Israel society has become a cruel one and one that rushes to harsh judgments. Rarely does this manifest in actual violence, but a lynching in the virtual public square – in mainstream or social media – is a daily occurrence.
The court of public opinion shows little mercy and at time, this affects law enforcement where officials, seeking to maintain public interest, opt for a harsher approach to the issues at hand.
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Indeed, a society without public standards and criticism of inappropriate acts is an ill one, but one that shows no mercy and compassion is an evil one.
In every society there are to "enforcement systems": the first is social and therefore voluntary, and it follows norms shaped over time by public discourse. The second is official and follows the state's strict laws and procedures.
The formal courts never deliver one type of verdict. The rulings rendered at the end of legal proceedings, be they civil or criminal, depends on the interpretation given to the evidence, judicial precedents and, many times, the judge's own worldview. This is why the judiciary can be both strict and lenient, as circumstances dictate, all without ever compromising its standards and principles.
In the court of public opinion, however, there are no norms to speak of. Here, every journalist, anchorperson, politician or Twitter uses is the judge, jury, and executioner. There are no defined norms, and no one adheres to procedures, and the trial is held according to subjective "public" values and perceptions.
The only norm currently acceptable in the court of public opinion is to "throw the book" at whoever is perceived as the offender. This is clear in political discords, in the media, and especially on social media, where the slightest suspicion earns you sharp barbs, verbal violence, and swift judgment.
The judiciary, it seems, is slowly adopting a stricter line of ruling, as well. This seems to be the result of public pressure but also of some overeagerness to live up to its calling.
The obligation to follow moral and legal norms and to prosecute those who break the law is at the core of Israel's principles.
But if the current atmosphere is one of being "out for blood" in the name of a skewed sense of justice continues to rule, without giving way to any compassion by the judiciary or the public, we will face a difficult social reality. Balance is key or the future will become bleak.
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