Weekly Commentary: Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right - No One Should Block Roads
(Why is President Silent?)
Dr. Aaron Lerner 5 April 2023

We now are witness to several occasions that supporters of reform have also
blocked roads. In at least one case there is even an MK from the ruling
coalition photographed participating in blocking the Ayalon.

I was hoping that this development would provide an opportunity for
President Herzog to FINALLY say a word against road blocking since he could
"neutrally" call on "all sides" not to block roads.

But President Herzog continues to remain silent. I have reached out to his
spokesperson several times on this matter but to no avail.

President Herzog only mentions "violence".

So we have the president of Israel, who positions himself as an honest
broker (though he dashed the hopes of a quick resolution of the conflict
when at the last minute he opted not to post the balanced proposal drafted
by a group of left wing legal experts and ONE right winger and instead
surprised us with a proposal from out of left field) who for some reason
apparently thinks that an honest broker cannot oppose road blocking.

Lapid and Gantz also haven't jumped at the opportunity to call on all sides
not to block roads.

The Israel Democracy Institute also hasn't jumped at the chance to be on
record.

Do Herzog, Lapid, Gantz, etc. all cynically want to keep this sword of
Damocles hanging over our heads?

At the end of previous rounds of political conflict members of the media
would throw in some comments for the record so that they could argue later
that they behaved properly.

But I guess they think that the end of the conflict is not near so its full
speed ahead with radically slanted reporting.

I have yet to see ONE reporter seriously corner an opposition leader
regarding the propriety or legality of road blocking. At most they asked
about road blocking and accepted the argument that it was ok since the
ruling coalition wants to do terrible things.

We celebrate our passage from slavery to freedom on Passover.

I fervently hope that our leadership comes around to respect our rights to
freedom from illegal road blocking, wildcat strikes and other actions which
threaten to plunge us into anarchy.

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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il