In less than one year's time, Israelis are going to the polls. Again. With the various crises at hand – the coronavirus being only one of them – it is time to get it over with, because who knows what tomorrow will bring. A Jewish state or the state of all its citizens ... Citizens of Israel, the state calls upon you!
Free elections reflect the resilience of democracy. Three election campaigns in the span of 11 months point to the opposite.
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When elected officials fail to translate the will of the people into governance, be it over ego or for personal reasons, they have only two choices left: change their behavior or simply go home. Because politics, as I understand it, seeks to promote issues, not to throw a wrench in the wheels of the political system or offer the public a quarterly subscription to the polling stations, free of charge.
The right-wing bloc is stronger than its left counterpart. These are facts that – may my friends in Labor-Gesher-Meretz and the Joint Arab List forgive me – were proven in both the April and September 2019 elections. But someone in the right-wing camp, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, chose to defect from the national camp of which he was a part since his first day in Israeli politics, sending the entire country into a tailspin.
Lieberman may have realized that the "Anyone but Bibi" camp – brought to you via the ideology touted by Blue and White – offers many benefits, all relevant and ostensibly dignified even post-retirement, and a host of other treats.
The solidarity demonstrated by the members of this club is very moving. What a shame that the Israeli public insists on going to the polls and spoiling this touching show of fraternity. That's how it has been since 1977, with short intervals here and there.
The March 2020 elections are no ordinary vote. A bright red light flashes franticly before our eyes. Many in the public have lost all faith in the system and its elected officials, and that is of great concern for any democracy. This is why the big test of Monday's elections will not only be reaching a decisive result but also voter turnout. It is precisely because of the loss of confidence in elected officials and the disappointment from the lows to which the campaign sunk that we need to see high voter turnout.
Today, the decision falls to the voting public. They will choose and their ballots will put an end to the parody called "general election in Israel." Italian film director Federico Fellini is dead and gone. What a shame. He would have made us a movie, maybe a sequel to his 1955 film The Swindlers.
Imagine, if you will, what 61 seats will do for the right-wing bloc. They will cripple those who seek to paralyze the system. The choice is yours. And this time, the choice is not between Netanyahu and Gantz, as you may think, but between resuming the country's routine and restoring sanity to the political system, or remaining the hostages of Yisrael Beytenu and the Joint Arab List. Israeli democracy deserves more.
By the way, No one really expects anything from Joint Arab List head Ayman Odeh, who declares himself to be a member of a non-Zionist list, even if we will fight for his voters' right to adequate representation in the Knesset and full partnership in our shared country. This does not require a joint Arab slate and in 2020-Israel, I hope there is still ideology.
Israelis are proud of their country; proud of their homeland, proud of their economy. The Israeli public also shows gratitude despite everything being said in the media on a daily basis. All you have to do is look at the voting trends in developing periphery cities and the Gaza vicinity communities.
In the Jewish month of Adar it is customary to rejoice, and we have much to be happy about. Only a few weeks ago, over 40 world leaders visited Israel to remember with us the liberation of the wretched Auschwitz death camp. Where has the gratitude gone for those who see evil in tefillin and a dreidel?
The Jewish state, the sweet and sometimes delusional dream of generations, has become a reality for all of us. The miracle for which we prayed became a daily wonder. True, there is much to fix and Israel is far from perfect, but look around and see what is happening in the established nations of the region and the world with their glorious past, look at what is happening in Europe.
So let's end this madness and reinstate sanity. The legislator will legislate, the executive branch will execute it, journalists will cover everything, and the people will cast their ballots. Sounds fair? It even sounds democratic.
We have a historic opportunity to finally shape our borders through the "deal of the century," which the Left loves to belittle just because it is so good for us, and to apply Israeli sovereignty and law to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley with the cooperation of a sympathetic US administration.
The alternative is to return to an era of futile negotiations with those who want nothing to do with us and ceding land in exchange for missiles and terrorism. The choice is yours.
We have a great opportunity to continue fostering ties with Arab countries, while – still behind the scenes – joining forces over the Iranian threat as never before. And most of all, we have the right to continue living in a Jewish state that respects its minorities but also respects what it is.
This is exactly what the heroes of the War of Independence fought for – the realization of the Zionist vision and the establishment of the Jewish state. Anyone who doubts that can read the memoirs of the founders of the Center-Left bloc – David Ben-Gurion, Berl Katznelson and Golda Meir.
But what about the democratic nature of Israel, you ask? Anyone who knows the essence of Judaism knows full well that the Jewish state cannot help but be democratic. Look around. And if you happen to see Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it's because Turkey is not far away or maybe its because someone has chosen to plaster his image on billboards in the name of fairness and integrity.
"When Adar begins, we increase our joy," the Sages say, expanding the joy of the Purim holiday to the entire month. Wouldn't it be fun if the third time is a charm and we'll get a government? But for that, of course, you have to vote.
Every vote for the Right really does count so pay attention to the ballot you cast. It seems that our elected officials have hearing problems. Let's hope that if we tell them three times that will be enough to understand.
