Like a Phoenix from the fire, Israel has emerged a strong, and proud nation. By dint of their brains and their bravery, its men and women have survived despite everything the Muslim Brotherhood has thrown at them.
But now the glue that held its people together is softening. Politicians, in their reach for personal power, are disregarding the central question; namely, what's best for Israel.
Israelis have tended to favor the center-right platform; that is, Likud. Bibi Netanyahu, Likud's leader, who defeated Lapid in the last election, has done well by Israel. But Lapid, less studied in economics and without Netanyahu's military experience, has an overwhelming desire to have the power of a prime minister. He has one strong source of support, Israel's Supreme Court. They are a self appointed group of eletists, who pick their own replacements. The are beholden to no one. They view themselves as the font of all wisdom and they lean strongly towards Lapid.
Clearly Lapid wants no change, no reform, of this court which supports him in his policies. The Knesset, the legislative body of Israel can pass no laws of which Lapid disapproves. Should the Knesset pass a law which does not meet with Lapid's approval, the present court will simply decide that such law is not appropriate. And, who decides what is or is not appropriate? The court.
Lapid cries out that Israel would be less democratic with a reformed Supreme Court. The truth is that the present judicial system is undemocratic. A reformed Supreme Court would make the government more democratic.
There is one other trenchant factor; namely, the Haredi vote that supports Netanyahu. Within a democracy the Haredi have the same rights as any other citizen of Israel to vote for whom they please. But they do present problems. First, they do not participate in the IDF. Other Jews are obliged to serve in the military. Not the Haredi. Many Israelis resent Haredi avoidance of military duty. They also see the Haredi educational system as leaving the Haredi community unable to participate in a meaningful way in the Israeli economy. They are in essence a drag on the community.
Not only do they retard economic growth, they want to tell secular Jews how to live. They want to decide whether public transportation should be allowed to bring the secular Israeli community down to the beach on Shabbos and to prevent work that is best done on Shabbos. Indeed they want the last word on who is a Jew. In short they contribute very little to the Israeli economy and to its defense, and yet they wish to have a major say in how secular Jews are to conduct themselves. This strikes many Jews as being unfair. Why should they be allowed to determine who gets to be prime minister.
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