Rosner’s Domain— Israel’s Demographic Time Bomb
The opposition is rational not to fully believe in the idea of a comeback: Israel’s demography would not allow it.
Shmuel Rosner is an Israeli columnist, editor, and researcher. He is the editor of the research and data-journalism website themadad.com, and is the political editor of the Jewish Journal.
The opposition is rational not to fully believe in the idea of a comeback: Israel’s demography would not allow it.
A new finding marks a significant, lasting change, which could have many consequences.
A country divided over its vision for the future can stick together if the rules of how decisions are made are clear and legitimate. But when one camp feels that it is about to be cheated out of the game – losing its ability to function in a free society – it immediately radicalizes.
One way or the other, what Justice Minister Yariv Levin has in mind is not a tweak; it is a foundational change. It is also the main first act of the new ruling coalition, and it signals that this coalition plans to be bold, and controversial.
A new government begins its term with an advantage: It has enough votes to survive for a full term and implement its plans. But there is also a disadvantage: Very little good will from all those who did not vote for it.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. The road map showing the way to hell was hung last week on the Tel Aviv City Hall.
The two main camps in Israel today are the everything-will-be-okay camp and the we-are-headed-for-a-cliff camp.
Avi Maoz was appointed to serve as deputy minister in charge of external programming at schools in the incoming coalition. He is an ultra-conservative, anti-LGBT, anti-progressivism, anti-pluralism member of a fringe faction within the (quite radical) Zionist Religious Party.
A new government is coming to Israel, energetic, revolutionary, ambitious. There is a blizzard of rumored initiatives, there is a storm of trial balloons, there is a pour of proposals and demands — some of which will materialize, and many that will not. Some of them are realistic, and many will hit a brick wall.
Two prospective members of the coalition, the Religious Zionism Party and United Torah Judaism, are demanding legislation that will ensure the ability of separating men and women at certain public events, without this being considered discriminatory.