Israel’s Political Storms Spawn a Historic Silver Lining
Two Unexpected Positives of the Civic Protests Against the Judicial Overhaul in Israel
By Joanna Landau
The civic protests against the judicial overhaul in Israel that have been taking place since January 2023 have been nothing short of remarkable. As Israelis, we tend to seek short term results: the goal of the protest movement is to stop the judicial overhaul, which – the protesters argue – is causing our already fragile society to literally implode. But as an immigrant to Israel from England (albeit at a very young age), I tend to look beyond the horizon, far into the future. And what I see are two unexpected long-term positives that were born from this protest, creating a bright, shining, silver lining for what is undoubtedly one of the darkest eras experienced in the modern State of Israel.
First, the judicial reform – or to be more precise, the way the government is trying to pass it – has pushed liberal Jews in Israel up against a wall, and in doing so, they have suddenly recognized the inherent Zionist spirit that they embody. It’s not that they didn’t know it before; I just wonder how much credit or importance they attributed to it until now.
“Zionism,” as Theodor Herzl said, “is an infinite ideal.” The vision of the founder of the Jewish State was of a modern, secular country, with equal rights for men and women, Jews and non-Jews, serving as a beacon of liberal values for the world to be inspired by. And Israel was indeed an inspiration to many in the initial decades of its modern-day existence; Israelis were fighting for an ideal, as the story of Ari Ben Canaan, portrayed by Paul Newman, so beautifully captured in “Exodus.” Indeed, Israel was celebrated for the Jewish and democratic values this ideal was founded upon.
Over the decades, Israel developed and evolved – for better or worse – fostering this term as the basis for its right to exist: a Jewish and Democratic State. It wasn’t an easy ride, but somehow, Israelis made it happen, and as we ended the 20th century, Israel saw the beginning of a Golden Era. What came to be known as “The Start Up Nation” also became the envy of other developed countries by the second decade of the 21st century. Tel Aviv’s appeal to young people from around the world grew stronger and stronger, and the country became enticing to so many – Jews and non-Jews alike – heralded by global rankings, lifestyle magazines and business networks as THE place to be (despite the complex neighborhood we live in).
While this was happening, Israel was changing demographically, with the ultra-Orthodox community growing exponentially, and a new form of Zionism emerged – that of the far Right religious Zionists who had been evicted from their homes following the Oslo Accords thirty years earlier. A grudge against the liberal Left began to brew amongst these two groups of Israeli society, each for their own reason. But the liberals in Israel ignored it.
For many years, Israel’s middle and upper classes were content to sit on the sidelines and criticize the government from afar if it did anything that didn’t align with their liberal values. Yes, they complained, and tried to vote parties into power that they felt better represented their liberal, more secular, values, but they accepted the results of the elections every year without responding en masse with broad consensus activism. In a sense, they were in hibernation, as the cost of living grew harder and harder to cope with, and beloved sons and daughters were lost in defense of our homeland. But the judicial overhaul of 2023 stopped this robotic forging ahead of the majority of Israeli society and caused it to take stock of the Israel that we live in today.
No longer will most Israelis who do not support the current government’s actions accept that their taxes will be spent on illegal settlements or extending more services to the ultra-Orthodox community, on account of the needs of their own children. No longer will they agree to continue to volunteer to take part in Israel’s defense forces reserve duty, when tens of thousands now want it enshrined into law that they don’t need to risk their own lives, because the “Torah is their Faith” (“Toratam Emunatam”). No longer will they buy goods from companies that don’t respect equality for all, or accept corruption as a given. The judicial overhaul has forced liberals in Israel – who in fact make up the majority of Israelis – to finally stand up for what they believe in, and in doing so, they have rediscovered a new form of Zionism that will serve the modern State of Israel for years to come.
The second unexpected positive of the civic protests is that they highlight the Israeli people’s deeply felt conviction and belief in universal liberal and democratic values, which represent the cornerstone of what most Jewish millennials and Gen Z in America believe in. The protests, in that sense, can serve as a bridge for deeper engagement and connection between young, liberal Jews in America – some of whom see Israel purely as an aggressive, conservative country – and young Israelis who share their values. This is important for the future of Jewish peoplehood, as it helps to build a shared understanding of what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century and can serve as the glue to reconnect the tarnished Israel-Diaspora relationship.
The civic protests against the judicial overhaul in Israel are a reminder that democracy is never guaranteed; it is something that must be fought for and defended every day. The protests have also shown that the Jewish people are a resilient and resourceful people who will never give up on their dream of a just and democratic Israel.
The future of Israel is uncertain, but one thing is for sure: the civic protests have changed the country forever. They have awakened a new generation of Zionists who are fighting for a better future for all Israelis. And they have created the potential for a bridge to be built between young Jews in America and Israel that will be essential for the future of Jewish peoplehood.
Joanna Landau is the bestselling Author of Ethical Tribing and Founder & President of the Tel Aviv-based Vibe Israel.
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