The dangerous phase for any politician is similar to the dangerous phase for any drug dealer – when he starts using the substance he sells to the masses. The conduct of the government – whether in front of the US or in the face of the warnings in the economic arena or in front of the civil protest or in view of Israel’s image in the world – it seems as if too many of its members have lost touch with reality, because they have started to believe their own propaganda.
Raising the bar of insults towards the protestors this week, while advancing legislation and pretending that there is any interest in “negotiations”, worked well in front of everyone who smokes the material of Channel 14. But in the world outside the channel, we are in crisis from the dangerous people who were here, with daily warnings from rating agencies, the American government , Jewish organizations – and the state ministers are busy in the competition of pouring fuel on the fire.
It seems that the members of the government are trapped in the sound box of their propaganda, and those who are not trapped are afraid to open their mouths for fear of being thrown into the fire themselves. The citizens show more responsibility than the government – after a conversation with the commanders, the volunteers of squadron 69 retracted their refusal to report to the reserves. They understand what is at stake. But what about the Jura who were opened up on by a variety of ministers for nothing matters and their loyal spokesmen? Lucky that at least Yoav Galant made it clear that it was inappropriate, the rest are too opaque to retract or ask for forgiveness.
It seems that Israel has already split in two, into two sounding boards. Channel 14 broadcasters celebrated this week an increase in ratings, which is really wonderful, but when each group echoes its messages and beliefs to itself on its own media channels, they lose the ability to create dialogue, communicate or understand each other. You should at least acknowledge it. The supporters of the legal revolution are deaf to its opponents, because they convince each other with organized theories: anarchists, pus and a fall of morons who are unable to accept the results of the elections.
The protesters, who see themselves as the defenders of the values they grew up with and in which they are proud, are amazed every time again by the level of opacity. No one counts them either
their anxiety about their homeland. The government convinced themselves that the victory in the elections meant that they would take from those who lost everything they had to give, and in return they would humiliate and curse them. Only there is no contract between the two groups that expresses this. The contract is completely different – and it was broken a long time ago.
What does Ehud Barak have to do with it?
In the sound box of the supporters of the revolution there is no chance of understanding the protesters, so here is a glimpse into their world. Hint: this has nothing to do with associations, foreign funding, the opposition or Ehud Barak. This is a big and real fraction of many citizens, which the government simply stopped seeing from its sounding board. The conspiratorial theories are blind to the enormous pain that erupted, and only intensify the feeling that a new state exists here that the minds do not belong to.
The “reform” is not the first thing that caused this feeling, nor was it the straw that broke the camel’s back, but the piano that fell from the 6th floor and cracked the camel’s head. For many, the current government is in the ongoing process of fundamentally breaching a contract with them. Leave the indictments – that’s really the easy part. After all, only a year ago the coalition refused to recognize the election results, and did not agree to name Naftali Bennett prime minister.
The chairman of the opposition at the time refused to attend update meetings with him, even though this is the law. When they won the elections, a criminal convicted of supporting terrorism was appointed as Minister of National Security, and he insulted the senior police officers for generations on a regular basis; A former Shin Bet arrestee was appointed Minister of Finance and a chunk of the Civil Administration in the Territories was torn away for him; The Chairman of the Finance Committee explained that half of the people will study Torah and half will serve in the army; And Aryeh Deri received emergency aid at the behest of the court. All these were just the promo for the coup that should subjugate the entire judicial system to this gang.
The Prime Minister stood in front of the cameras this week with a serious expression, and explained his positions regarding refusals, when a significant part of his government refuses as a way of life. So does it really matter what he thinks about refusals or values? A group that each time decides which of the laws are suitable or not suitable for them, comes with claims when suddenly on the other side they say – enough, enough, I also stop respecting the norms. The contract was breached, as mentioned. It is important to understand this.
Smotrich, the letter and the token
A huge crowd is bleeding in the streets, because this government devotes most of its energy to its suppression. The most important thing for the incoming Minister of Education was to cancel everything his predecessor did and take over the National Library. The most important thing for the Minister of Communications was to threaten to close the Public Communications Corporation. The most important thing for the minister of information was to slander the opponents of the government, and to produce videos that are promoted by the BDS movement in the world.
Israeli governments for generations have continued the actions of their predecessors to develop the country forward, and this one only tramples and insults from the moment it was sworn in, and even reacts with surprise when millions of citizens are not interested in cooperating with it. They feel ostracized from their country, and are required by the government ministers to keep quiet, work, enlist, pay, feel sorry for themselves, or they will go to hell, and don’t forget to press 14 on the remote.
It is important to exclude the long apology letter sent by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to the fighter pilots. One can look at this with cynicism, because Smotrich realizes that his desire to erase Hvara cost him the high price of persona non grata status in the USA. But you can also look beyond the cynicism, because the feeling is that Smotrich has lost a token, even if a small one. He was able to peek for a moment out of the sound box that this government is stuck in, and see what is happening outside. Beyond the populist statements, there are people who are hurting themselves, who are doing serious work, and encountering difficult dilemmas.
The fighter pilots heard the words of the honorable minister, one of many who have no faith in their tongues, and realized that the mess in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee could put them in a position of receiving illegal orders. Smotrich understood this, but immediately asserted himself again that he has values and that he is a responsible person, and praised the “reform” without realizing that things are intertwined. Leadership with real responsibility would have realized long ago that it had to stop.
A small step by Smotrich, but a first and welcome step in a long disillusionment that the members of this government will have to go through. They completely stopped understanding huge groups in the country, it is easy to generalize and discredit but it is difficult to understand their motives, their influence, their values and the country’s dependence on them. The tragedy is that they also won’t be able to understand anything if they continue to be stuck in the nonsense, fun and laughs of Channel 14. It’s nice to watch, but you have to remember that nothing there is real news. Dangerous to take to the lungs.