Shelly is Simply Out of Her Depth - It's About More Than Social Justice

Once more reality bites with a vengeance as the security and diplomatic realities of our region take centre stage, with the struggle for social justice under threat of being sidelined if not forgotten altogether.

There are those however who argue that the issues of security, diplomacy and social justice in this country are inextricably linked and that you will not achieve genuine success in any one of them, without addressing all of them. This is indeed a monumental task however such is the harsh reality of the region in which we live.

Over the past six weeks, perhaps the main political beneficiary of the protest for social justice and focus on social issues has been Shelly Yachimovich, one of the candidates and some say favourite; in the upcoming election for leadership of the Labour Party. Cynically exploiting the wave of popular support for social issues and hatred of Israel’s oligarchs, Shelly has presented herself as “Ms Social Justice”.

As an ex TV journalist and slick media operator, Shelly has stopped at nothing to exploit the protests for her own narrow interests. Focusing on the easy targets of the oligarchs and what is known as “Swinish Capitalism”, Shelly has promoted popular, although simplistic and naive policies to address the social ills of the country while at the same time, steadfastly refusing to comment on security and diplomatic issues. It would be fair to say that up until now, for Shelly Yachimovich, silence has been golden.

Last week however, Shelly finally opened her mouth on a range of issues and perhaps today she is wishing she had remained silent. In an interview in Haaretz, Shelly stunned supporters and detractors alike, as she stated that she did not see the settlements as “a sin or a crime” she went on to say that, “In its time, it was a completely consensual move. And it was the Labor Party that founded the settlement enterprise in the territories. That is a fact a historical fact.”

A fact maybe, however the majority of her supporters and her party for that matter; see the settlements very differently and although still trying to keep politics out of their campaign, most people involved in the “social justice” protests throughout the country tend to see settlements as a major obstacle.

It appears that Shelly has only managed to further confuse people in regard to her stance on diplomatic matters. In her interview Shelly went on to deny that there is any connection between funds allocated to settlements and the lack of funds allocated to social issues. Neither in her opinion is there any connection to the security and defence budget. For Shelly it is all about the flawed capitalist system. If we raise taxes and take away from the rich, then everything apparently will be fine.

And herein lies the problem. It would appear that Shelly Yachimovich is after all a “one trick pony”. She may have an in-depth knowledge of the social issues facing the country however that seems to be about it. She displays a naïve and almost irresponsible lack of interest in the security and diplomatic issues facing the country maintaining that the social agenda can and should be addressed in isolation.

Shelly’s unwillingness or perhaps inability to engage on the issues of diplomacy and security leave her sadly lacking as a credible candidate for leadership of the Labour Party. Her refusal to debate the issues with her fellow candidates (she has refused several invitations to share a stage with the other Labour leadership contenders) points to a deep insecurity and raises legitimate questions regarding her ability to make her arguments, that is if she has arguments to make. To this day, nobody really knows where Shelly stand on many key issues.

Recent events delivered a cruel reminder of the extreme nature and very real danger of the neighbourhood in which we live. The tragic and murderous events in Southern Israel over the weekend, and the increased rocket attacks from Gaza, along with the deteriorating situation along the Egyptian border both physically and diplomatically; cast a dark shadow across the whole country. Furthermore, these terrible events highlight our need for genuine leadership committed to tackling each of the issues based upon its merits, while ensuring that all are addressed in good measure.

The Social Justice protests of the summer have drastically altered the political map of Israel to a point where social and economic issues are now on a par with security and diplomacy and rightly so. Even in the face of the greatest security and diplomatic challenges, they must remain so. But none can be addressed in isolation.

Guaranteed security for all Israelis, improved diplomatic standing and greater social justice in the country are all imperatives. Those aspiring to lead this country need to appreciate and comprehend the connection between the issues and most importantly, possess the will and capacity to deliver on all three.

I am afraid that in this regard, Shelly Yachimovich is simply out of her depth.