No one disputes the convention that elections are the lofty expression of the democratic process, and it's not for nothing they are referred to as a "celebration of democracy." In normal times, political parties would use their election campaigns to promote their socio-economic agendas in such a way that differentiates them from their rivals. Naturally, party campaigns are aimed at affording citizens of the state the basic tools to better understand the political options available and make an educated decision as to which party deserves their vote.
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The complexity of the Israeli political system, and the lack of a clear outcome in the three most recent rounds of voting, in particular, has led to the establishment of a particular kind of campaign ahead of the March 23rd election. For the first time in an election campaign, the traditional disputes between the political Right and Left have been brushed aside, the controversial issue that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been intentionally disappeared, and even the vocal arguments over the government's failures in contending with the coronavirus pandemic are being sidelined. It would be fair to say that this election can be summed up as a referendum on public trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This common denominator, which crosses party lines, raises the banner of the "lofty" objective of removing Netanyahu from office, so much so that we may see politicians from a variety of parties across the political spectrum come together to form a coalition that leaves the Likud in the opposition.
"Bringing down Netanyahu is preferable to the premiership," Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid, the man spearheading opponents of the prime minister, made clear.
We have never before seen abysmal hatred for one politician become a party's refined campaign in an election. The fact that the "Anyone but Bibi" camp's electorate is at peace with this line is an insult to their intelligence. As a famous quote attributed to physicist Albert Einstein goes: "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
In this dangerous game that is being played with Israel's future, the ends justify the means.
A cold analysis of the current circumstances and forces at play on the eve of the election, and the internalization of the implicit message being sent by boycotting Netanyahu, on one hand, and the determination to protest him on the other, are signs we may see an extreme and unprecedented refusal to accept the results of the election should it see the forming of a Netanyahu-led coalition. Not coincidentally, the names of the Netanyahu protest movements, among them "black flag," and "crime minister," make clear their supporters won't accept the outcome unless it suits their doctrine. Allow me to borrow from the world of intelligence assessment and say this is no imaginary scenario but a rather reasonable one, and as such should serve as a genuine warning sign.
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