By Denis Korkodinov
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself in a stalemate, with the result that he risks losing his seat as the actual head of Tel Aviv’s official headquarters. He was unable to form a political coalition, in connection with which Israel has lost its parliament for almost 5 months.
And if after September 17, 2019 the Knesset does not begin its work, then, most likely,Avigdor Lieberman will become the head of the Israeli government. This could be the cause of a powerful social explosion, in which the fundamental question is “To be or not to be a Jew!”
In order to understand what kind of domestic political crisis Tel Aviv faced, it is necessary to pay attention to several nuances of the Israeli electoral system. Thus, as a result of the parliamentary elections held on April 19, 2019, the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, gained most votes. Under these conditions, she was to form a parliamentary coalition with Avigdor Lieberman, the second party in our hierarchy of electoral preferences, Our Home is Israel. However, the latter fundamentally refused to cooperate with the current Prime Minister of the country. So, the parliament cannot start its work and should be dissolved. In the event of the inability of Benjamin Netanyahu to once again form a coalition in the Knesset, the President of Israel will announce his resignation.
The fundamental element that has caused unprecedented political chaos in Tel Aviv between the “party of power” and the opposition is the right to be a Jew, or rather, the dispute between the ultra-orthodox Jews (Haredi) and followers of the idea of a secular state.
For several decades, the Haredim have demanded that the Israeli leadership grant them exclusive rights in Jewish society. They justified their exclusivity with the provisions of the Torah, according to which only one who piously observes the commandments of God and dreams of creating the “Great Israel” in accordance with Old Testament beliefs is considered a true Jew.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the true Haredi consider only themselves as Jews, and they classify all other citizens of Israel as unreal Jews who have turned away from God and are despised by them. Such exclusivity was officially confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, who literally vowed to protect the rights and lifestyle of the ultra-Orthodox.
According to the approved rules, Haredim were exempted from military service, while all other citizens of Israel are obliged to follow military service. In addition, work for male ultra-orthodoxies is a disagreeable task to God, since their lifestyle relates to the round-the-clock study and interpretation of the Torah. Among other things, the Haredi family are extremely numerous: the Haredi family composition can reach 10-15 people, among which only 1 person (woman) is usually employed, while all other family members are dependent on her.
Followers of the idea of a secular Jewish state are extremely annoyed when they encounter representatives of the Haredi. The reason for discontent is that the content of ultra-Orthodox, including the payment of unemployment benefits, medical insurance and education, becomes a great burden for the state budget. Especially annoying by the exclusive rights of Haredi are the military.
According to them, the military shed their blood and die for the security of Israel, while the ultra-Orthodox only burn the government money. All this only increases social tension inside the country. And if we consider that the IDF, that is, the armed forces of Israel, is the main enemy of Haredi, then there is a very high risk of military rebellion.
In order to avoid a social conflict developing into a bloody struggle, the Avigdor Lieberman’s party proposed equalling the rights of all Israeli citizens, regardless of gender and religion. This means that Haredim are subject to military duty: men for 3 years, and women for 2 years when they reach the age of 18. Among other things, all who have passed military service must be in reserve.
Such a legislative initiative met with resistance from ultra-Orthodox, who under no circumstances wanted to change their way of life and become one with all Jews. As their patron, they chose Benjamin Netanyahu, who, in her policy, relies exclusively on extreme nationalist groups within the country. And Haredim are, above all, radical Jewish nationalists.
Such internal political differences led to the fact that Avigdor Lieberman and Benjamin Netanyahu could not agree among themselves.
The conflict has deep roots. So, it is based on the idea of the citizens of Israel about what it means to be a Jew. According to supporters of the secular path of development, a Jew is one who only observes the Sabbath, eats kosher food and is responsible for his state. However, from the point of view of Haredim, to be a Jew, one should devote his whole life to studying and interpreting the Torah, and the interests of the state should not be considered at all, since the statehood itself is “from the devil”. But at the same time, according to the ultra-Orthodox, God has bequeathed to Israel almost the whole world, in connection with which Israel has the absolute right to claim to any geographical point of the world.
Thanks to the controversy between Avigdor Lieberman and Benjamin Netanyahu, the struggle between secular and religious principles has intensified in Israel. At the same time, religion in Israel currently dominates, while secular manifestations are only gaining momentum.
Currently, supporters of secular Zionism feel oppressed in their own country, as their rights, in their opinion, are systematically violated. A compelling example is the institution of marriage. So, only Orthodox and Jewish marriage rites are legalized in Israel. In other words, if someone wants to start a married life without turning to religion, then it is impossible to do this in Israel.
In addition, a great deal of controversy is caused by the need to respect Shabbat. It is worth noting that due to the economic crisis, many Israelis are forced to work during the Holy Saturday. Meanwhile, according to the Haredi, those who violate the Sabbath cannot be Jews, and their work done on the Sabbath cannot be accepted by God, and, accordingly, cannot be paid. For example, if in order to provide for his family, someone decided to stab the chicken, then this meat is not recognized as kosher, and therefore it can neither be eaten nor sold.
Thus, the contradictions uncovered by the Israeli opposition and the “party of power” are too specific not to be resolved until September 17, 2019, that is, until the moment of repeated elections to the Knesset. Therefore, it is expected that the internal political crisis in Israel will be delayed for a long time and, most likely, will lead to an escalation of social conflict. It could be a war between the Jews.
(The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights).
Image Credit: Reuters