Israel, the time of the judges

(To Gino Lanzara)
28/03/23

Israel, which for once leaves in the background, but not too far away, would be impossible anyway, Tsahal (the armed forces, ed) and Gaza, finds cause for confrontation in a controversial justice reform promoted by Prime Minister Netanyahu. In what might appear as an apparent paradox, what is happening brings Tel Aviv closer to Europe than it appears.

The recurrence of elections and executives of different colors, beyond the obvious considerations about the consequences due to the continuing lack of essential stability, is opposed to the usual image of a Middle East characterized by violent repression of any dissent or non-conformity from the most common and pervasive moral or religious precepts which, not surprisingly, have bloodied the streets of Tehran and the main holy cities of Iran for months.

Like it or not, with all the undeniable flaws from which Israel suffers, the political dialectic follows Western paradigms: the country goes on strike, demonstrates, expresses its dissatisfaction with a reform which, in fact, brings with it too many unknowns. Dissent has also spread within the executive, leading the prime minister to resign the defense minister, perhaps not wrongly worried about a public debate which, precisely due to Israeli political physiology, cannot fail to involve even those who wear one of the most challenging uniforms in the world. But after the minister resigned, the new chief of staff remained, Halevi, who, as his equal, as a soldier loyal to the country and the flag, called everyone to the strictest sense of responsibility.

Useless and childish to hide behind a finger: more than one country is looking to Jerusalem hoping for a devastating social crisis potentially capable of succeeding from within where better-armed and outnumbered militaries and armies across borders have systematically failed. But Israel, by its nature, is based on very delicate alchemies and compensations which, if unbalanced, would lead to a profound crisis for the powers of the state.

It is undeniable that the institutional suffering is reverberating on every institutional aspect, on the economy that could lose its precious unicorns, on internal cohesion.

Of great and noble importance is the figure of President Herzog, willing to risk credibility and political weight for a difficult, complex country, but never so necessary for the political stability of the Mediterranean basin.

Let's be honest, children of a West accustomed to compromise and the impossible convergence of parallel lines, what is happening not so far away displaces us. This is why, despite such a dramatic moment, we are still betting on the spirit of a people which, in its DNA, has the gene of stubbornness and of knowing how to react to any adversity. They have demonstrated it in the past, they are demonstrating it now not with empty rhetoric but with a lively and engaging dialectic.