It seems that all is fair in war...and protest.
The opponents of the judicial overhaul have for weeks been calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a dictator, and badmouthing him to the rest of the world. Nothing appears to be off limits. What is dangerous, however, is throwing around the word "statehood" in vain.
The left-wing's protests against the judicial reforms are still underway, and they don't seem to be subsiding any time soon.
Sometimes the nature of the protests takes on an ironic angle, as is evident by the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) late last week. Among the bank's many investors were Israeli high-tech hot shots, who were threatening to withdraw their funds from business ventures in Israel if the judicial reform passes.
God has a strange sense of humor, but a witty one.
The anti-reform protest has crossed the borders of Israel a long time ago: threats to withdraw funds, to emigrate abroad, outspoken tweets and articles written in English by prominent Israeli figures, and even demonstrations in Europe.
It seems that because the nation "doesn't know how" to elect representatives approved by the left-wing, its solution is to go cry about it on the shoulders of foreign countries.
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Israeli demonstrations in recent months have escalated as reform legislation proceeds
(Photo: Tal Shahar)
But why settle for slandering Israel abroad, when you can attack Netanyahu "the dictator" personally?
They trapped MK Tali Gottlieb in her home, ambushed Sara Netanyahu at the barber shop, and lit a bonfire on the Ayalon Highway. If this wasn't enough, they decided it was time to take it up a notch. Now, the protesters see fit to disrupt Netanyahu's trips abroad, embarrass him, and hinder his drive to the airport during work trips. If that what is necessary to make him be remembered as the worst leader who ever ruled Israel, so be it.
The problem that the protesters often fail to see that Netanyahu represents much more than just himself. He is the personification of the State of Israel.
Netanyahu is a reflection of the state, which doesn't seem to matter to these anti-statehood protestors. They throw around the word "statehood" in vain, and leave it out to rot in their own backyards.
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Netanyahu celebrates the bill passing the first of three votes
(Photo: The Knesset Channel)
While it's an unpopular opinion, it's legitimate to talk about the Left's ongoing battle against the judicial reform in the same breath as the events that surrounded the Oslo Accords and the assassination of late Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin.
Those who were chasing after Rabin were a mob made up of right-wing radicals. Now, it is the elitists on the Left: pilots, former chiefs of staff, artists, etc.
The left-wing has been known to accuse the Right of being violent, while claiming that calling Netanyahu a dictator is perfectly peaceful. Meanwhile, Netanyahu and his wife are constantly accompanied by security and need to remain in safe rooms during the protests. Recently, a demonstrator dressed as a religious man broke into the area where MK Simcha Rothman lives, and it's unlikely that he came hoping to dance the Hava Nagila with the locals.
The anti-statehood anarchist protesters have crossed the line.
They march forward like children throwing a tantrum. They are unwilling to settle for any compromise, and they tattletale on Israel to the rest of the world, all while adopting tactics that incite to even more violence.
Naveh Dromi is a columnist for various publications, and an analyst appearing on Channel 14