Is another political assassination in the cards for Israel? You do not have to be an intelligence officer to notice the public unrest simmering over the past few weeks as well as a myriad of other clear signs that could be heralding a horrific scenario.
Some of the groups protesting government policies see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as both the ultimate problem and the solution to the issues with which Israel is dealing; and the conversation – held in liberal-secular circles, not religious ones – is borderline messianic.
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This discourse did not grow only in the wake of the coronavirus crisis but rather it stems from a fundamental political worldview that holds Netanyahu responsible for the clear political advantage the Right has enjoyed for over a decade, and hence perceives him as an obstacle to retaking said political power. Therefore, political redemption, as it were, would be impossible unless he is removed from power.
This is a misconception that ignores the deep undercurrents that shape Israeli society and that has led to the decline of the Left's political hegemony – yet this is the premise under which the battle to remove Netanyahu from power has been waged in recent years.
This fight includes exploring all legal avenues, with the investigations and indictment labeling Netanyahu a villain (the "crime minister"), creating the expectation that he will be impeached or at the very least that his powers as PM will be limited. It also includes trying to consolidate an alternative that could gain the necessary political power to remove him from office, one way or another.
This past year, however, has proven this strategy as grossly lacking. Three consecutive election campaigns did not result in a change in government nor have they undermined Netanyahu's electoral base.
This is not a coincidence: Many Israelis view Netanyahu not just as the prime minister, but as a leader whose hold on power symbolizes the change that has taken place in the Israeli social order. Moreover, his hold on power reflects the reluctance and apprehension many feel about the possibility of seeing a leftist hegemony over the political, economic and social aspects of society.
This has translated into a serious psychopolitical state for Netanyahu's rivals, whose vision of a utopian reality in which the Left again reigns supreme was crushed by astoundingly failed political strategy.
It is this dissonant that explains the intense frustration that is currently being expressed in the demonstrations across from the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. The protesters seek to leverage the coronavirus crisis and the resulting political and economic instability, so as to continue fueling what is essentially a deep-rooted sociopolitical struggle.
But the heated nature of the protests and the violence shown there – towards state symbols as well – compounded by the radical remarks made by some toward Netanyahu personally, may indicate that we are on the brink of a slippery slope.
Political violence, especially against elected officials and especially against the prime minister, is poised to be perceived as a legitimate tool in the struggle between Left and Right, meaning this atmosphere also creates conditions for violence on the other side.
The director of the Shin Bet security agency would be wise to get ahead of this situation, sooner rather than later.
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