Page 32 - HaMizrachi #27 Purim USA 2021

THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND ISRAEL ELECTIONS

Gil Hoffman

Israel’s Quest for Stability

he happy ending of the Purim on his leadership, in which he faces four elections, Trump took steps that helped
story is that instead of the wicked disadvantages he did not have in the pre- Netanyahu politically.
THaman, King Achashverosh’s vious three. Despite these disadvantages, Netanyahu
new viceroy was Mordechai HaYehudi.
1. He lost part of his political bloc when also has three new advantages:
But even then, after Haman and his sons he left the right-wing Yamina Party
are dead and the Jews are no longer out of his current governing coalition. 1. He can celebrate his peace agreements
at risk, the last verse of the Megillah Yamina leader Naftali Bennett now says with Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the
recounts how Mordechai still did not he is running against him for prime United Arab Emirates. The agreements
please everyone: minister. reinforce the Likud’s message that Net-
anyahu is by far Israel’s most experi-
“For Mordecai the Jew was viceroy to That leaves Netanyahu’s bloc with only enced and worldly leader.
King Achashverosh, and great among his own Likud, Haredi parties and the
the Jews and accepted by most of his Religious Zionist Party, which may not 2. His success in making Israel the “Vac-
brethren, seeking the good of his people cross the 3.25% electoral threshold. cination Nation.” The Jewish State has
and interceding for the welfare of all his Unless those parties obtain a majority vaccinated a much higher percentage
kindred.” of the Knesset’s 120 seats, Netanyahu of its people than any other country,
would need the support of the angry helping ease the health and economic
One can look at this verse with frus-
tration and think how ungrateful the Bennett to form another government. crises caused by the coronavirus.
Jewish people were to Mordechai, who Netanyahu also faces New Hope, a new 3. The final advantage is that his chal-
kept them alive in exile. Much like the party led by former Likud minister lengers are more divided than ever. The
complaints of the Israelites to Moshe Gideon Sa’ar. Unlike past alternatives “anyone but Bibi” camp has parties in
after their liberation and the parting of to his leadership, Netanyahu cannot the right, left and center of the politi-
the Red Sea, the Jews of Persia appear disparage either New Hope or Yamina cal map. The leader of the largest party
petty. by calling their leaders leftist. running against him, Yair Lapid, has

Nevertheless, the fact that Mordechai 2. Netanyahu cannot campaign by warn- been ruled out by the Haredi parties,
was even accepted by most of his breth- ing about dangers from Israeli Arabs, as so he would have to unite a very wide
ren is impressive by today’s standards. he has successfully in previous races. In spectrum of parties to build a coalition,
Amid hyperpolarization, on March 23, a gamble, Netanyahu instead built an which could prove very difficult.
Israel is going to its fourth election in alliance with United Arab List leader
under two years, because no leader has Mansour Abbas, placed Arab educator If Netanyahu, Lapid, Sa’ar and Bennett
obtained the support of a majority of Nael Zoabi on the Likud list, and prom- cannot form a government, Israelis
Israel’s nine million citizens. ised he would appoint Zoabi a minister. would have to endure yet another elec-
tion in the fall.
Like Moshe, Prime Minister Benjamin 3. Netanyahu’s trial on charges of fraud,
Netanyahu is from the tribe of Levi, bribery and breach of trust is in full This instability will continue until Israel
and like Mordechai, he boasts of his swing. Having to face the charges in finally has a leader who – like Mordechai
successes in saving the Jewish people court shortly before the election could – is accepted by most of his brethren.
from enemies in present-day Iran. either harm him politically or boomer-
Netanyahu is the longest serving prime ang and strengthen him among his Gil Hoffman is the chief political correspon-
dent and analyst of The Jerusalem Post, and
minister in Israel’s history after winning political base that views this trial as a the only speaker in history to have lectured
witch-hunt.
elections in 1996, 2009, 2013 and 2015 about Israel in all 50 states.
and remaining in power after the three 4. The final disadvantage is that Net-
inconclusive elections of 2019-20. The anyahu no longer has Donald Trump A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
current race is yet another referendum as US President. Ahead of recent Israeli mizrachi.org/speakers

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