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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his Joint Address to the US Congress on March 3. The timing of the speech, just two weeks before the Israeli elections, and at the invitation of Republican Congressional leaders rather than President Obama, was another sore point between Netanyahu and Obama. Photo by Caleb Smith

In Defense of Netanyahu: Appalling, Yes. Racist, No Gil Troy

On March 17th, Israelis elected Prime Minister Benja- inally, after decades in political min Netanyahu to a third consecutive term, his fourth exile, Israel’s Labor Party is back. F Isaac Herzog’s shrewd alliance term in the office. The results came after a stunning with Tzipi Livni helped him boost his pre-vote video intervention by Netanyahu to mobilize party’s popularity and its number of right-wing voters, one that drew criticism internation- Knesset seats, catapulting it over its ally and aggravated tensions in the Israel-US relation- closest rival. ship. Historian and political observer Gil Troy defends These two sentences, which most jour- nalists covering Israel expected to write Netanyahu, arguing that while his Election Day com- after the mid-March elections, are still ment was appalling, it was not racist. true. When the campaign started, the Labor Party was Israel’ number three party. In its election-time-incarnation as the Zionist Union, it enjoyed a surge

Policy 25 of popularity on Election Day, by- passing Yair Lapid’s second-place Just as the pre-election story prematurely predicting Yesh Atid Party. But, of course, Israeli Bibi’s imminent demise was incorrect, the post- Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Ne- election story of a “racist” Israel marching in lockstep to tanyahu enjoyed a bigger surge, de- Netanyahu’s demagogic appeals to give him a landslide is fying the pollsters and pundits, win- ning re-election. also flawed.

Just as the pre-election story prema- turely predicting Bibi’s imminent de- mise was incorrect, the post-election nibalizing the far-right parties, all of Let’s admit. It’s messy. To Israelis, story of a “racist” Israel marching in whom shrank, while the yahoo Ya- “Arabs” means fellow citizens who lockstep to Netanyahu’s demagogic had Party disappeared. Overall, the deserve respect as well as the enemy appeals to give him a landslide is also right-wing parties lost one Knesset who triggers fears. Arabs have mur- flawed. Yes, in the last few days be- seat. Netanyhau’s natural allies in the dered thousands of Jews over de- fore the election on March 17, with greatly diminished National Religious cades. Not every Arab is a terrorist, his poll numbers tanking, Netan- Bayit Hayehudi and the Russian-im- but almost every anti-Israel terrorist yahu veered right rhetorically. And migrant Yisrael Beiteinu, are furious is an Arab—that complicates matters, on Election Day, he posted a video at him for hijacking their voters. The without justifying hatred. Every day, on Facebook saying: “Arab voters are Zionist Union, Yesh Atid and Kulanu, anti-Semitic calls for Israel’s destruc- heading to the polling stations in all to Netanyhua’s left, together won tion emanate from the Arab press droves. Left-wing NGOs are bringing 45 seats to Likud’s 30, representing and especially from Palestinian soci- them in buses.” Lo and behold, right- the powerful Israeli center. ety, sometimes illustrated with crude wing voters “head[ed] to the polling anti-Semitic caricatures. Some radical stations in droves,” with a late-night Second, and perhaps most explosive, Arabs in the Knesset regularly (and boost for Bibi that even confounded Netanyahu’s comment was appall- freely) denounce the country that exit pollsters because their first cal- ing—and I have repeatedly criticized pays their salaries. And in a society culation was true as of two-hours be- it—but it was not racist. Netan- where leftists frequently condemn fore the polls closed and the election yahu’s statement began by saying “the ultra-Orthodox” for acting shifted in those final minutes. “the right-wing government is in democratically, including “voting in danger.” And this most effective, droves,” Netanyahu’s cry about Arabs was unworthy, ugly, and tribal but First, Israel did not harmful, and now famous 29-sec- ond video did not end with the line not racist and accurate in that they shift rightward, about the buses. Netanyahu added, truly were voting against him, and Israel’s Right reshuffled. “Friends, we don’t have a V15.” This focused on politics. overlooked line puts Netanyahu’s Netanyahu won merely 25 This row about “racism” upstaged comments in the context of a hard- percent of the electorate. what should have been one of the fought campaign he was desperate And he eked out his small headlines of election day, the very to win—and his opponents were day Netanyahu behaved so poorly: showing only by desperate to win, too. V15 was a cannibalizing the far-right Israel remains a remarkably inclusive grassroots, anti-Bibi initiative that and pluralistic place, not a racist na- parties, all of whom shrank, gained much traction during the tion. An Israeli Arab, the Supreme while the yahoo Yahad Party campaign—and, as a nonpartisan Court Justice Salim Joubran, super- disappeared. project could accept funding from vised the elections. Joubran went on foreign donors. This fed into Likud radio, with reverence in his voice, to fears about foreign-funded “Left- declare Election Day, “an Israeli dem- wing NGOs” trying to manipulate ocratic Holy Day.” After the election, the election. In Israel, the foreign- Still, the three conventional take- Israel’s President Reuben Rivlin—a funding charge is a red herring. Both aways about “a Bibi landslide,” a right-winger who regularly reaches the Left and the Right raise money “racist Israel,” and a failed Zionist out to his fellow citizens be they Arab from abroad while bashing their re- Union campaign are all wrong. or Jewish—to request Justice Jou- spective rivals for accepting money bran’s permission to initiate coalition irst, Israel did not shift right- from abroad. Still, mentioning V15 discussions early. Such everyday oc- ward, Israel’s Right reshuffled. in particular politicized Netanyahu’s currences, where Arabs wield power F Netanyahu won merely 25 per- remarks. He was saying, “our politi- or achieve high status, didn’t make cent of the electorate. And he eked cal enemies are massing against us, headlines in Israel because they are out his small showing only by can- we must mobilize.” so commonplace.

May/June 2015 26 Ultimately, while it is very difficult While it is very stakes are so high. As an adolescent to predict Israel’s future, this elec- democracy, founded in 1948, popu- tion may have heralded the start of difficult to predict lated by refugees from Eastern Europe, the post-Netanyahu Era. Bibi fatigue Israel’s future, this election North Africa, and the Middle East was genuine and widespread, while may have heralded the start with no real democratic tradition, Is- Bibi genuinely seemed fatigued. And, of the post-Netanyahu Era. raeli democracy is still evolving—and although it did not win, the Zionist sometimes learning the worst habits Union emerged as an effective oppo- Bibi fatigue was genuine from older democratic siblings like the sition led by a true leader and com- and widespread, while Bibi United States which freely exports its mitted democrat, Isaac Herzog. If genuinely seemed fatigued. political consultants and attack ads, Herzog remains strong in opposition, And, although it did not among other delights. Still, Israel, for he may prove to be the anti-Bibi, all its flaws, shares with Canada, the keeping Bibi in check as long as this win, the Zionist Union United States, and the other Western government lasts, and ready to take emerged as an effective democracies, these remarkable, near- over, next time Bibi falters big time. opposition led by a true magical mechanisms for self-correc- tion of free institutions, including free Meantime, all Israelis, left and right leader and committed elections. In building his coalition, need to unite, as Iran rushes to go nu- democrat, Isaac Herzog. seeking at least 61 votes he needed for clear, Hamas and Hezbollah accumu- a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu late rockets faster than big gamblers once again did what he and Israel do accumulate debt, Mahmoud Abbas to Obama’s tentative agreement with so frequently—demonstrating democ- and the Palestinian leadership con- Iran over nuclear technology. racy’s and his society’s many strengths tinue to bash Israel while demanding and weaknesses, while never, ever be- Israel collect tax revenue, the gap be- And social tensions grow, heightened ing boring. tween rich and poor grows, prominent by Bibi’s very election, as well as the pols face corruption charges, Barack usual, instinctive, yet still reprehen- Contributing Writer Gil Troy is a Obama continues to distance himself sible anti-Israel backlash. Professor of History at McGill University. from Bibi—never have an American His 10th book, Moynihan’s Moment: president and an Israeli prime min- Although professors have long joked America’s Fight Against Zionism ister been so far apart. Their differ- that academic politics are so intense as Racism, recently won the J.I. Segal ences have already been exacerbated because the stakes are so low, in Israel Award for Best Jewish Non-Fiction Book by Netanyahu’s obvious opposition the politics are so intense because the for 2014. [email protected]

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