Israel has been swept up in demonstrations over the past weeks to an extend that hasn’t been seen a long time. The reasons people have been taking to the streets vary widely. Some are worried about the messy approach by the government in the struggle against the Corona virus. Some are upset about the many promises but few actions being undertaken to relief the economic hardships that many people find themselves in. Some cannot understand how it is possible that a Prime Minister who has been accused of bribery and other serious offenses, is still in office and running this country. But all have one thing very clearly in common: they are sick and tired of Binyamin Netanyahu and demand that he resign.
Of course demands on politicians to resign are made often and the justification for such demands is often a matter of political perspective. That appears no longer to be the case here. The latest demonstrations have brought out to the streets people that have never protested before or have done so in the pasts for very specific purposes only. Young and old have come out to express their anger and frustration. And more importantly, political affiliations have blurred and people from all over the political spectrum decided that they cannot take it anymore and something needs to happen. And all (or most) agree, that something must be the resignation of Binyamin Netanyahu. Even people who have supported him for years, and have voted Likud, now have come to the conclusion that it is time for change and that that change can happen only when Netanyahu steps aside or is removed. They would still vote Likud, and still believe in the goals the Likud stands for. But they do not believe in Netanyahu anymore.
Even when some are still trying to belittle the significance of the protests and the strong message they are sending to the Prime Minister, the reactions from the Residence on Balfour street in Jerusalem, where most protests are taking place, indicate otherwise. And the utterances of his son and his political cronies clearly show that the pressure of the angry masses is being felt.
And while the nonsense that comes from the mouth of Yair Netanyahu may be dismissed as the rubbish that it is, and the rantings of the Regevs, the Zohars and the Ohanas who feel their positions threatened is not much more than political kowtowing that cannot be taken seriously and mostly also isn’t, the reactions from the Prime Minister’s office and Netanyahu himself that are both worrisome while at the same time showing the ultimate disregard Netanyahu has for democratic principles such as the right to protest.
The prime minister has been trying to delegitimize the demonstrators by calling them leftists and anarchists, while at the same time accusing the media of giving disproportionate attention to the protests. The best comparison he could come up with was that the Israeli media have become like North Korea. In another attempt to divert the attention from reality, Netanyahu published details from a Facebook account that calls for his assassination and he laments that nobody pays attention to that. Never mind that Facebook has classified the account as fake and nobody will be surprised if it originated in the Prime Minister’s residence, from his press secretary or his son.
But fake or not, it achieved its purpose because the purported threats against the Netanyahu family have mobilized his most extreme supporters and among them “La Familia”. While they are “Supporters” of Betar Jerusalem, the local soccer club, their reputation for violence also beyond the soccer stadium promises trouble whenever and wherever they arrive. Their gangs have shown up at various demonstrations and in particular in Tel Aviv, near Ohana’s residence, it resulted in the spilling of blood.
The question is who will have the last word. The protests have been going on for weeks, but Netanyahu has shown no signs of budging and stepping aside. Does he intent to sit it out and wait for the motivation of the protesters to wane? With all kind of political chicanery in the background, elections, budget, controversial laws etc. a lot will depend on Gantz and his party (or what is left of it) to finally show some backbone and stand up against the dictator, before we will find ourselves in a real dictatorship.
But what will be after? The first goal remains the removal of Netanyahu from the prime minister’s office and from the political stage. But what then? After such a long time with Netanyahu at the helm, with only his trusted nobodies around him, his removal, voluntary or otherwise, will create a vacuum. And a vacuum is the ideal opportunity for one or two of these nobodies to grab their chance. Can you imagine Israel Katz as Prime Minister? Or Amir Ohana? Not even mentioning Miri Regev, Yuri Edelstain, Zeev Elkin, David Amsalem or Gilad Erdan. The disaster for this country and its democracy will be immeasurable. While even in the Likud party there are reasonable minds that would be able to put the country back on track, the unchained nobodies will not let them. So we will be left with Gantz? Will Gantz be able to become the Prime Minister we need? Up until now he has only brought disappointment to his voters (that’s why they have abandoned him en masse) but much of that may be ascribed to his political innocence. Will he be able to step up to the plate when called and take this country where it needs and wants to go? I have my doubts but he may be our best alternative and the fact that he is alternative — substitute — replacement Prime Minister, may make him our only option. Unless of course Netanyahu’s demise will cause new elections to be held and that may bring us Naftali Bennett. The size of such a disaster defies imagination.
The protests are a big first step to put Israel back on track, to restore democracy, to really change, but there are many blind spots where darkness lurks, waiting to jump on us at the first opportunity. So there is no room for optimism, only realism and determination.
But the protests are the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel. Let’s hope it is not an oncoming train.
