Curiouser and curiouser. The vocal media is concentrating on photos of the losing side of the election in Tel Aviv. Such a display is similar to that in Washington when Trump lost, and how they marched on the elected symbol of power.
But this is Israel. We don’t see the northern and southern cities and towns turned upside down in protest as in America. In fact they are the ones who voted the current government in. They have years of frustration to settle and settle it they did – in the ballot box.
So what if a few hundred thousand demonstrate and keep on clogging up the streets in Tel Aviv, then bus to Jerusalem to continue their protest. The statistics show that millions, not hundreds of thousands voted right.
The demonstrators are a minority, even if they bring their children with them.
A young man was asked what he was doing in the middle of the demonstration as he obviously belonged to what is called the Second Israel (you know, those religious and the Sephardic Jews, second rate all). “Selling them bagels” was his reply. Good for him!
The past has gone, that past wherein people in power in the highest echelons of the army, the top judiciary, the academia, media, public service and wherever one needed to get anywhere : these people gave preferential treatment to their own. They are the ones standing up and leading the mob who are in the streets.
The disenfranchised, three generations after being disadvantaged now are well-educated, financially stable, have representation in the Knesset and do not live in tents or huts as they did in the old days when they were treated badly. They are equals in a democracy, voting as is their right and now, even with all of the big words and the allegations that this is not going to be a democracy, they can and will change the face of the nation to be a fairer and more Jewish nation.
What is the real fear of the Left? It is called demographics. The numbers are stacked up against them.
Whoever is not Leftist belongs to the future majority of Israel. Mothers who have six children together with mothers who have three or four are either religious of some stripe or Mizrachi. The Leftists were more interested in other pursuits, ending up with less children per family. To put it simply, the Left (generally) does not aspire to the values of the Right. That Right, secular or religious, respects Judaism, Shabbat observance, study of Torah, belief in G-d, ownership of the Land of Israel and a lot more.
The Leftists are terrified that in the near future their numbers will never be able to be represented as a majority in the Knesset. That is what all of this noise is all about.
Leonie Ben-Simon