The main insight regarding the election results is clear: Israel has returned to sanity. The public is sick of extremists and extremism and signals its leaders: No more. We want normalcy. We want to live quietly. We are no longer willing to continue to be suckers of certain sectors (especially the ultra-Orthodox sector). We don’t want to quarrel with the entire world. We are willing to take chances for peace, if only we had a partner.
Three important things took place in Israel’s voting booths: A conspicuous no-confidence tipoff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A surprising vote of confidence in the inexperienced but charismatic journalist, Yair Lapid. And an unexpected tie-standoff between the right and center-left blocs. It could have been a lot more significant if Netanyahu had had a clear, genuine opponent, experienced at these kinds of elections. In such a situation, Bibi would have lost the government and gone home to Caesarea in ignominious defeat. But anti-democratic steps were taken and draconian laws passed in the Knesset [Israeli Parliament] just in time to allow Netanyahu to isolate the system from the penetration of dangerous rivals. Graduates of Israel’s defense system are now forced to wait four years before they can jump into the political pool. This has served to dry up the main repository that would enable Israel’s political system to renew and rejuvenate itself. Thus the path was paved to perpetuate the “King Bibi” regime.
