During the 1990s Israel – Turkey relations enjoyed a honeymoon: defense procurement deals; reciprocal visits; and strong partnership with close ties. Turkey was then just like Israel: free, democratic, and full of vitality. No one could believe that all this could one day turn on its head. But the trends were there all along as Turkey's authorities essentially put a target on the judiciary, the military, the media, and civil liberties. When a new government emerged, it took them on with a steady force, until they buckled. Judges were removed from office and replaced; military officers were arrested; protests were limited; and the media was curtailed or even muzzled. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's glorious legacy had been shredded to pieces.
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Yes, it's very tempting to dismiss all this and say this would never happen in Israel, because our democracy is stronger, and our elected officials have the right to govern as they wish. But this is only partially correct: The government is elected to govern, not to destroy. Its role is to act responsibly, with moderation and sound judgment, and to cater to all citizens – even those who chose to vote against it.
But ever since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swore in his new cabinet and began his sixth term in office, his governance has been lacking in all these qualities. Israel 2023 has become Turkey on steroids, with officeholders and lawmakers trying to outdo one another over who can be more extreme. A minister whose main claim to fame is having been convicted for various run-ins with the law is now trying to wield his powers to limit protests; another minister has tried to identify "leftist" media personas based on their facial expressions and wants to have their outlet shut down.
Some – including colleagues in this paper – have played this down, saying these are just words that express the speakers' sentiments. But, I would beg to differ. They appear to be living in La La Land. Israel is undergoing a rapid disintegration; it is transforming from a light unto the nations into darkness unto itself.
This week the vitriol reached a new low when lawmakers from Otzma Yehudit all but called for the handcuffing and arrest of the Opposition leaders on grounds of treason. Among those so-called traitors were former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, two former IDF chiefs of staff, and a former deputy IDF chief of staff, whose sin was to call the public to rally against the new measures introduced by the government. Yes, all those "traitors" used controversial language, but they never crossed the line, and have definitely not used the same vitriol that was used when the former government was in power that tried to cast it as illegitimate.
This is not the first time that the word "traitor" has been used in our public discourse in recent days. Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's son, implied that prosecutors and Israeli police officers who investigated his father might be traitors and should therefore have the full letter of the law used against them (this could mean death in some instances). IN 1995, then–Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was accused of treason by rabbis who even made sure to issue a halachic ruling to make him a target, and he eventually paid the ultimate price.
Today, every lawmaker considers himself to be a leading halachic authority and every microphone is another platform from which one could castigate the unloyal among us. It's ironic that those who have dedicated their entire career to Israel's security have been described as traitors, while others who have not bothered helping our state are now being cast as patriots. That Otzma Yehudit MKs have no shame should not come as a surprise, but their lack of responsibility should worry all of us due to its destructive nature.
The only entity that could prevent this downward trend is the government, not because it is wrong and its detractors are right, but because it is in power and it has the power to do so. Its actions and statements over the near term will determine how serious it is. If it does not show restraint and rise above the fray, the Turkish model would soon stop being foreign news – it would become our reality.
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