Opinion | The Ideal of Democracy in a Jewish State Is in Jeopardy
New York TimesDec 17, 2022
Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday told Israeli Pres. Isaac Herzog that he has succeeded in forming a new government. The announcement signals the return to power of Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister at the helm of what is reportedly the most far-right coalition in Israel's history.
Netanyahu's announcement came minutes before a midnight Wednesday deadline and followed weeks of negotiations with far-right coalition partners. The PM-designate was unseated in January 2021 over corruption investigations, but his coalition won 64 seats in Israel's 120-member parliament, the Knesset, after Israelis cast ballots on Nov. 1 for the fifth time in four years.
To stay in power, corruption-plagued Netanyahu has bowed to the demands of the most extreme elements of Israeli politics. His concessions to ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties are a massive blow to Israeli democracy, the rule of law, and thus to the future of Israel. Moreover, by rejecting the two-state solution, the new government is poised to risk fresh Arab-Israeli violence. It's time for Washington to end its ambiguity about Israel and stand up for democracy, as it otherwise does all over the world.
Even before the new Israeli government is sworn in, media activists have warned that it poses a threat to Israeli democracy. However, these critics ignore the fact that Israel remains the only democracy in the Middle East and that it was the Israelis who wished Netanyahu back in power. Washington should think twice before joining the doomsayers' camp and alienating its closest ally in the region. Instead of jumping to conclusions and demonizing the coalition government, the actual political work should be evaluated as it happens.
Even if everyone seems to agree that Netanyahu would do anything to stay in power and out of prison, the coalition is ultimately an expression of the voters' will. One thing is certain: Given the negative tendencies in Israeli politics, "Bibi" is the last hope for the survival of liberal Israeli democracy. Now he will have to prove whether he is up to the historic task of keeping Israel from turning into an apartheid state.