The traditional opening ceremony celebrating Israel’s Independence Day features the lighting of 12 torches by accomplished personalities representing various streams in Israeli society. The committee tasked with the selection of torchbearers this year asked members of the public to propose candidates and list their various criteria. Among others, it asked that the nominees represent Israeli innovation in their personality and actions along with having a record of extraordinary dedication to building a better world and a more values-driven society.

Over the past few weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clashed with Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, after Culture Minister Miri Regev announced that Netanyahu would address the public at the ceremony. In the end, Edelstein conceded, so Netanyahu will light a torch and briefly speak. Had Netanyahu been just another nominee, rather than crashing the ceremony under the aggressive sponsorship of the sharp-tongued Regev, the selection committee most likely would not have chosen him. If Netanyahu’s personality represents a “more values-driven society,” Israeli society is in trouble. Millions of Palestinians caged in Gaza by his government’s policies, without any hope of a better life, can attest to his “extraordinary dedication to building a better world,” as can Israeli human rights activists, Israel’s Arab citizens — the ones “flocking in droves to the ballot boxes” as Netanyahu warned on election day in 2015 — African asylum seekers branded “infiltrators” and run of the mill leftists and liberals.

Given Netanyahu’s claim that the Palestinians do not want to negotiate a peace agreement with Israel, his alleged record of “innovation” has been in the regional arena. At the April 18 ceremony marking the annual Remembrance Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers, Netanyahu pledged to nurture Israel’s might and ensure its future, and also to continue fostering ties with the pragmatic forces in the region — a thinly veiled reference to Saudi Arabia — “to pave the road to peace.” At another ceremony on April 17, for foreign service officers killed in the line of duty, the prime minister — who also serves as foreign minister — hailed the important changes taking place in parts of the Arab world. He expressed his belief that this would expand the circle of peace. Did we already mention Saudi Arabia? Netanyahu then went on to once again revel in President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US Embassy to the city.

What we have here is dual and even triple innovation, a real international startup enterprise. It promotes ties with pragmatic Arab states while sending snipers to kill unarmed Gaza Palestinians, deepening the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and touting US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital.