A lawmaker who has been appointed a government minister should take a vow of silence for at least 30 days before making statements about plans for the future. During this period, he or she should become familiar with the ministry, internalize the fundamental difference between a lawmaker and a minister, and change their conduct vis-à-vis the media accordingly. Lawmakers speak for themselves, and at most, represent their parties. A minister is responsible for a particular sector of public administration and must act accordingly.
In one of his first encounters with the media upon being appointed to the position, Education Minister Rafi Peretz made a grave mistake. His remarks on conversion therapy were superfluous and certainly insensitive, and it is doubtful they were based on professional opinion. I choose to refrain from saying they were lacking in political intelligence. Peretz should have learned from the controversy that recently erupted over newly appointed Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich's remarks in favor of Israel being governed by Jewish law. It makes zero difference what their intentions were they made those remarks; senior public officials must avoid saying things they will be forced to clarify and apologize for later.
And yet, the reaction to Peretz's remarks was disproportionate and took political considerations into account along with a just expression of the hurt feelings of the LGBT public. Unfortunately, in Israel in the year 2019, we can no longer hold a genuine and in-depth debate on any subject that concerns values because everything immediately becomes both political and personal. The well-oiled silencing machine is constantly humming.
In Raanana, my city of residence, a gay pride parade was recently held. Anyone who watched the march would have been forgiven for having the impression this was a demonstration organized by the Blue and White party. The Israeli public, a majority of which is not naïve, knows how to immediately recognize manipulation and disengage from the principle thing, even if it is of great importance.
That was also the case with the recent protests against police violence toward Ethiopian Israelis and the just social equality protests of 2011, the latter of which ended with a whimper when the public realized who exactly they were meant to serve.
Israeli society is a fascinating multicultural mosaic of opinions, beliefs and especially people from diverse backgrounds. A 70-year-old political society is one that is still in the making. Disputes and disagreements have accompanied the Jewish people since they first graced the pages of history. It is important to conduct a debate from a place of mutual respect, basic humanity, and especially in isolation from the politics of hatred and rivalry.
