"It’s Likud Jim, But Not as We Know It" - Netanyahu Has Gutted Likud of its Values & Critical Thinkers

George Orwell said that “A people that elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves and traitors are not victims, but accomplices”.

In the original series, Star Trek’s Dr McCoy would turn to Captain Kirk and state, “it’s life Jim, but not as we know it”.

If Doctor McCoy was to scan today’s Likud Party, he would surely observe that “it’s Likud Jim, but not as we know it”.  Nor indeed is it what Likudniks should want it to be.

Today, the intellectual, ideological and democratic nature of the Likud Party is slowly but surely being eroded.  As one might expect the qualitative demise of the largest party in the Knesset takes its toll on Israeli politics in general.   

The party of Menachem Begin, David Levi. Dan Meridor, Ruby Rivlin, Benny Begin and other fine parliamentarians is being slowly destroyed from within.  It was embarrassing and indeed wholly insulting to watch the intimidation and ultimate exclusion of Benny begin as he fought to defend the integrity of his party and his government against the boorish behaviour and anti- democratic legislation driven by certain elements in his own party.  Begin is a Likudnik through and through however he is also a democrat dedicated to the democratic values underpinned in Israel’s declaration for independence.

Likud today is increasingly driven by a clique of MKs who see the perpetuation of their power base and the protection of their leader as their main reason "d'etre.  They seem to forget, or choose to ignore that they were elected in order to legislate and govern in the best interests of the people of Israel, all the people.  

Parliamentary democracy and due process, have become inconvenient obstacles to their agenda and so they look to undermine and circumvent the fundamentals of our democracy.  The slate of recent legislation tabled by the Likud and their coalition partners has very little to do with the better interests of Israeli citizens and everything to do with eroding the checks and balances that are critical to a healthy democracy.  Those Likudniks who dare speak out and attempt to defend the integrity and commitment to democracy, which to date has been inherent within the party, are now hounded, shouted down and ostracised.

Today Benjamin Netanyahu presides over an administration and a party, rife with questionable and corrupt activity.  In an attempt to pander to the extreme fringes of the coalition, a policy of divide and rule is being employed.  For the modern day Likud party, the idea of the democratic process and intelligent informed debate is no longer acceptable.  There is an attempt to intimidate and silence those who would dare question the plethora illegitimate laws under proposal.

Bibi is under siege with a slew of investigations into his actions across a range of incidents.  Bibi may or may not be guilty and one can only hope that indeed our Prime Minister is innocent of all charges.  He is yet to be charged with any crime and one hopes that this will not come to pass.  Due process however, must be allowed to take place and be seen to take place.

One thing that is now clear however, is that corruption and impropriety permeate throughout Bibi’s inner circle with some of his closest associates under investigation, with a number already charged with a variety of crimes.  Bibi may or not be aware of what is going on around him. 

If Bibi is not aware of these actions then although perhaps guilty of no crime, he is indeed guilty of negligence, or incompetence, or both.  What kind of leader is not aware of what is going on around him or of what his team is up to?  Frankly it is just not good enough.  It is hardly befitting of a man who holds perhaps the most difficult leadership role in the world today, where we need him to be on his game and surrounded by people that can be trusted to operate with integrity and the best interests of country at heart.

Within the Likud party, Bibi has empowered some highly questionable individuals who actively seek to undermine the democratic nature of the country.  Legislation aimed at limiting and undermining the independence and/or, the ability to act of the judiciary, the police, even the security services and the IDF are all intended to enable what can only be called, “the tyranny of the majority” where the extreme elements within the coalition are able to push and increasingly weakened Prime Minister to pander to their blinkered ideologies.

To the current administration and to those extremists within the Likud party, everyone is the enemy!   The High Court, the media, the Chief of Police, the Attorney General, the State Comptroller the Security Services, the IDF, the Jews of the Diaspora, even the bereaved families of fallen soldiers, all come under the category of “leftists”, traitors,  enemies of the state, all of whom are obsessed with removing Netanyahu from power. 

Rather than strengthen our democracy and engage with political and ideological opponents in substantive argument and debate, the current administration, led by the Likud Party, is increasingly employing the tactics of dictatorship, seeking to silence dissent and undermine the checks and balances that exist in order to ensure the health and strength of our democracy.

One may agree or disagree with the policies and ideology of the government however, failure to tackle the extreme nature and antipathy of the current administration towards our democracy must be addressed and it is up to Likudniks to rescue their party and in turn the country from the current travesty, which poses a clear and present danger to us all.