"This non-democracy," Yair Lapid informed Israeli citizens on Wednesday, "told you one thing today, that you cannot leave your homes. Ask yourselves, in which countries does a non-elected government tell its citizens they can't leave their homes."
I admit my jaw dropped in astonishment at his words. The first association that came to my mind was a historical episode, one which I never truly understood, of the Sicarii, a splinter group of the Jewish Zealots in the Second Temple period who torched the food storages in Jerusalem during the Roman siege of the city, due to their unbridled hatred for their enemies. I later came to see that I'm not alone in holding this sentiment. Lapid, however, lest there be any misunderstandings, is not a Sacarii! Heaven forbid. The Sicarii murdered in order to achieve their goals. Lapid is simply a zealot, perhaps even infected by "messianism" – after all, Avigdor Lieberman recently gave this term new life – whose "anyone but Netanyahu" obsession has completely warped his judgment.
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Otherwise, it's hard to explain: Is Dr. Adi Weiss-Fink – a family doctor from Italy who begged the Israeli public to learn from Italy's mistakes, for the sake of our children, parents and own lives, to stay at home – also an agent for Netanyahu? Were Dr. Gabi Barbash, or Dr. Bar Siman-Tov and the medical professionals in the Health Ministry – who have warned us that thousands could contract the coronavirus by the end of the month, and that heaven forbid countless could die – also sent by Netanyahu to eradicate democracy?
When things return to normal after the pandemic, a (democratic) score will need to be settled with those grossly irresponsible individuals who are insinuating that the countrywide shutdown we are dealing with for the sake of our grandparents, parents, and children – in short, for us all – stems from totalitarian considerations whose purpose is to turn society into a servant of the state and a tool in the hands of its leaders.
Until then, Israeli citizens need to thank God twice a day that Benjamin Netanyahu is managing this difficult crisis, and not Lapid and his cohort. I was never an ardent Netanyahu supporter. I acknowledge his faults but also his many virtues, and for all our sakes I am exceedingly appreciative and grateful for the manner in which he is managing this war. And it is a war!
For at least the present , the majority of Israelis expect you to forget Netanyahu's trial and your blind hatred for him. If you cannot transcend yourselves and join an emergency or unity government – stay out of it, together with your new political allies, the supporters of terror and deniers of the Jewish state. If you are unable to muster the emotional fortitude required to shed your hatred and help carry the load, at least stop getting in the way.
