It’s Time For A “Radical Center”

Its time!  What we need in Israeli politics and in Israeli society is a radical center, led by a radical centrist party, radical in its make-up, radical in its approach and radical in its policies.

Oxymoron, I hear you say.  Ordinarily, you may have a point however, we live in extraordinary times!

The miracle that is Israel, perhaps the 20th century’s most unlikely and yet greatest success story, against all odds.  A story of hope and of victory over evil and adversity, the realization of the Zionist dream, the return of the Jewish people to their historical and rightful homeland and the establishment of not just a sanctuary, but a thriving Jewish democracy punching way beyond its weight in contributions to the world at large, is today under threat like no other it has known.

This threat does not come from Arab armies massed against this tiny country.  It does not come in the form of a nuclear Iran dedicated to our destruction.  It does not come from terrorism on our doorstep or within our borders.  It does not come from BDS or vituperative Anti-Semitism across the western world.  It comes from no third party nor outside element.

The greatest threat that Israel has faced, perhaps in its history comes from within.  It comes from extremists who seek to undermine and ultimately destroy our Jewish democracy.  Ironically this clear and present danger comes from Jews, Israelis, who if we do not act now, may clutch defeat from the jaws of a hard earned victory.

Like many countries in the West, the polarization of society is facilitating a rise of extremism on both sides of the political map.  Today in Israel we have a government which has sold its soul and in turn, the country, to the ultra orthodox sects of Judaism and Messianic Zionism, where the leadership appear hellbent on replacing our secular democracy with a dangerous mix of theocracy and jingoism. 

We have a government seemingly determined on dismantling the keystones of our democracy and betraying the values upon which the state was built and upon which it has been so successful.

I stress the leadership of which, because of course, just as secular leaders in this country do not speak for all secular people, so too, there are many good and great ultra orthodox and Messianic Zionists in our midst who respect and value our democracy, who although passionate in their beliefs, do not seek to impose their opinion, ideology or lifestyle on the wider population.

They embrace the tenets upon which modern Israel has been built and upon which they and their country have thrived.  Moreover, there are those in the orthodox community who believe that the religious parties are doing greatest damage to the religion itself.

This is by no means unique to Israel however, political discourse has disintegrated to a state where issues and policy are of little importance.  For the current administration led by Bibi, unable to proffer a cohesive argument,  anyone who dares to disagree with their world view is condemned as a traitor, a collaborator, a conspiracist, or the ultimate insult today, a “leftie”.  Today’s government only seeks to divide and rule.

Even though Benjamin Netanyahu has been at the helm for over a decade, still this right wing reactionary government seeks to pass off its own failures as the fault of those who would dare oppose them. 

Those “betraying” and “conspiring” against our country today include a distinguished and comprehensive collection of, pretty much every institution key to the defense of our country, our society and the upholding of our democracy… the opposition, the judiciary, the police, the military, the media. NGOs, artists, academics, political rivals in Bibi’s own party, even the President himself.

The deterioration in the quality of government and the level of discourse should alarm every citizen, regardless of political allegiance.  Today we have a situation where the police have recommended prosecution of three ministers and our Prime Minister, along with ongoing investigations into various member of Knesset.  One of our ministers is a convicted criminal who has already sat in jail for very similar crimes to those for which he is now being investigated today.    If you made this up, none would believe you.

One might ask, “have we no shame?”  Sadly, the answer appears to be, no we don’t.   If one looks at recent legislation passed or being advocated by this government, we see a slate of laws designed to undermine our democracy, the rule of law,  freedom of expression, along with other basics of a healthy society.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his cohorts have purged the Likud party of or sidelined intelligent critical thinkers, democrats such as Dan Meridor, Benny Begin, Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon, Gideon Saar, in favor of Netanyahu supporters with little to offer other than blind loyalty to their leader, accompanied by opportunistic populism and lowest common denominator rhetoric.

The so-called opposition has proved itself unfit for purpose, unable to challenge the current administration and offer a viable alternative to an increasingly emboldened, anti-democratic and morally bankrupt administration, trading in fear and division, consequences be damned.

In truth, most Israelis sit somewhere slightly left or right of the center, and by their very nature, tend not to be radical in their opinions nor their actions. 

This is a luxury we can no longer afford.  One may obtain the best view from sitting on the proverbial fence however things only change when we step down and decide to act.   Its time to bring down that fence altogether!  The time has come for this centrist majority to get radical and act with grit and determination, the same grit and determination by the way, which built this country; to stop the willful destruction of our democracy, our values and our way of life.

Regardless of left and the right, religious and secular, Sephardi and Ashkenazi, Jew and non-Jew, people of all political persuasions and ideologies, from all walks of life and all elements of society, good people of conscience understand that the success of our young country is down to the very values and gatekeepers of those values, which are now under threat. 

They are shocked and depressed at the current situation yet feel powerless to do anything about the situation.  Traditional Likudniks are no longer able to identify with what their party has become, whereas lifelong Labor Party members lament the very sad state of affairs in their own party, wholly dysfunctional, seemingly intent on eating itself in a ceaseless cycle of suicidal internal conflict.

There are those who will argue that we currently have centrist parties.  Perhaps we do, but the very reason they do not work and will never lead a government is that they are led by individuals far more interested in their own aggrandizement than in serving the people of Israel.

We have no need of leaders who, what they say or do depends upon the particular audience they are addressing on the day.  We do not need those who seek to exploit a political party as a vehicle for their own ambition.  We have no need of leaders who are more interested in being popular than doing what is right.  Any individual who aspires to lead, by their very nature has an ego. 

It is imperative however that leaders of a radical center take a radical approach to managing those egos.  We desperately need a return to integrity of leadership, to personal responsibility and to service, service to the nation, the country and all its citizens.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and it is now time for the silent and let’s face it, cynical and often apathetic majority of Israelis to cast of its cynicism and its apathy, come together and act in the name of our democracy, in the name of our way of life and in the name of our children’s future.   

It is time for centrists, to find their voice, speak loud and clear and declare that extremists will no longer drive the debate.  Blinkered ideologues will no longer be able to extort and bully the majority.   Minority views must of course be respected however it is time for the center to assert its rights and its authority.

We now require a radical centrist party with a radical make up of leaders and individuals from all elements of society, those who understand that the core values upon which this country has been built supersede our right, left, religious, secular divides.  This party must be radical in its approach, where the status quo is no longer acceptable How we govern our country and manage our society must change. 

A Radical Center must create a platform which includes fixed terms for our leaders, a radical approach to inequality in our society, to the needs of the majority and not those of the extreme fringes, to reform and improvement of our education, our healthcare, our welfare and our economy and yes, of paramount importance, our security, but in a manner which serves the interests of all our citizens not just the privileged few and the vocal extreme.

The Radical Center must reject the perversion of Zionism by the extreme right and the condemnation of Zionism but the extreme left.  It must reclaim Zionism and its ideals  for those in the center and  all the people of Israel.

The Radical Center must drive radical change and improvement in national and local government, where public servants understand that they are there to serve the interest of all our citizens, not their self or narrow interest.

For those who say this is mere fantasy, I would remind them that the same could be said of the creation and survival of the state.   A radical centrist government defeating those who would sacrifice all that we have achieved for the sake of their blinkered ideology is indeed far more realistic and realizable dream. It demands a sea change in our outlook and in our actions. 

It demands that we reconnect with the spirit of our country’s founders.  It demands a radical approach which galvanizes with silent majority and moves it to action.  Just as with the founding of the state seventy years ago, today we have no choice, where the price of failure could be the country itself.