By: B. Michael
I was born a few months before the state was. Thus one could say I’ve lived through all its years, from “austerity” to the “test of reasonableness,” from the “Altalena” to the nonsense of “Kohelet.” The understanding and consciousness of a baby are not the same as those of an adult, but I can attest that even the primal experiences of a toddler inscribe pictures and emotions in its consciousness.
The state’s first 20 years, from 1948 to 1967, could be called, as far as I’m concerned, the “stage of hope.” There was a strange and festive sense in the air, of great hardships mingled with even greater hopes. After all, something new was born here, and it was expected to surely grow and thrive. The feeling was that the present wasn’t good, but no doubt it would soon be better. Hope and excitement ruled. In retrospect, hair-raising errors and disgusting evil deeds were committed in those years, but hope covered over them all.
The second stage, the “stage of corruption”, began in 1967. The religious demon joined the Zionist demon, and together they started the work of destruction. The blinded eyes of the messiah-hasteners and of those pining for their glorious past as “pioneers” led Israel to a loss of its wits, its brakes, its humanity and reason. It wasn’t just the leadership; it was the entire electorate.
And on December 29, 2022, when the doormat heading the government handed power over to a government of hoodlums, the third stage was launched. This is the “stage of destruction.” It was expected; in fact, it was inevitable. There is no easy recovery from 55 years of addiction to evil, plundering, imperiousness and violence. There is also no escape from the rule of the religion-crazed and of brutal chauvinists other than through catastrophe. Proof of that is the destruction of the Second Temple and the Bar Kochba holocaust.
But for now, one can relax a bit. This time, we won’t have a dramatic apocalypse, only a slow crumbling, until Israel becomes a place in which no civilized person would want to live, until only dagger-wielding Sicarii, zealots, chauvinists and psychos will remain and reign. Until the country evaporates.
To note the launch of the “stage of destruction,” I tried to examine how much time and effort it would take to complete this project. To my surprise, I discovered that the work will be amazingly easy. Most of its targets are already in ruins. The enormous amounts invested in the maintenance and operation of settler reserves and autonomous Haredi regions, rather than being invested in more productive areas, have already almost completed their mission.
Here is a partial list of the destruction already wrought: The school system is dying; construction is expensive and outdated; welfare is an sick joke; the health system is being trampled underfoot and poverty is booming. Religion rules and the ingathering of the Diaspora engenders mainly conflict. Policing is grotesque and violence flourishes. Corruption is rampant and justice moves at a snail’s pace. Human rights are on the wane and equality is buried and gone.
To one’s great amazement, it appears that in all its 75 years of existence, the state has not succeeded in solving even one problem out of those a decent state should be contending with. Not a single one. This must be the fate of states that serve God rather than their citizens.
Oh, how evil history is. We wanted to become Athens and turned out being Sparta. We wanted to be a “light unto the nations” and we ended up giving our blessing to disgraces unto the nations. We wanted to grow grapes, but they turned out sour. Not a pleasant outcome.
(One moment! Correction: Israel’s desalination plants are a stunning success that indeed solved a real problem. Well, let that be our consolation.)
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Palestinian Media Center In Europe.
Source: Haaretz Newspaper
