Even before October 7, the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had shaken the country to its core.
asserted
government → lead → core
The “judicial reform” policy that was being rammed through the Knesset sparked months of unprecedented civil discord and disobedience.
asserted
that → ram → discord
Netanyahu’s coalition partners were determined to re-imagine the judiciary and quasi-constitutional framework of the country in a manner that would give the elected representatives in the Knesset absolute control over all branches of government and, tellingly, the judiciary.
asserted
that → re → government
Maintaining an independent judiciary and legal system is a fundamental feature of a liberal democracy.
asserted
Maintaining → maintain → democracy
The Netanyahu government disparages “the system” as having been captured by “elite,” leftist interests — a Tel Aviv-based club that was aligned with an entrenched and nefarious deep state.
asserted
that → disparage → state
Those included in this cabal were impressive: all living and former Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) chiefs of staff, heads of the Shin Bet, many senior Mossad officials, governors of the Bank of Israel, CEOs of key tech enterprises and leadership of all major banks.
asserted
Those → include → banks
And who supported judicial reform?
asserted
who → support → reform
The Haredim cared about one thing; enshrining in law that all ultra-orthodox males studying full-time in a religious institution should be exempt from serving in the IDF — for all time.
asserted
males → care → time
And then came October 7.
asserted
October → come → ?
Fleetingly, there was some hope that the Haredim would rise to the occasion and finally show up at IDF draft offices to do their part.
asserted
Haredim → be → part
It exposed the systemic dysfunction permeating key national institutions.
asserted
It → expose → institutions
Israel was fighting an existential war with its enemies, but also a domestic war with institutions that had become morally corrupt, arrogant and unable to fulfill their most basic promise.
asserted
that → fight → promise
There are two issues that are priorities for the majority of Israelis in this election: the draft and the creation of a State Commission of Inquiry into the October 7 massacre.
asserted
that → be → massacre
Historically, significant national issues and events have been handed to a state commission of Inquiry to adjudicate and make recommendations.
asserted
issues → hand → recommendations
This is what happened almost immediately after the conclusion of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, when Israel was attacked by Jordan, Syria and Egypt and nearly annihilated.
asserted
Israel → happen → Jordan
Even though the commission found that then-prime minister Golda Meir bore no direct responsibility, Meir chose to resign.
asserted
Meir → find → responsibility
She believed that honour precluded any other outcome.
asserted
honour → believe → outcome
And that made her responsible and accountable to the people.
asserted
her → make → people
Meir’s resignation must have been on Netanyahu’s mind when he met with his top military and security advisers several days before October 7.
asserted
he → meet → October
As the meeting participants were leaving, Netanyahu quipped, “I do not want to end up like Golda.”
asserted
I → leave → Golda
For the three years since October 7, Netanyahu has refused to convene an inquiry.
asserted
Netanyahu → refuse → inquiry
It would be nothing more than a witch-hunt with a pre-determined outcome, he has said many times, because the judiciary is a highly politicized anti-government left-wing institution.
asserted
judiciary → say → outcome
His government has — unprecedentedly — refused to recognize the current president of the Israeli Supreme Court, because he assumed his position according to long-established rules of succession (which judicial reform would have ended).
uncertain
reform → refuse → which
And the way things have worked in Israel since 1968 — for every one of the 20 state commissions of inquiry convened — the prime minister tasks the Supreme Court President with selecting the Commission members who are entrusted, by law, to conduct the proceedings independently.
asserted
who → work → proceedings
It is a quasi-judicial body — with powers to subpoena, receive testimony under oath and issue recommendations.
asserted
It → subpoena → recommendations
All work of a Commission of Inquiry is to be conducted in an independent manner, meaning — with no government or political interference or involvement.
asserted
work → conduct → interference
This possibility, no doubt, offends Netanyahu.
asserted
possibility → offend → Netanyahu
He will not likely submit to the whims of the leftists who want to bring him down.
asserted
who → submit → him
He will, however, agree to an inquiry that he controls by appointing all members while defining its scope.
asserted
he → agree → scope
Netanyahu has publicly and aggressively assigned blame for October 7 to the IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi, head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar, senior IDF officials and others.
asserted
Netanyahu → assign → Bet
But he accepts no responsibility, claiming that his key advisers did not brief him on critical realities.
asserted
advisers → accept → realities
And the worst claim: they did not wake him up early enough on the morning of October 7.
uncertain
they → wake → October
Had they done so, he asserted recently, the massacre would have been averted.
asserted
massacre → do → ?
In a recent poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute, 71 per cent of Jewish Israelis believe that the implementation of a universal draft and holding of a state commission of inquiry are critical issues in this election.
asserted
implementation → conduct → election
Netanyahu has steadfastly to implement either one.
asserted
Netanyahu → implement → one
Because it is increasingly unclear which party leaders may compromise with the ultra-orthodox Haredim in order to negotiate a majority government.
uncertain
leaders → compromise → government
And that uncertainty keeps Netanyahu on life support, in spite of the fact that 72 per cent of Israelis believe that he should take responsibility for October 7 and resign — immediately.
asserted
he → keep → October
The Aporia
