By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — This year Israel’s government seems to have moved April Fools’ Day to April 9: Election Day. But whereas on April 1 the pranks are usually harmless and sometimes even funny, this year’s April 9 is likely to be ominously serious. It’ll be a celebration of what’s often nowadays called fake news, usually used to embarrass or otherwise harm political opponents. (Only in the Ukraine, it seems, can a serious political candidate also be a professional comedian – and, so it’s rumoured, a Jew to boot!)
Current Israeli pre-election antics include describing the potential alternative to the sitting prime minister, the former chief of staff Benny Gantz and now leader of the Blue and White Coalition, as a schlemiel in need of psychological treatment. (A cartoon shows Prime Minister Netanyahu telling Gantz that he needs to see a psychologist and points to Sarah Netanyahu as qualified to treat him.)
The only justification for the accusation would be that Gantz hasn’t ruled out the possibility of being a member of a Netanyahu led government. For some, this may indeed be evidence that he needs to have his head examined. On the other hand, it may also show his true statesmanship. By joining a Netanyahu government he’d keep away the ultra-right wing parties on which Netanyahu now depends. These threaten to make for Israel fateful demands in order to join a Likud-led government.
Also this: The prime minister and his entourage would be happy to describe the news about Netanyahu’s dubious financial dealings as vicious pranks, but the evidence seems to point in a very different direction. An effective way of dealing with the accusations would be to describe them as inventions by the sick minds of those who’ve brought the news to the public’s attention. They include the attorney general, the police and, of course, the media.
An even more ominously serious prank is Israel’s dealings with Hamas that organizes belligerent mass demonstrations along the fence between Gaza and Israel putting the Palestinians at great risk with many casualties. At the same time as missiles and fire balloons from Gaza fly over Israel, and deadly ammunition from Israel hits the people there, Israel seems to be negotiating with Hamas via Egypt thus annoying by sidestepping the Palestinian Authority. It’s a potentially lethal prank.
Though the Gaza situation is only indirectly linked to the elections in Israel, Naftali Bennett, the head of the New Right party and the minister of education in the outgoing government, uses Gaza in his campaign to accuse the prime minister of incompetence, indecision and other negative traits.
The antics of the politicians may not be the only reason why potential voters will stay away on Election Day, but it seems clear that many citizens don’t think that it matters which parties will form the next government. Polls suggest that about half of Israeli Arab voters will stay away and probably at least a third of Jewish citizens will ignore the elections. Has cynicism about the pranksters made them cede their democratic right?
Not being fond of pranks or pranksters, I hope to exercise my democratic duty/right on Election Day by voting for a party devoid of gimmicks. This means that it’ll remain small. It won’t be invited to be part of any government, because it has tried over time to remain true to its principles as well as to its desire to live in a Jewish state that doesn’t thrive on occupation and doesn’t oppress minorities or deploy fake news. I leave it to readers to guess the name of the party.
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Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Canada. Now a resident of Israel, he may be contacted via dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com