Israeli elections will take place in less than eight weeks and it appears that the only real issue this time again will be Netanyahu and his chances of again becoming Prime Minister. While on the left side of the political spectrum Meretz and the Labor party are haggling over running on a joint slate for fear that one of them (or both) may not pass the threshold, on the right alliances with the same aim, to pass the threshold, are formed (and then also broken in some instances). While most of these alliances have little to do with political views, but are only initiated to secure a presence in the Knesset, it is clear that the fate of Netanyahu may depend on the joining of two small parties that alone would not make it but when running together they likely will.
Netanyahu himself has been particular active in bringing together “Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Strength)” and the “Religious Zionist” party to make sure no right wing voted will get lost. In the previous election these two ultra-right-wing parties ran together and at the time it appeared that at least one of them may not have entered the Knesset if going it alone.
While in this case, the political views of both parties and their leaders are more closely related than in most of these alliances, that very fact is certainly also the more worrisome of this bond.
Both parties, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) and Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionists) are openly racist, anti-Arab and in many ways fascist. Itamar Ben-Gvir, was a member of the Kach party of Meir Kahana which was banned from the Knesset because of its views and Ben-Gvir claims at every opportunity that he is a disciple of the racist rabbi Meir Kahana. And while he is more calculated than his mentor, who would spout racist and anti-Arab slurs all the time, it is clear from his behavior and his utterings that the basic ideas of Kahana took a strong hold in him.
The opinion polls that are being held on a weekly basis now (albeit with small numbers only and consequently a rather large margin of error) predict consistently that the alliance of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich will receive 9-11 seats in the next Knesset thereby making it the third largest party in Israel with approximately ten percent of Israelis voting for them. Ten percent of Israelis today wants to see a strong representation of fascism and racism in the Knesset. While in the world at large (and also in Israel), voices are loudly raised each time there is the slightest hint of anti-Semitism, in the Jewish State, Jewish racism is taking hold. And it is not directed only at Arabs, even though they are the main target, but also refugees, Reform Jews, and anybody not adhering to the true Judaism are being confronted and abused.
Didn’t Israelis learn anything from their people’s past? The holocaust and anti-Semitism feature so prominent in school curricula that it is hard to believe that youngsters only received the message of “Jewish Supremacy”. Ben-Gvir and his cronies are active supporters of the “Hilltop Youth”, young Jewish gangsters terrorizing the local (Arab) population in the occupied territories and encourage them to make sure Jewish Supremacy is gaining strength. But it is not only these youngsters. Today, Israel is moving dangerously into the fascist part of right-wing politics and the success of Ben-Gvir has prompted other right-wing parties that until now restrained themselves, to let loose and more and more support Anti-Arab, anti-Refugee and anti-Reform Jew rhetoric which on the street is often translated into dubious action.
It is sad to see that a country that stood up out of the ashes of one of the worst Racist/Fascists periods in the history of humankind, has not made sure that the lessons from that black period would be learned properly. Today it appears that the only lesson learned is “Jewish Supremacy”.
We will learn the hard way that in the end that will not be controllable and will destroy us from within. History has taught that many times. But apparently only to those who wanted to learn.
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