Op-ed: Israel’s social protest too important to be squandered by exaggerated zeal, vandalism. by Steve Ornstein: The opinion piece by Ziv Lencher at ynetnews.com expresses many of my reservations and concerns about the lack of leadership in the social justice movement. I participated and reported extensively on last summer’s “tent city” protest in Tel Aviv. I also participated in one of the largest demonstrations for social justice issues ever in Israel.
However, the young leadership that evolved during the protest quickly solidified into partisan political agendas originally hidden by the participants. It also quickly became exploited by most of the far left parties and the general anarchist movement.
We have an opportunity to hold the present Government, one of the largest coalitions ever in Israel, to make some serious changes in a variety of arenas that will help all sectors of Israeli society. Breaking up the cartels that affect almost every avenue of life in Israel is of major importance. It will help a free market economy to be competitive and drive prices down through honest competition. As a Nation of the Jewish people we have a moral and ethical obligation to help support all sectors of our population in every way possible. Be it in education, job training, fair taxation and bold new immigration laws that are currently lacking.
However, in order for all this to take place effectively and for the political leadership to take these protests seriously we need NEW leadership that is serious in transcending their personal political ideologies to what is best for the Nation. This step means getting actively involved in the political process in all parties so that change becomes a reality for the sake of all Israelis.
The need to end the Ultra-Orthodox Rabbinical choke hold on the entire society must end. The irony of course is that many of these players do not even accept a secular Zionist Jewish State but control the “who is a Jew” issues including marriage, divorce and conversion. The corruption in this sector is notorious and little is done to bring this empire down. We must also end their domination at our Holy site: the Western Wall.
The need for Israeli Jews to express their spiritual/religious inclinations freely, through the reform, conservative, orthodox and progressive traditions is a right and the Government must move swiftly to ensure that this becomes fact.
We must take care and be responsible to our minority populations many of whom actively participate in their responsibility to the State.
In order for these burning issues to take front stage in our domestic agenda we need a leadership that understands that their personal agendas need to be put aside for the best interest of the country so we can move forward in a coordinated way.
The most tormenting and challenging thing (and also the most dangerous to one’s leftist and media image) is to slam Israel’s social protest and what has become of it, based on enthusiastic support for its principles, messages, and targets.
The bottom line is that at this time, a year after it emerged, the social protest has failed. It managed to change the public discourse, but not the agenda, and certainly not the situation. The cost of living is still skyrocketing, working citizens are increasingly suffocating, and the public health, education and welfare systems are weak and defeated. Even in the polls, the social protest doesn’t defeat anyone.
The frustration and fury felt by protest leaders are understandable and justified. They gave rise to a huge movement, yet in fact achieved nothing. Yet here is where the understanding and justification ends. While the firm hand of the Israel police is also to blame for the violent, dangerous vertigo which the protest found itself in, police brutality is not there alone.
This is no “Israeli spring,” because Habima Square is not Tahrir Square and because Israel is not Egypt, Libya or Yemen. In these countries, there is no other choice but to embark on a violent revolution. Here, there is a choice; we have elections. How can the social protest blame others for not sweeping the masses?
Igniting the street will bring nothing, and the hilltop youth of Rothschild Boulevard will give rise to no revolution. Beyond the legal and moral injustice inherent in vandalism and hooliganism, such attitude will drive away the natural partners – that is, the critical mass of peaceful citizens – who reinforced and boosted the protest last year. One cannot win without this mass.
Losing public support
Just as grave is the fact that the false label of radical anarchists maliciously attributed to protest leaders by elements who wanted to kill the protest is sounding much more convincing in the wake of the latest riots. And so, leaders of this struggle are losing their public support, sympathy, legitimacy and hold.
If these leaders cannot mature, shift to a new phase and turn into political leaders (because, as noted, everything is political: The principles, the targets, the struggle and the means), they should move aside and leave the stage for those who can do it.
This protest is too serious and important for us to abandon it to zealous adventures against police officers, broken shop windows and burning garbage dumpsters. This protest requires a well formulated, well thought out and constructive path. It requires practical, wise leadership that will lead the protest to the moment where dozens of representatives who identify with its aims and work to realize them are sitting in Israel’s parliament.
Anyone who truly supports this protest must demand this of it, rather than the next broken arm of another protest leader.
