The only thing members of the government and coalition can't be accused of is inconsistency. With monotonous punctuality, on days they are required to vote on or discuss a certain matter, the heads and alternate heads of the government, cabinet ministers and members of Knesset come together for their weekly ritual of mutual flagellation, squabbling and threats. "If you don't hold us back really tightly," they warn, "we'll go to early elections, and believe us – it's their fault, not ours."
Their rituals are familiar, their combativeness synthetic; only the dates change. Endless spins, contempt for the people and moronic, futile initiatives between election rounds in this flyweight boxing match between politicians we are all forced to watch as a captive audience.
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This week, however, new records for cynicism were broken. In response to the failure to pass a national budget and for other reasons, members of the Blue and White party said that under orders from their leader, Benny Gantz, three bills will soon be put up for a vote. The first is Basic Law: Equality, which would ban discrimination; the second is a surrogacy law aimed at expanding the circle of women eligible for the procedure and regulating the use of an overseas surrogate; and the third is Basic Law: Declaration of Independence, aimed at ensuring the status of the declaration as a source of inspiration obligating Israeli legal interpretation. Whether you support or reject these legislative proposals, either partially or entirely – there's no arguing these are important issues and dramatic legislative initiatives worthy of public debate, understanding, and examination of their consequences.
Writing words in vain, however, is a shame and a waste, so before you run out to read the position papers and discuss the need or lack thereof for the proposed legislation – stop! Spare your energy, sweat and gray matter. Blue and White doesn't really mean to pass these bills, nor does it particularly care about doing so. Equality, independence and legal inspiration are all important, but less as principles and more as political weapons, protein for the muscle-flexing against the Likud, ornamentation for the show they are putting on for the sake of a public they view as a heard of fools.
The other side, of course, is not blameless either, also using legislation solely for political leverage. Threaten us with Basic Law: Equality? We'll respond by dusting off the override clause. You want to fire at us with a basic law predicated on the Declaration of Independence? We'll fire back with an appointments bill. Bombard us with a toothless submarine commission? We'll take an eye for an eye with our own investigation into Gantz's former company, the Fifth Dimension.
In this battle of the trenches only survival matters, and in the no man's land between these opposing armies, trapped Israelis are used as human shields to be wounded, scrapped and sacrificed for a juicy headline. Blue and White doesn't really care about the surrogacy issue, just as the Likud doesn't really care about reforming the judicial system. This week they will fervently support one thing and next week they will move on to something else.
It isn't clear how long this theater of the absurd will last, but until the Knesset is dispersed one way or another, we can say with certainty that vital new legislation that won't pass will be presented every week, that more commissions of inquiry that won't change a thing will be established, and that mainly, lots of beautiful promises will be bandied about that no one has any chance of keeping.
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