(City Journal) Guy Sorman - I cannot see on what grounds the objecting Europeans allow themselves to denounce Israeli democracy. The manner of the election of Benjamin Netanyahu was perfectly legitimate. The parties that have entered into the government coalition were also elected. As it happens, a majority of Israelis consider themselves represented in Netanyahu's new government. Therefore, before diabolizing Netanyahu, Europe's finest should ask themselves about his repeated electoral successes and record for longevity. Under Netanyahu, Israelis have experienced their greatest security, and never has their economy been more prosperous. It was thus not by chance that Netanyahu was reelected, but as a reward for his success. It may be doubted that he will threaten democracy since the person who could make the Israelis shut up would not be of this world. The Hebrews quarreled with God; the Jews argue ceaselessly among themselves, and that includes the Israelis. The media are free and will remain so, as are the parties and the judges. The Israeli army does not accept orders from without. As for the rabbis, there are as many points of view among them as there are synagogues. The despair displayed by the European Left comes from the fact that its adherents judge Israel from the standpoint of the Palestinians. But the Israeli government is not the Palestinian government, and it defends the interests of Israelis before those of the Palestinians. We may bemoan the fate of the Palestinians, but whose responsibility is that, really? In 1947, the UN divided Palestine into two territories, one Jewish and the other Arab. Who is it that refused this division into two states, as demanded today by the Arabs, the Palestinians, and the "international community"? From the moment of the UN's announcement of the partition, the Arab armies of Jordan, Syria, and Egypt attacked Israel. The Israelis, against all expectations, much like today's Ukrainians, resisted. The writer is a French author and public intellectual.
2023-01-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive