What's Up With The Israeli Government?

By Melech Mahalel & Maya Hertz

Israel’s Government 

Ever since 2019, Israel has been moving from one election to the next. The politicians have failed to do the one thing they were tasked to do, which is to create a functioning government that lasts an entire term. They’ve cheated each other, lied to the people, jumped through hoops in order to avoid their actions’ consequences– but there is one man standing at the heart of the issue. Benyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel.

As of 2024, Netanyahu is facing charges on multiple fronts, with three open legal cases against him. He has been accused more than once of involvement in bribery, committing fraud, and breaches of trust (the trust being that between a government and its people). Netanyahu has been in power for over 12 consecutive years and has inevitably become accustomed to this quality of life– and will seemingly do anything to avoid this power slipping through his fingers.

One of his most prominent clutches at power performed by the government was the “reform”. Said reform was a targeted attempt to debilitate the Israeli legal system through a list of extremely restrictive laws against them. These laws include (but are not limited to): Giving the Knesset (Israeli version of the Congress) the ability to overrule Supreme Court decisions regarding laws; Restricting citizens’ right to seek legal remedy; Denying the Supreme Court the power to criticize IDF actions in the West Bank; Granting judicial immunity to all political figures and their actions; Limiting the law’s ability to look into the motives and affairs of public authority figures.

All these clauses are working towards a common goal— bending the legal system to the government’s will, an action with far-reaching consequences. This spells the beginning of a system in which the decision-makers no longer need to be objective, fair, or interested in the well being of those affected by their decisions. Moreover, these corrupt individuals will wield immense power over everything under their jurisdiction— power that the judicial system will be unable to restrict if the reform comes to pass. Politicians will live by a different set of rules. They will be able to pass any and every law they wish to, and then choose whether they actually adhere to it or not. 

The above paragraphs beg the question of who would support such a brash, tasteless flail for power? The discouraging answer is a lot of people. These supporters are divided into two groups and subsets. The first group is composed of Netanyahu’s fellow politicians, who have a vested interest in abusing as much power as they can get their hands on, in order to further their political agendas. The second, more complicated portion, is the people in Israel who support him. This second group can be divided into two subgroups: people who directly benefit from the proposed changes in Israeli laws, and those who are simply ignorant and misinformed (through no fault of their own). The politicians/political parties who have aligned themselves with Netanyahu are a group of far-right extremists, many of whom can safely be described as racist and/or misogynists, whose desires are currently obstructed by the Supreme Court’s existence. 

So now that we’ve covered the wide range of far-right extremists, who’s left? Those who oppose Netanyahu, the reform, and his allies make up a good fraction of the Israeli population. Over the past year, record numbers of protesters have marched throughout Israel– reaching almost 200,000 people per protest in the spring and summer. They want their democratic rights. They want Netanyahu’s resignation. They want a government they can trust to keep THEIR interests in mind. They chant: “Democracy”, “Shame”, and "We won't give up until it gets better." Protesters advocate for the lives of Israeli Jews— but also for Israeli Arabs and people living in the West Bank who are affected by the government. The demonstrations are occurring even in the midst of war. Citizens of Israel are coming together both to shout, but also to listen. People give talks on their opinions, and tell their stories, while the protesters hear what they have to say.

Maya and I are both Israeli. My father was born and raised there and my mother lived in a kibbutz for multiple years. When my parents decided to move to America, Israeli culture was present in my daily life. The Jewish summer camps I attended fostered my attachment to Israeli music, I was taught how to speak Hebrew from a very young age, and when we traveled to Israel to visit family and friends, I got to experience the culture firsthand. From the daily dose of pita and hummus to the nightly demonstrations and long walks on the beach boardwalk in Haifa, I got to do it all.

Much like Melech, I also have a deep connection to Israel and the people in it. My entire family and the majority of my friends are there, and I lived there for 9 years. Israel is my home, in every sense of the word. I miss a lot of the little bits of daily life– going out with friends, catching trains to Tel Aviv, eating my grandmother’s food during Shabbat dinners. I was raised there, and up until last spring, I never considered that it could change. My family moved because the political situation didn’t align with their worldview– a decision made with a heavy heart. 

Over the past few months, Israel and their actions have been under increased scrutiny. People all over the world have begun to take surface-level interest in Israel and to condemn Israel’s actions. Neither of us agrees wholeheartedly with all of Israel’s decisions— but that’s not to say it isn't hard. We want peace. We believe compromises can be achieved with Arab nations. We think a two-state solution can and should be implemented. But both of us are worried for our families and friends back home. I, personally, am terrified for some of my friends– Israel has a mandatory draft, and some of my older friends have already enlisted. Every time a soldier dies, it is incredibly painful for us all– and it is even worse when a hostage is killed; since they are civilians. We hurt. Being away from Israel in these trying times is painful, and that pain is only exacerbated by the rampant antisemitism that is too close for comfort. But we still stand up for what we believe. Our lives are a balancing act– supporting our country while opposing its leaders. 

Our world loves painting in black and white. The stark contrast catches our eyes in photography and art– but also in words. It is easy to sketch a pretty impression of any situation: good vs bad, light vs dark, law vs chaos. But black and white can’t represent the whole picture. We have reds and blues and greens, and at the very least we have a million shades of grey. A country is not its leader. The people in a country are not all identical. The media today is quick to vilify Israel, to make brazen claims in regard to its right to exist. I think that Melech and I have made it abundantly clear that we do not wholeheartedly support our government’s actions, but that does not mean we do not support Israel. Israel is our country. It is flawed, and it is messy, and it is ours. 

  Protestors in the rain