Since the far-right Likud government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, assumed power, Israel has been witnessing a tense political movement punctuated by mutual violence between demonstrators and security forces, due to the changes that the Israeli government intends to introduce in the judicial system. , with a populist impulse towards totalitarianism by tightening the grip of extremist religious parties on political life in Israel.
Israel, by emphasizing its steadfastness on the principled stance condemning its racist background…its expansionist strategy…its persecution of the Palestinians…and its imminent strategic threat to Arab national security…and its inherent hatred for peace, but it is difficult to deny the fact that Israel's strength does not lie only in its military capabilities and its strategic relationship distinguished with the West, but also in the stability of its political system. Despite what appears to be deep differences between political currents, with their contradictory ideological attractions, from the far right to the far left, reflected in the composition of successive Israeli coalition governments since the 1990s, Israel enjoys a stable and balanced democratic political system that governs the will of the people.
Therefore: the violent demonstrations that are sweeping Israel these days cannot be seen as a sign of dangerous instability… Let alone the assessment of some that these demonstrations reflect the harbingers of a civil war that could lead to the collapse of Israel from within. In fact, these demonstrations are among the mechanisms for the political system to maintain its balance, and an indicator of its efficiency and effectiveness in maintaining its stability, albeit – sometimes – outside the game of traditional politics, which presupposes the peaceful movement of political participation and the fluidity of the mechanism of the transfer of power. These violent demonstrations represent a strong challenge to a fragile coalition government that barely enjoys a majority in the Knesset. The opposition was unable to compete with it at the polls. So the appeal was to the forces of the street to prevent harming the foundations of the democratic system, in order to preserve people's freedoms… the formula for separation of powers, and the values of democratic practice.
It is noteworthy here that these demonstrations echoed outside the street movement, to include political, cultural and security activities, reflecting the reality of the pluralistic Israeli political system with its official and unofficial institutions. There are political and diplomatic figures who refused to be part of the Israeli government, working to seriously harm the values of the democratic system. This resentment extended to the army and security services, prompting Netanyahu to dismiss the defense minister, a measure that inflamed the street, adding more fuel to the blazing fire. All of this led, in the end, to Netanyahu's retreat by freezing the proposed legislation in the Knesset, after the demonstrations reached his home, or even his office, which could actually disrupt the work of his government.
It is noteworthy that these demonstrations, despite their violence and the severity of the security forces' confrontation with them, did not result in anything but minor injuries! It was not accompanied by any form of abuse against the demonstrators or opposition leaders, such as arresting them, imprisoning them, or the enforced disappearance of any of them. The government was also unable to force the press, even those known to be right-wing and pro-government, to adopt the government's point of view, let alone defend it.
Democracy is strong in Israel and is rooted in the thinking and behavior of the people and within the institutions of its political system. A variable that the Arabs must take into account when accurately estimating Israel's true strength, and then defining positions that define the policies, behaviors, and strategies of the conflict movement with it, rather than relying solely on traditional thought by focusing on its military power and the support of Western countries for it.
Israel remains a bitter strategic enemy of the Arabs, but it will not collapse from within, as some might hope, because of the violence prevailing in its streets these days. Despite this, Israel's strategic threat to Arab national security can be contained, neutralized, and even overcome, and their fateful conflict with it managed efficiently and effectively, when the Arabs become aware of Israel's real power, one of the most prominent of which is its democratic system.
Talal Saleh Banan
