Israeli Democracy? Justice? Are You Confused?

Let's start with the easy stuff.

What's Democracy?

I decided to "printscreen" what professor google says about democracy,
so you can trust that I didn't edit/distort the meaning

There's nothing about Right/Left or Conservative/Liberal. It's in the numbers.

Democracy is broadly understood to mean ‘rule by the people’. In practice, it is often defined as people choosing their leaders in free and fair elections. 

Our World in Data

Democracy means that the country's leadership isn't decided in the street.

There are elections.

A democratic government is not chosen by who makes the loudest, most annoying and dangerous demonstrations. Nor does it give priority to people shouting in the street over legal elections.

Now, back to what has been going on in Israel. In the past half a decade plus, we've had multiple elections that ended without a new ruling coalition, and we haven't had a coalition/government that lasted its full term. 

Political parties which had dominated and ruled during the first few decades of the country no longer receive enough votes to be in the Knesset or if they are in, they are anorexic shadows of what they once were. This has been difficult for their supporters to accept. They and their parents, and in some cases grandparents, never liked the Netanyahu family, and they like the Revisionist founders of Herut/Likud even less. This is what is behind the irrational hatred of Binyamin Netanyahu. Remember that the demonstrations had actually begun during Netanyahu's previous terms as Prime Minister. 

We can't ignore the trials against Netanyahu. Even though years and much too much money have been invested in trying to convict him, the chances are nil. That's because they're trumped up charges, to put it mildly. Please ignore the unintended pun. If Bibi was really guilty of corruption, then it wouldn't have been hard to convict him, since the judges don't like him. 

To sum it up, the "anyone but Bibi" movement, along with the anti-Judicial Reform has nothing to do with his competence or honesty. It's the fading Left's attempt to override democratic elections and rule by street mobs with the help of the Leftist Supreme Court Judges.

Yes, the truth is that the opposition are those who are antidemocracy!

Quiet in Shuafat, Beit Chanina, East Jerusalem, Thank G-d

Late this morning went down to the bus stop in Shiloh to get to Jerusalem, but the bus didn't come... so I hitched a ride, actually two. One after another. And that second ride was to Jerusalem. As usual, I asked where and how, meaning which route. The driver said that he was hoping to take the Benzion Netanyahu Road which goes through the Arab neighborhoods where the rioting had been these past few days.

"I checked and was told it was open and quiet," he said.

Considering that he would take me close to where I needed to go and said that if the road looked bad, he'd go the other way, so I stayed in the car.

The driver was right. The streets were empty, and so were the sidewalks. The road was totally clear.

We had a very quick and pleasant drive. He dropped me off a short walk from the Israel Museum, which I'll, bli neder, write about another day on me-ander. B"H, thank G-d things were quiet.

Are the Islamist Extremists Winning? What Would Rav Kook and Jabotinsky Say?

Dry Bones pulled out another classic.

Originally published October 27, 2003

One of the main reasons I'm not so impressed and enamored by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's latest speech at the United Nations General Assembly is that all his fine words and great performance have no real effect on any country's policies, nor on the United Nations.  Bibi is a wonderfully  skilled performer and presenter.  Probably the best since the world (and the United States especially) had Ronald Regan to admire.  The biggest difference is that Netanyahu is a writer and can produce his own material.  But, call me a jaded cynic, none of his skills and talents will really change the world.

Elder of Ziyon has summarized some of the world's reactions to Netanyahu's speech. Excerpt:

Iran Learns the Language of the West

To be sure, Rouhani’s performance at the United Nations was stellar, although he did not have much to live up to. Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood on the podium at the General Assembly denying the Holocaust and promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories before claiming that he’d felt “bathed in light” during his speech. Certainly not conducive to winning any PR points.
Rouhani’s UN appearance reminds me of one of the UN’s more infamous moments (of which there are too many) when, in 1974, PLO leader Yasser Arafat addressed the General Assembly stating: “Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.”
Rouhani entered the UN with the equivalent of an atomic bomb poking out of his clothing. Yet, like Arafat before him, the crowd focused on the “olive branch” while ignoring the gun. In the subsequent years, Arafat’s gun was responsible for murdering and wounding thousands of innocents. Will Rouhani also follow suit albeit with more horrific weapons?

White House 'Understand's Israeli Skepticism on Iran'

Following the speech made by Binyamin Netanyahu to the United Nations General Assembly, White House Spokesman Jay Carney has said in a press briefing, that the US administration understands Israeli fears as it attempts a rapprochement with the Islamic regime.
“We’ve said all along, as the president has said, we understand, and it is entirely justifiable, that Israel is skeptical about Iran and Iran’s intentions,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, "after all, this is a country whose leadership, until recently[?], was pledging to annihilate Israel.”

But the most important fact to remember is that Iran is still appointed to crucial and powerful positions in the United Nations.

Jewish Groups Express Outrage at Iran’s Appointment to Head Key UN Committee
Iran was elected Tuesday by United Nations member states to serve as the rapporteur of the UN First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. Iran, which had lobbied for the position for months, also serves as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, the largest bloc of nations at the UN.

We must not trust or support foreign nations nor international organizations. The proof's in the pudding as the saying goes.

Honestly, besides the existence of the State of Israel, little has changed since the 1930's when Hitler came to power.  The world, the Vatican, the League of Nations, the United States and most Jewish leaders refused to recognize the dangers, either due to Pollyanna syndrome or anti-Semitism, latent or unabashed.

Recently a friend brought up the topic of Rav Abraham Yitzchak Kook, 1865-1935, and his inherent optimism which bothers her about his philosophy.  Suddenly it hit me that Rabbi Kook and Ze'ev Jabotinsky, 1880-1940, were contemporaries.  There was nothing very optimistic in Jabotinsky's view of the world, if I'm not mistaken.  Jabotinsky, who was from a secular background saw the world in black and white, while Rabbi Kook's vision was enhanced by a spiritual "light."

PM Netanyahu was greatly influenced by his father, the late Professor Benzion Netanyahu a disciple of  Jabotinsky.  Neither of the Netanyahu's have/had a comprehension of the "spiritual light" that imbued Rabbi Kook and his followers with the confidence that we will survive and flourish without the world's backing.  Our G-d is more powerful.  That is Bibi's tragic flaw and the key to the reason he has accepted the "two state solution."

At present, the Rav Kook followers and the Jabotinsky followers are together in the Israeli Government, but they haven't taken the best from either philosophy/ideology.  Today's Rav Kook followers are mamlachti'im, worshipping the State of Israel, and the Jabotinsky followers are following the Left and foreign values. They are more like the ten out of twelve tribal leaders in the time of Moses, who voted to delay entrance to the Land of Israel, because they were afraid of the physical size of those living there, the "sin of the spies."

Herein is the danger of democracy, the rule of fools.  Calev and Joshua were correct, only two out of twelve tribal elders who had been assigned the task to stake out the Land, not to decide whether or not it was feasible to enter it at the time.

G-d is in control but demands that we use our Free Will correctly. On occasion, G-d will override our mistakes and save us, but His goal is for us Jews to make the right decisions.

Benzion Netanyahu's Greatest Mistake

Hebrew names are words and/or biblical personalities.  They all have meaning and history.  Hebrew is an extremely magical language.  When someone's name is "analyzed" lots of information can be deduced.  That's not the say that every single person with the name of עדינה Adina, which means gentle will be all that gentle.  But I'd certainly prefer to have a Calev or Joshua on my team than a Nimrod.

I'd think that a great scholar of Jewish History and the Bible such as the late Professor Benzion Netanyahu would have picked a stronger name for his second son than Binyamin, Benjamin.  It's not the name for a strong, loyal to G-d leader. The first Benjamin in the Bible was the youngest child of Ya'aqov Avinu, Our Forefather Jacob.  Benjamin was a pawn.  We don't hear him speak.  He survived his childbirth which killed his mother.  His father and brothers made his decisions for him.  One doesn't see him acting independently or responding when the Egyptian Viceroy, who actually was his elder brother in disguise, sentenced him to imprisonment.

Second, his tribal descendants, the Tribe of Benjamin was involved in one of the most despicable Biblical stories, Pilegesh ba'Givah, the rape and murder of the concubine in Givah.  The tribe of Binyamin caused a major civil war which almost caused the destruction of their tribe.

And my third example of the problem with the name of Benjamin for a leader concerns King Saul, who was from that tribe.  King Saul was instrumental in two major sins as a king. He kept trying to cause a major civil war against David and his followers. He was willing to do anything to destroy David to guarantee that his son Yonatan, Jonathan would follow him as king to establish a dynasty.  Before David took over as king, he walked a very narrow tightrope trying to both defend himself and be a leader protecting the Jewish People. 

King Saul also refused to obey G-d's commandment to destroy all of Amalek, including the Amalek livestock.  In direct defiance of G-d's orders he kept alive Agog, the Amalek king and the livestock, which he used in an uncalled for ceremony.  When Samuel the Prophet discovered what he had done, Saul blamed the people for urging him to do it.

Finally the Prophet Samuel had to make it very clear to Saul that he was deposed.  Soon after that Saul committed suicide and his sons died in battle.  King David was then able to reign over the People of Israel.  Even better was that King David was in direct communication with G-d and didn't need the mentoring of Samuel.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is too much a "Benjamin" to be a strong Prime Minister.  Do you see the parallels in his letter to the problems we had thousands of years ago with King Saul?

Here's the very disgraceful Saul/Benjamin-like "letter to the people" that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu
From time to time, prime ministers are called on to make decisions that go against public opinion – when the matter is important for the country.
In order to make decisions that are supported by the public, there is no need for prime ministers.
At the present time, it seems to me that it is very important for the State of Israel to enter into a diplomatic process. This is important both in order to exhaust the chance of ending the conflict with the Palestinians and in order to establish Israel’s position in the complex international reality around us.
The major changes in our region – in Egypt, Syria and in Iran – not only place challenges before the State of Israel but they also create considerable opportunities for us.
For these reasons, I believe that it is important for the State of Israel to enter a diplomatic process that will continue for at least nine months – in order to check if it is possible to reach an agreement with the Palestinians during this time.
But even with all of the importance that I ascribe to the diplomatic process, I was not prepared to accept the Palestinians’ demands for withdrawals and freezes as preconditions for entering negotiations.
Neither was I prepared to accept their demand to release Palestinian prisoners before the start of negotiations. I did agree to release 104 Palestinians in stages after the start of the negotiations and in accordance with the circumstances of their progress.
This is an incomparably difficult decision, it is painful for the bereaved families and it is painful for the entire nation and it is also very painful for me.
It collides with the incomparably important value of justice.
It is a clear injustice when depraved people, even if most of them have sat in prison for over 20 years as in this case, are released before they have finished serving their sentences.
The decision is difficult for me seven-fold because my family and I personally know the price of bereavement stemming from terrorism. I know the pain very well. I have lived with it every day for the past 37 years. The fact that previous Israeli governments have released over 10,000 terrorists does not make it easier for me today, and did not make it easier when I decided to bring back Gilad Shalit.
Gilad Shalit’s return home entailed an incomparably difficult decision for me – releasing terrorists. But I believed that the value of bringing children back home needed to overcome this difficulty.
People in positions of leadership need to choose between complex choices and sometimes the necessary decision is especially difficult when most of the public opposes it.
Thus I decided to end Operation Pillar of Defense after the elimination of arch-terrorist Ahmed Jabari and after the severe blows the IDF dealt to Hamas and the other terrorist organizations.
I made the decision to end the operation even though most of the public supported continued action, which would have required entering the Gaza Strip on the ground. As Prime minister, I thought that the goal of deterrence had been mostly achieved by the determined actions that we carried out.
Today, almost one year after the end of Operation Pillar of Defense, we are witness to the quietest situation in the south in over a decade. Of course, this quiet can fray at any minute but my policy is clear on all fronts: We will, as much as possible, foil threats against us in a timely manner. We will react strongly to any attempt to harm our people.
In the next nine months, we will consider whether there is a Palestinian element opposite us that, like us, truly wants to end the conflict between us.
Such a conclusion will be possible only under conditions that will ensure security for Israel’s citizens and ensure our vital national interests.
If we succeed in achieving such a peace agreement, I will submit it to a referendum.
Such a fateful decision cannot be made by a close vote in the Knesset.
Every citizen must be allowed to directly influence our future and our fate on such a crucial issue.
The best answer we can give to those same base murderers that sought to defeat us through terrorism is that in the decades that they sat in prison, we built a glorious country and turned it into one of the most prosperous, advanced and strongest countries in the world.
I promise that we will continue thus.
Yours,
Benjamin Netanyahu.

Jewish versus Arab Building in Judea and Samaria and SOVEREIGNTY

Let's just start with two pictures I took yesterday.

Over the years I've photographed lots of Arab homes, from the distance of the roads, traveling to and from Shiloh.  My "Arab Mansions" series includes some of my all-time most popular/viewed blog posts.  That series is from 2007, and as you can see from the upper photo, the Arabs are getting even more "creative" and grandiose in their building styles than ever before.

Unlike when Jews build, the Arabs don't need all sorts of political and engineering permits; they just build to their heart's desire and pocketbook/bank account.

Displaying a total lack of true sovereignty the State of Israel allows foreign leaders to dictate when and where we build.  A de facto or de jure building freeze is immoral, no matter how you slice it.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been quietly enforcing a de facto building freeze on all construction for Jews in Judea and Samaria and areas in Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinian Authority, Israeli media reported Tuesday.
The Prime Minister promised U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to curtail construction for Jews until mid-June to give PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas time to fulfill his condition for a return to face-to-face negotiations with Israel.
Army Radio reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu told Housing Minister Uri Ariel, who lives in  the Judea and is a senior member of the Jewish Home party, to suspend publishing tenders for 3,000 residential housing units, including those to advance plans and construction of homes in the E-1 area of Maaleh Adumim.

It's a total disgrace and embarrassment that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu doesn't send United States Secretary of State Kerry and others packing as diplomatic sanctions.

The keyword/concept at the memorial event for the late Emanuel Winston was "sovereignty." Israel's totally irrational cancellation of the Lavi fighter plane project was a display of dependence, not sovereignty.  That is the true tragedy of that decision.  It wasn't about airplanes; it was about Israeli military independence and security.  That's what sovereignty is all about.  It's when a country does what's best for itself and doesn't search for approval and support from others.

The Israeli Left's fear of true independence isn't new.  One of the things I understood from the late Benzion Netanyahu's The Founding Fathers of Zionism is that Chaim Weizmann held very anti-Jewish independence views.  After reading that book I couldn't understand why he had been chosen as Israel's President.  According to Professor Netanyahu, Weizmann wanted to make Israel more a dependent of Britain rather than an independent country.

We're still fighting that same ideological/political battle now.  And unfortunately, it's the pro-Weizmann faction that is winning.  (Obviously substitute the USA for Great Britain.)