VOICE OF THE JEWISH NEWS: On 27 October, Israel can – and must – vote for change

Since 7 October 2023, a primary focus of both Israelis and Diaspora Jews has understandably been on the horrors perpetrated by Hamas, and Israel’s subsequent campaign to uproot that terrorist Islamist dictatorship from Gaza, with the destruction that has entailed. So some may have forgotten that prior to that dark day, Israel was convulsed by protests in response to attempts by the Israeli government to do everything it could to strip the Supreme Court – the only significant check and balance to the power wielded by the country’s legislature – of its oversight powers.

Four years ago this paper used its front page to list some of the repulsive statements made by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. In the wake of that election, when they joined the new coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, a Jewish News front page headline read: “Our Worst Fears”. But little could have prepared us for what was to follow.

Let us consider the ‘achievements’ of the 2022-2026 coalition government. It attempted to undermine the Supreme Court, which looked set to split Israeli civil society before events overtook it. It presided over the catastrophic security and intelligence breach which enabled Hamas to perpetrate the horrors of 7 October. Despite its stated aims of uprooting Hamas from Gaza – and the destruction which has occurred in the pursuit of that aim – three years later, Hamas is still very much present in the Strip. The West Bank has become a tinderbox, with settler youths rampaging with impunity, and the actions of extremist ministers preventing a desperately needed crackdown on such terror. Furthermore, backing for Israel has plummeted worldwide, including in the United States, traditionally its most powerful supporter.

Last month, Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted to block every single significant Arab party from standing in the country’s general election. This is not the first time the committee has voted to block Arab parties from standing (it has also previously voted to block some Jewish ones), but it was the first time that they were all treated in this way. As in previous instances, Israel’s Supreme Court has stepped in to strike down the ban. But what if the Supreme Court had been unable to reverse the Election Committee decision? One of the key aspects of remaining international support for Israel is that it is a democracy – a place where, despite the allegations thrown at it from all quarters, both its Jewish and Arab citizens have fundamentally equal rights. If the Supreme Court would have been unable to step in, and every single Arab political party had indeed been banned from standing for election, Israel could have become the very thing some of its bitterest critics claim it to be.

In the entirety of Jewish scripture, there is one person above all who exemplifies wisdom. King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem and ushered in a golden age for the Kingdom of Israel. And yet, the Sages tell us that over the many years of his reign, Solomon allowed his glory to dwindle into nothingness, convincing himself that his personal discernment made him immune to the temptations and greed which would overwhelm lesser men. The actions of his feckless son subsequently split the nation in two.

There is no king in Israel now – no throne in Jerusalem. But there is a leader who has led for far too long, and, refusing to give way despite endless corruption trials, clearly has come to believe that his own personal wellbeing is identical to that of the country he leads. Which it is not. It is clear to this paper that the best thing that could happen to Israel now is for Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners to lose this month’s election and have no involvement in the next Israeli government.

Many people here, including a percentage of our readers, may be asking ‘why is a British Jewish newspaper venturing an opinion on another country’s election’? The answer to that is simple. The British Jewish community – and every other Diaspora community – is deeply connected to Israel, via spiritual, emotional and familial ties. The situation in Israel affects us here; antisemites use it as an excuse to target us, and when Israel is under attack, our friends and family members are the ones huddled in shelters. We also, it should be said, have readers who are Israeli citizens living in Britain – and who will be travelling back to Israel in the coming weeks to vote.

We are not naïve. Those who hate Israel will hate it whomever is in charge. The campaign to delegitimise the world’s only Jewish state will continue regardless of who leads its government; the only difference is likely to be a change in the politicians depicted as blood-sucking monsters at “anti-Israel” rallies. But that does not mean that a change is not required in Israel; it is desperately needed.

We hope that those entering the polling booths on 27 October will reflect on the last four years and choose a different course.