A fragile democracy shows strength

I'm thinking

by Micah Halpern

How could Bibi have let this happen?

What kind of banana republic is Israel to allow for such an embarrassment?

The diatribes go on. They refer to Israel’s proclamation about building 1600 new apartments in Ramat Shlomo, a Jerusalem community that lies over the now famous ‘67 border, land held by Jordan between 1948 and 1967. It is all about the proclamation — some would call it ultimatum — delivered during the visit of Vice President Joseph Biden to Israel, a visit intended to facilitate indirect communication between Israel and the Palestinians.

The historical irony of the chosen construction site is lost on most people. Ramat Shlomo is situated right next to the site chosen by King Hussein of Jordan to build his Jerusalem Palace. The construction was halted by the intrusion of the Six Day War.

Democracy in Israel is different than democracy in the United States; that should be very clear. If comparisons are to be made, Israeli democracy is closer to that practiced by Canada and Great Britain, parliamentary governments.

In Israel, the members of the cabinet compose the coalition that keeps the prime minister in position. Cabinet members may or may not agree with the prime minister, but either way, they cannot be disciplined. When a coalition partner walks, they pull their support and the government falls. That means new elections.

Keeping a government together in Israel is akin to a high wire act without the net. Anyone leans too far in any direction and new elections must be called.

Shas, the political party that took upon itself to inform the world of the decision to build in Ramat Shlomo, knows just how important their role in the coalition government is and exactly how fragile Netanyahu’s control is over his government.

Shas knows and Netanyahu knows. The Likud party did not garner a plurality of votes in the November 2008 election. Kadima had the most votes, but could not cobble together a coalition. Bibi and his Likud party became the ruling power in Israel not by mandate of the people, but by default. And the reason Kadima could not pull together a collation was because Shas refused to join them. That stand earned Shas serious and important standing in the present Likud government.

When the head of Shas, Interior Minister Eli Ishai, stood up to make an announcement that has now reverberated around the world, everyone “in the know” knew just how powerless the prime minister would be in calling his coalition partner to task.

I have heard speculation from some circles that Bibi Netanyahu wishes that he could have made the announcement himself. A younger Netanyahu might have done just that, but in his second go-round as Prime Minister, Netanyahu he has grown and matured. He has proven himself more responsible and adept at making wise and calculated decisions. Certainly Netanyahu believes that Jerusalem is entitled to build 1600 units in Ramat Shlomo, but he sees the bigger picture and understands the rules of the game he is playing with Washington.

Israel is a fragile democracy. Fragile not because it is likely to be overthrown by non-democratic forces, but fragile because the government of Israel needs to build coalitions in order to govern. That requires compromise from very different groups with very different agendas and the irony of all ironies is that in this government, the Likud, the leading party, is the party most required to dilute its own agenda for the good of the coalition and, by extension, the good of the country.

In order to maintain their position of power the Likud needs to sometimes give in to the whims and wishes of coalition partners. If that includes embarrassing the prime minister and the country in front of the vice president of the United States, so be it.

They’ll all get over it in time.

Micah D. Halpern is a columnist and a social and political commentator. Read his latest book THUGS. He maintains The Micah Report at www.micahhalpern.com.