Those who support the government's judicial reform, including myself, need to stop entertaining the misguided notion that the proposed legislation, as it was presented, would be approved.
This could be due to Justice Minister Yariv Levin or Knesset Constitution, Law, Justice Committee chair Simcha Rothman, who made hasty and arrogant statements that only led to division and polarization among Israelis. It could also be because opposition leaders prioritize protests over compromise.
The reality is that the public has been divided, and the gap between supporters and opponents of the government cannot be disregarded.
The reform will undergo modifications and changes before it is enacted into law.
We are not on the verge of a civil war; we are already in the midst of one. It's happening in the streets, town squares, roads, and other places, and it's in full swing.
Regardless of whose hand has caused this division, we are now more fragmented than ever before in our nation's history. Anyone with common sense can see the results and worry about the implications for our economy, security, and social cohesion.
We have always agreed that the Jewish people, after the Holocaust, gathered in Israel and are destined to live together in the only Jewish nation, each according to our own beliefs.
Our unity has helped us overcome many of our most severe differences, but now the fundamental principles of our shared existence are eroding, and we have lost all ability to communicate.
Our solidarity has dissipated in the smoke of demonstrations, protests, calls to refuse military service, and actions that undermine our economy.
There are many legitimate reasons for ultra-Orthodox Israelis to support the government's proposed reforms. For years, the Supreme Court has mostly ruled against us, and we are among those who feel that its judicial activism has been detrimental to our interests and has ignored our needs.
But there are times when we must rise above our own needs. The country is being gutted, and our society is becoming increasingly polarized. Is the price we will pay for our obstinacy worth it?
President Isaac Herzog and others, who are wiser and more prominent than I am, have been trying to find a compromise solution with little success.
I urge my ultra-Orthodox brothers to recognize that we are at a critical juncture, and we must see ourselves as agents of peace who can steer the nation back toward unity. It is our responsibility to address the entire Israeli society and declare that we come in peace, not war.
Even if some revisions are necessary for our justice system, and even if the government's proposed reform is justified, it must be decided through a broad consensus, with our weapons put aside and our emotions kept calm.
Arye Erlich is a columnist and editor for ultra-Orthodox publication Mishpacha Magazine.