Israel's Coalition: I See Good Things

To be very honest, nothing's perfect, and that includes politicians. Even though the Bennett-Lapid broad coalition doesn't have the exact policies I want, I still consider today's situation superior to the Bibi-chareidi mafia. 

Bibi and his cohorts were sure that they had found a way to stay in power forever. The Likud as the largest political party in the Knesset, along with the chareidim managed to prevent a coalition from wresting the rule from them. They had the country in a stranglehold for a few years. Since Bibi had led the last coalition as Prime Minister, he continued as caretaking or interim PM along with his mafia. Sorry, it may be legal but it's not the sign of a healthy democracy. I also opposed the massive street demonstrations against Bibi prior to the new coalition. That's mob rule, not law.

Then miraculously, Bennett, Lapid, Gantz, Saar and a few disparate parties pulled the rug out from under Bibi and his cronies. They decided to concentrate on what they agreed and formed a coalition. The foulmouthed sore-losers and the political pundits quickly predicted that the new government wouldn't last out the month, but half a year later they seem to be developing strong, stable sea legs...

One of the great standouts as a minister in the coalition is Matan Kahane, Minister of Religion. Way back when in the earlier decades of the State of Israel the NRP National Religious Party held that position. The religious establishment was more mamlachti, Zionist, Bnai Akiva, not chareidi. In more recent years as NRP's younger generation became more ideological and/or open to working with other groups, the party not only lost votes, but it lost its luster, attracting fewer and fewer potential leaders. Every few years the NRP hired a few "front man." Even Naftali Bennett played the role until he got tired of being a "figurehead," 

Today politically ambitious men in crocheted kippot and women in scarves and sleeves can be seen in almost all political parties.  As the NRP got weaker, it lost its leadership in the government's religious bodies, and the chareidim quickly stepped in. The NRP is no longer in the Knesset, and the rabbinate, kashrut and conversion are dominated by the chareidim. 

Matan Kahane in Shiloh, parlor meeting,
March, 2019

Back to Matan Kahane who was new to politics when I heard him at a parlor meeting here in Shiloh, March 2019. I was impressed then, and he hasn't disappointed me yet.

For decades I've been worried about the fact that the "national religious" Jews as a group have been considering themselves "second class," inferior Jews to the chareidim. I don't see chareidi lifestyle and religious "standards" as superior, more genuinely Jewish. And since the chareidim now control the Rabbanit it's only getting worse. 

Conversion to Judaism has become one of the more difficult issues, and I'm glad that Matan Kahane is working on that, plus kashrut.

For those who want to list the "bad" things the present government has done, it's just as easy to find examples of similar and worse done by Bibi. Do you really want Bibi and his mafia back in unlimited power?