Israel Elections: 'Anyone but Bibi' not enough anymore

The issues that we considered “life or death” matters before anyone ever heard of COVID-19 are still very much out there, but nobody seems to be talking about them.

By JPOST EDITORIAL
IF IT takes another round of elections to get the Likud to act, let it be. (photo credit: REUTERS)
IF IT takes another round of elections to get the Likud to act, let it be.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Elections Round Four is gearing up for the February 4 deadline to finalize the parties that will be competing for our votes.
At this early stage, polls show that the Likud, Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope and Yesh Atid will all have difficulty forming a stable coalition.
Perhaps that is because this campaign, like the previous three before it – and in a worst-case scenario, the elections that will come after it – share one important aspect in common: they are devoid of issues and positions.
Between the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the weighty presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial that has spawned the “anybody but Bibi” mode of electioneering, there seems to be no wiggle room to address the vitally important problems, tasks and concerns facing Israel that affect all of the country’s citizens.
Most of the parties and politicians running for election are either hyper-focused on the coronavirus, how to contain the virus while getting the country’s economy back on its feet, or on doing anything possible to ensure that Netanyahu isn’t able to head another government.
However, the pandemic will one day be over, and Israel, as well as the rest of the world, will manage to get back on its feet, with perhaps some temporary or permanent variations from the life to which we have grown accustomed.
The issues that we considered “life or death” matters before anyone ever heard of COVID-19 are still very much out there, but nobody seems to be talking about them.
The pandemic has highlighted the fractious relations and disenfranchisement of two large minorities in Israel to mainstream thought and action: haredim and Arabs.
To his credit, Blue and White leader and Defense Minister Benny Gantz addressed this explosive issue on Wednesday when he released his plan for a draft bill which includes the ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities opting to join the army or national service.
While commendable, the plan was immediately knocked on both sides of the political spectrum, by Yesh Atid, which accused Gantz of being too lenient on the haredim, and Degel Hatorah, which claimed Gantz was using the plan to try and gain votes to pass the threshold.
Israeli politicians, as well as most of the populace, have forgotten that there’s still an ongoing dispute with the Palestinians. It may be later rather than sooner, but one can rest assured that the Biden administration has not forgotten that fact and eventually they will address it. It behooves our political parties to be proactive and develop their plans and strategies if they find themselves in power. Coronavirus may have put the issue on the back burner, but the pilot light is not going to be snuffed out.
Domestically, young Israelis, irrespective of corona-inspired unemployment, have been leaving the country in search of a life where they can earn a decent wage and buy an apartment that is actually affordable.
Another issue driving away secular Israelis is that Israel still does not have a civil marriage option. If a citizen wants to get married civilly, they need to do so outside the country.
Parents are appalled at the number of pupils crammed into classrooms amid descending test score averages by Israeli students. The to-do list goes on and on. It’s time for our MKs to focus on the issues that Israelis cope with on a day-to-day basis.
Even before the pandemic, the country’s health situation was in dire straits, with frightening reports of patients lining corridors amid overcrowding and budget shortages.
Yes, we have to focus on the current health and economic crisis, but we can’t turn a blind eye to the myriad of evergreen matters that need to be rectified and improved. The upcoming campaign season leading up to the March elections needs to be full of substance with candidates addressing these issues and laying out their plans and vision of Israel.
“Anyone but Bibi” just doesn’t cut it anymore, not after three elections that have pushed the country to the brink of disaster. Let us know what you stand for and how you’re going to make Israel a better country for its citizens. Then, maybe, a strong, working coalition might begin to emerge.