assuring no time will be wasted!

Despite the White House position, stating that it was “unfortunate that Israel’s legislature passed a bill that aims to curb the powers of the country’s top court,” no government official thought it prudent to postpone the vote to find some middle ground which would pacify both sides.  

Both Gantz and Netanyahu took to the airwaves during the evening news hour, and their messages couldn’t have been more diverse. While Gantz called for both sides to listen to each other, and stay strong together, he urged citizens not to give up on the idea of being a united people.  

He said we must not despair and promised to make every effort to return the situation to what it was before all this happened. By contrast, Netanyahu attempted to employ the ever-effective Jewish guilt, imploring voluntary reservists, who have recently, in large numbers, refused to continue serving, not to allow their decision to be influenced by politics. Instead, he urged them to put that aside and continue to work to defend the country against our enemies.

Assuring everyone that this new law will guarantee the balance between authorities, Netanyahu went on to claim the bill represents the very essence of democracy. Ironically, he recalled how, over the last few weeks, there was much talk about scrapping the bill altogether, but, in the end, the decision was made to move forward.  

Nonetheless, he reminded everyone that its passage in no way justifies the chaos which has been created by daily protests, chaos that has resulted in the closure of highways, making it impossible for people to get to work, and the difficulty in even getting to the country’s main airport. He ended by assuring listeners that further conversations will take place which will, undoubtedly, lead to an agreement and, most of all, categorically stating that Israel must remain a democracy.

One perplexed commentator, after hearing Gantz’s aspiration to return things to the way they were, questioned how he intended to bring about such a hopeful goal. Although one NGO, called the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, immediately filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, following the vote, it is not clear if any action can be taken to overturn the passage of law.  

While it’s one small attempt to challenge the legitimacy of these dramatic events, Israeli citizens cannot hang their collective hat on the uncertain success of overturning the bill.  

For now, it appears as if there will be no let-up of the intense anger and feelings of betrayal being felt by citizens throughout the country.

Because, to them, we are facing a dark day that has bitterly divided what has always been referred to as Kol Beit Israel (the Whole House of Israel) – an expression that categorizes us as one, united people, resolve in our unique calling and purpose.  

That is no longer felt. Instead, it has been replaced with a deep and painful abscess, no different from one which, after becoming infected attacks the body. Only a healthy immune system can fight off its impending damage in order to heal the potential destruction. But our compromised immune system has left us in jeopardy of serious complications that could lead to our demise.

There has, perhaps, been no better time, than now, for us to call upon the Great Physician to heal our land and restore us as the people who were called to be a light to the nations. Of course, that can only occur when we are a light to ourselves but, for now, that light has been extinguished. It’s time to invoke the Almighty to rekindle His flame in our midst so that we can, once again, shine brightly as those who were chosen to do so!