The Israeli public has long understood that the left is ideologically and morally bankrupt. Calls to refuse reserve service, assassination threats against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and more recently, mafia-style statements against elected officials like Police Commissioner Danny Levy, have already become commonplace vocabulary among the radical left.
However, the left has recently returned to marking a known target for itself, with the arrows now being directed at the number one citizen, President Isaac Herzog.
The brutal attack from the left-wing camp on Herzog, who is considered to represent the mainstream of Israeli society, is not a new phenomenon. Back in 2016, Herzog was chairman of the Labor Party and worked to establish a national unity government led by Netanyahu, which aimed to create a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the Arab world. In return, Herzog received brutal criticism from his friends in the left-wing camp, who to this day perceive Netanyahu as an enemy of the state.
In response, Herzog harshly criticized his opponents on the left. Claiming that those people preach day and night to talk to the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, Herzog said that the leftists have prevented a real opportunity for national unity and progress in the Israeli-Arab peace process.
Following the pursuit of national unity, members of the Labor Party chose to punish Herzog. And despite leading the Labor Party in the 2015 elections to an impressive achievement of 24 seats, Herzog was not elected to another term as party chairman in the elections held in the summer of 2017.
The left continued to attack Herzog even after his election as president in the summer of 2021, when he received the support of 87 MKs (the greatest achievement by a president ever). This time it was about Herzog's visit to Hebron as president, during which he lit the first candle of Hanukkah in the Tomb of the Patriarchs. President Herzog's visit to the site undoubtedly symbolized the State of Israel's recognition of Hebron's important and historical place for the Jewish people.
However, the extreme left chose to attack Herzog because he was lighting a candle in the stronghold of Kahanism, as if the Tomb of the Patriarchs was a party branch of the extreme right and not the site where the fathers and mothers of Judaism are buried.
The attack on Herzog also prevailed during the period of the judicial reform, when he worked to bring about a compromise between the parties. One can, of course, debate Herzog's positions on the coalition's legislative proposal. However, there is no doubt that the compromise outline Herzog proposed has constituted an excellent basis for dialogue between the parties.
Herzog's call to stop the legislation was met with harsh criticism from the right. However, today there are those on the left who claim that Herzog did not act to stop the legislation. Either way, some will argue that it is a great pity that the outline proposed by Herzog was not adopted by the Knesset. It is reasonable to assume that Herzog's outline would have brought an end to the controversy among the nation. Thus, a judicial reform would have been adopted, one that would restore the balance between the three branches of government, which has been disrupted since the judicial revolution three decades ago.
Even when the left began calling to refuse to report to reserve duty (or in their pathetic definition "a cessation of volunteering"), Herzog strongly warned against this dangerous phenomenon, fearing that Israel's security would be in danger. However, Herzog's call to leave the army out of the debate on judicial reform was criticized by elements on the left camp. The "Brothers in Arms" (Achim Laneshek) organization, which is identified with refusing to serve more than any other body, chose to attack Herzog, who once again expressed what most of the Israeli mainstream thinks.
Recently, the left continued its attacks on President Herzog. This time they accuse Herzog of not doing enough to secure the return of the hostages, while he calls day and night for a deal on every possible platform. Contrary to Netanyahu's position, Herzog calls for the establishment of a state committee to investigate the security and intelligence failures surrounding Oct. 7. Yet the left is now accusing Herzog of being in fact the prime minister's political partner.
In conclusion, it is sad to see the left's wild attack on President Herzog. This is a continuation of the systematic and undemocratic pattern of that camp that has not only lost all restraint but also the support of the mainstream of Israeli society.
Dr. Ori Wertman is a research fellow at the University of South Wales, UK, and a research fellow at The Israel Centre for Grand Strategy- ICGS.
