Q&A: Does It Really Not Matter Whom You Vote For?
Does It Really Not Matter Whom You Vote For?
Question
In the 2019 elections you wrote a column about the elections and said there that it really doesn’t matter whom you vote for, because at the end of the day all governments will do the same thing, etc. I believe there’s no need to spell out the exploits of this government, but compared to the previous government, don’t you think there is a substantive difference between the State of Israel in 2021–2022 and Israel in 2023, and I’m talking even before October 7th? Don’t you think that this government, with its one-sided, religious, and irrelevant moves (they didn’t deal with the economy or anything practical except taking care of themselves), caused the insane level of internal rift that existed here in the country?
Answer
Indeed, this government has outdone itself. But if I remember correctly, my claim referred to matters of policy and security, not to issues of religion and state and the like.
By the way, specifically on security matters I do see a difference today. Any other government would already have surrendered long ago to the psychotic pressures from within and from outside for a hostage deal. I take my hat off to them.
The issue of the internal rift, too, is not the government’s fault alone. It takes two to tango.
Discussion on Answer
Also, our screwed-up government isn’t trying to create an alternative governing authority in Gaza.
Who said that’s good? At the end of the day everyone understands that even if Hamas doesn’t rule Gaza, someone else will rise up. It’s exactly like the United States in Afghanistan: they were there for twenty years, and as soon as they left the Taliban took over. In my opinion the best thing is simply a deal, and to restore Israel’s deterrence capability. Create a security strip where anyone who comes near it is eliminated; for every rocket fired from Gaza, ten buildings are bombed. In short, there’s no shortage of ways to restore deterrence. You’re also forgetting that there’s a kind of unwritten contract between the state and its citizens, whose essence is to protect the lives of its citizens. Abandoning 107 citizens in order to kill another Hamas terrorist or Sinwar sounds absurd to me. We need to change the whole approach toward Gaza and toward terrorism as a whole, but an endless war (like now) is not the solution.