The Opposition is getting ready to act. A new government has been forced, and the law allows the defeated side to not only battle it, make it difficult to promote what it wants and encumber it, but also adopt the coalition's courses of action from when it was still the Opposition. That is to say, sucking at an empty straw, eating away at itself, and all sorts of other medical metaphors that indicate dying a torturous death.
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There are plenty of examples. The Opposition is currently kicking around the question about whether to vote with the coalition on the principle of family reunification; the new government is having trouble with COVID outbreaks; and the size and scope of the new government is also something that could be the grounds for a ruckus; and there's plenty more. The government's complicated and shaky construction ensures an endless supply of material to be attacked.
Most of the media isn't there. Most of the media is embracing the new government and challenging it with nauseating obsequious nobility, but the media minority identified with the Right is lining up with the direction of the new Opposition and preparing the pitchforks. Is that really necessary?
In my opinion, no. First of all, the Opposition model that today's coalition presented these past few years is an ugly, unacceptable, uninspiring one. It was characterized by propaganda and slogans, it was aggressive and contemptuous and it only had one direction and one purpose: to grab power. You might say, "That's the Opposition's job!" Well, that's incorrect. It might be the goal of the Opposition, but a concerted effort to change the government that disrupts the life of a country is certainly out of the bounds of the game.
The new Opposition should do everything possible to avoid this style and adopt a completely different tactic, one that respects the main tenet of its views, which is sticking to the truth. But secondly, and this is the main thing – too quick a transition to a fighting, compulsive response Opposition means neglecting the main task right now, which is a painful analysis of what we have been through these past few years, starting with the first civil organization against the Netanyahu government, to the protests, the industry of hate and fanning base instincts and repeated elections and the iffy victory that ended them and led to the establishment of the current government.
The conduct of the new government, its offensive and hurtful style, its slogans about "Working for you" and frequent glamour shots are laughable and could make us angry, but they aren't the issue. It's needless to lurk around, waiting to make venomous attacks on every word the new education minister utters. She is the education minister, and it would be better if she did her work properly.
The question that must not fall by the wayside is, how did this happen? How did the operation to oust the Right from power succeed? How did the incitement and encourage of hatred act in the service of political interests, and how easy was it to shape the perception of reality of such a large audience? It's hard to draw that distinction, but it needs to be done. On one hand, we need to wish the new ministers success, criticize them, and monitor them without lowering ourselves to the level of the "Crime Minister" campaign; but on the other, we need to convene the biggest investigative committee ever to find out what we do now with all the hatred and propaganda that remains in the streets, and how we can prevent the next ouster of the Right.
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