Who wants to quash protest?
Op-ed: Some Israelis don't want to see real change, comfortable in cozy old slippers
Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in the days before he became a kindly grandfather, grabbed the microphone in a particularly intense Likud caucus and asked: "Who is for wiping out terrorism?" Perhaps now is the right moment to ask who's for quashing the protest?
More than a few Israelis would like nothing better than to see things remain just as they were. They're perfectly comfortable in their cozy old slippers, thank you very much, and they are hoping that the summer events were merely an innocuous disruption, a minor deviation, a passing hiccup in the routine of their cushioned lives.
So then, who's for quashing the protest? Well, for starters, Israeli politics has no desire to deal with changes. That's the nature of politics – its rules are known, cynical and more often than not they are corrupt. Israel's body politic stands only to lose if the existing order of things is overturned and control slips out of its hands. In the summer of 2011, most politicians stayed clear of the protest sites and by doing so lost a measure of the public's respect and much of their own authority. Undoubtedly they will do all in their power to restore the old order in which they ruled the land.
Who is for quashing the protest? The government surely did not rejoice in face of the summer 2011 protests. That is quite self evident. No administration wants massive "social justice" protests on its shift, especially not Netanyahu, who wholeheartedly and with commendable consistency champions the laissez faire economy. I personally can attest that the prime minister has changed neither skin nor spots and firmly holds on to his beliefs. Netanyahu is a true believer – you decide whether this is good or bad. Either way, it is clear that the PM will stand in the way of any real change with all his clout.
Bureaucracy has an aversion to change as well. And it is not only the Treasury boys, the keepers of the coffer, who fear the protest. Any bureaucratic official with a measure of authority, who has grown accustomed to pushing around his obedient subjects, wonders what good can come out of the protest other than putting power in the hands of insolent citizens, heaven forbid.
Our hope is not yet lost
Who is for quashing the protest? sectors which have much to lose – settlers who secured a juicy slab of the national budget at the expense of the majority of Israel's society and the Orthodox population which for years has enjoyed far-reaching benefits. What good is change for settlers and the Orthodox sector? They, too, will do their best to shatter any hope for change.
Large corporations have a high stake in shoring up the middle class – more purchasing power and lower taxes will make the middle class a better consumer. And yet, some of the tycoons seemed to have lost their enthusiasm for the cause once they have become the target of the public's indignation. Will the tycoons fear the protest or see it as an opportunity? For now it seems that fear has the upper hand in tycoon-land.
The hundreds of thousands of Israelis who swarmed the streets have raised a real summer storm, almost a hurricane. But just as the recent storm on the east coast of the United States, some storms are just full of hot air and do not really change the landscape.
Changing the equation and effecting reform calls for a comprehensive ideological and cultural turnaround. It is time to return to the basic and just values that charted the way for the forefathers of Zionism and the founders of the State of Israel; it is time to reestablish the religion of labor, giving preference to those who actually work for a living.
It is also time for high quality education that caters to the requirements and responds to the challenges of the 21st century and which is accessible to all children. This entails, among other things, proper wages for teachers and educators.
This also means fostering excellent higher education, science, industry and culture; assuring quality medical and health care – equal to all, which calls for fair wages for doctors; ensuring equal opportunity and reducing inequality; encouraging a competitive market rather than a piggish economy; and above all, living in decency and fairness.
This will not happen overnight. Nor will it happen over one summer of flash protests. Perhaps we should first ask ourselves in whose hands are we entrusting the keys to our future – are they men and women of vision or cynical wheelers and dealers?
If the protest had indeed raised this question and if it will leave its mark on the quality of Israel's leadership, then it’s a good start. The protest of summer 2011 instilled the hope that we still have a chance of turning Israel into a country to behold. In the words of our national anthem: "Our hope is not yet lost."
Yoel Esteron is the publisher of Calcalist, Israel's leading financial daily
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