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Will Israel Get Through Ramadan Safely? [1]

['Haaretz Editorial']

Date: 2023-03-19

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, that begins this week, has long been prone to unrest for Israel. But now, in the shadow of a dangerous, recalcitrant government headed by a present-absent prime minister, Ramadan has become a supreme test of ultranationalism and sovereignty – that is, a demonstration of Israeli muscle-flexing.

For instance, precisely on the eve of Ramadan, the government saw fit to decide to continue razing homes in East Jerusalem. It also began to amend the Disengagement Law so as to permit Israelis to stay in West Bank settlements evacuated in 2005. The amendment passed the first of three votes in the Knesset. Finally, a mass march to the illegal settlement outpost of Evyatar is planned for the intermediate days of Passover, against “the intent to loosen our grip on the Land of Israel.” Instead of banking the fire, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is pouring fuel on it. “Complete insanity and capitulation to terror” is what he termed the custom of closing the Temple Mount to Jews for the last 10 days of Ramadan.

At a recent closed meeting, defense officials expressed concern about the multiplying warnings of terror attacks being planned and, no less, about a few cabinet ministers who are making decisions without consulting with or even attempting to listen to the opinions of the heads of the defense establishment. See, for example, the decision to continue the home demolitions, despite the position of defense officials. (See Yaniv Kubovich, page 3.)

At a time when Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai requires the full cooperation of the government to which he reports in order to see Israel safely through the upcoming month of Jewish and Muslim holiday with a minimum of terror attacks and losses, he is instead facing a hostile minister, an extreme ultranationalist, who is concerned primarily about this own image rather than the serious consequences his failings and rhetoric could have.

But we must not forget that Ben-Gvir isn’t operating in a vacuum. He is supported by empty political suits contemptuous of security assessments. They have dismissed diplomatic warnings of the possible harm to Israel’s international status by arguing that heeding them would severely undermine “the will of the voter” and constitute capitulation to outside pressure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a rare moment of determination, did decide to postpone legalizing Evyatar and evicting Palestinian residents of the village of Khan al-Ahmar until after Ramadan. But we still don’t know what he will pay the settlers in exchange for this postponement, even if he actually manages to stick to it.

The cabinet also includes ministers like Yoav Gallant and Avi Dichter, who understand the magnitude of the danger and their colleagues’ contribution to it very well. Because the prime minister isn’t functioning, they – and especially Gallant, the defense minister – have a duty to put the brakes on this madness and serve as a safety fuse so that the country can get through Ramadan and Passover in relative safety.

The above article is Haaretz’s lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.

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[1] Url: https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/editorial/2023-03-19/ty-article-opinion/.premium/will-israel-get-through-ramadan-safely/00000186-f69a-df90-a19e-ffbf00ba0000

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