As an introduction to the main article, I’ll start with this one —
How messianic radicals came to control Israel – and Netanyahu — Jewish Voice for Labour.
It’s been about a month since Israel’s right wing converged in Jerusalem and called for the conquest of the Gaza Strip, for the expulsion of its local population and for the renewal of Jewish settlement there. That political show of force – at what was called the “Conference for the Victory of Israel – Settlement Brings Security: Returning to the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria” – reflected the growing might of the messianic right and made instant headlines. Naturally, the extremist messages voiced by speakers there generated concern in liberal circles. But as the days passed, the headlines changed, and Israelis seemed to move on. But not Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In her view, we must pause and take a hard look at this benchmark date, January 28, 2024, and what transpired then at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center.
Dr. Talshir paid particularly close attention to the speeches, which extolled the idea of crushing the enemy and expelling the Palestinians from Gaza. The idea that “only a [population] transfer will bring peace” – one of the slogans tossed around at the confab – used to be espoused by those at the most extreme fringes: by a few MKs from the now-defunct National Union and the tiny Moledet party of the ultranationalist Rehavam Ze’evi. But among the attendees at the January gathering were no fewer than 10 cabinet ministers from four parties – Likud, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit and United Torah Judaism – in addition to 27 MKs, almost one-quarter of the Israeli parliament.
* I give the article a read, as it explains the starting point of the current political conditions.
Israeli Liberals have another cause for alarm:
Who is Maj. Gen. David Zini is a proud Messianic Israeli:
Netanyahu’s Shin Bet pick proudly calls himself ‘messianic’ at IDF farewell ceremony _ Times of Israel
Maj. Gen. David Zini, who was selected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead the Shin Bet in defiance of a High Court ruling, proudly identified as “messianic” during a farewell speech that marked the end of his 33-year military career.
The term is typically used by Netanyahu’s critics to criticize his religious pro-settler coalition partners whose policies are often guided by their religious zeal. According to Hebrew media reports, Netanyahu previously denied Zini a promotion because the general struck him as “too messianic,” and Shin Bet officials have threatened to quit over the “messianic” general’s appointment.
Too much craziness for Netanyahu. Wow, however, that minor detail didn’t stop him.
Israeli Liberals Are Aghast That Next Shin Bet Chief May Treat Them Like Palestinians- Haaretz
Alarm in the liberal camp: Maj. Gen. David Zini is about to be appointed as the head of the Shin Bet security service. An exemplary and praiseworthy portrait of Zini was just published in the Haaretz weekend supplement by Hilo Glazer.
The descriptions there are indeed blood-chilling: a delusional messianic son of a messianic father as the head of the secret service. In his view, the Palestinians are "enemies of the Blessed-be-He," the war with them is an eternal one, and his upbringing ranges from the doctrine of Baruch Goldstein [who massacred Muslim worshippers in Hebron in 1994] to that of the ultra-nationalist homophobic Rabbi Zvi Thau. Scary!
Yes, there are liberals in Israel, but their voices have been drowned out by Netanyahu’s government of madmen and the 24/7 daily televised internal propaganda of Israeli TV.
But most of the fright stems from fears of what Zini will do to Israeli "democracy." In words that are less politically correct, of what he will do to us, the Jews of this country.
It's possible that the people taking fright are right and Zini will indeed exceed the Shin Bet's boundaries in his operations among the Jewish population. In his view, loyalty to the prime minister comes before loyalty to the law, and the judicial system is a dictatorship.
But Zini's dystopia has been with us for a long time. When it appears without a kippah or the mumbling of religious phrases or the fulfilment of bizarre mitzvahs, it is regarded with indifference in Israel. The defense minister is proud of the demolition of a high-rise apartment building in Gaza City and threatens to open the gates of hell; he is at most a pathetic character on a TV satire show. Perhaps when it's done in the name of God, we'll finally wake up and object.
Until then, we are all Zini, with or without the messianic component.
Along with Palestinian suffering, Israelis are suffering a fall into Messianic Authoritarianism.
Hamas and this crew go hand in hand with their corrupted ideologies; they deserve each other. If only it were on another planet.
A Morning Muse
~A
