Israel's Domestic Turmoil Raises Serious Questions About It's Long-term Survival

NEW YORK - April 22, 2023 - PRLog -- By: Daniel L. Douek, McGill University In late 2022, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won Israel's fifth election in the past three years by forming a coalition with far-right religious extremists whose ilk were previously considered beyond the pale in Israeli politics. Netanyahu's coalition recently introduced legislation to overhaul Israel's Supreme Court, aiming to eliminate the court's ability to impose democratic checks on elected leaders. The overhaul, which would also protect Netanyahu from pending corruption charges, provoked an unprecedented wave of anti-government protests across Israel that have shaken the country's political and economic foundations. The protests included threats by combat personnel from Israel's air force and special forces units to boycott their reserve duty. Defense Minister Reinstated In response, Netanyahu temporarily shelved the legislation, candidly admitting that he wished to avoid "civil war." Netanyahu also reinstated Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whom he had fired for publicly calling on him to end the judicial overhaul because the internal divisions it caused made Israel vulnerable to external threats. On one level, the widespread protests against governmental overreach represent an indicator of Israeli democracy's robustness. But as a country that considers itself beset by external enemies, Israel has only a slim margin for internal division. The gulf between the protesters and Netanyahu's coalition reflect the deepening fault line between secular and religious Jews. And despite Netanyahu's backtracking, Israel's ability to deter its enemies has already been weakened by wounds that are self-inflicted. Ramadan Attacks In early April 2023, during the holy month of Ramadan, Israeli police raided Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. The site has been under Israeli control since 1967 and has increasingly become a place of resistance to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

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