The Death Penalty Bill Illustrates How the Kahanist Revolution Has Taken Over Israeli Society - Israel Security
The law allowing the death penalty for Arab terrorists, which passed the Knesset this week, in what was one of the most disgraceful evenings the body has ever known, is clearly a populist tool in the service of Itamar Ben-Gvir. It is likely that the law, which was designed to be employed against West Bank Palestinians, will be invalidated by the High Court of Justice.
This script was written in advance to award Ben-Gvir a double victory: He would be able to demonstrate his power in the coalition and get new ammunition with which to attack the High Court as a friend of terrorists.
Yet, despite the poor chances of the law ever actually being put into effect, it is impossible to overstate the enormous damage it will cause. Its passage with the support of most of the coalition and that of Yisrael Beiteinu in the opposition marks a milestone in the Kahanist revolution that has conquered the Israeli right and Israeli society in general.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made sure to appear in the Knesset to vote for a bill that was opposed by the entire defense establishment. Figures like Yariv Levin, Nir Barkat, Avi Dichter and Aryeh Dery joined him, as did Gideon Sa'ar's faction, which ironically once advocated for Israel's right wing to be "respectable." Only one Likud lawmaker did not show up to vote – Yuli Edelstein, who is already halfway outside the party.
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To understand the depth of the destruction to the ruling party, which once billed itself as liberal, and to Shas, the "moderate" party of Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, who once wrote against the death penalty, it must be noted that all the Lithuanian MKs voted against the measure and Hasidic lawmakers either abstained or were absent for the vote. Even Avi Maoz left before the vote at the command of Rabbi Zvi Thau.
But in the name of a terrible cynicism and the fear of losing young voters, Netanyahu and Dery have positioned themselves beyond the extremists on the scale. The base wants their noose, the base will get it.
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The evening of the vote marked not only a moral abyss, but also anointed the next right-wing leader, as long as the Kahanist revolution marches forward without a significant countervailing force emerging: He is Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has managed to transform himself from a marginal thug into a shaper of right-wing ideology.
That ideology offers nothing but the exercise of force, with a measure of sadism, barbarism and anarchism that will shatter the institutions of the democratic state, their guardrails and gatekeepers. Kahanism fuels a monstrous paradox, a vicious circle, which at present seems unbreakable: As violence worsens the situation and makes the lives of Israelis unbearable, the only solution it can bring to the table is more force and violence in the name of false promises of redemption or utopian peace.
This worldview has always had its many adherents, but the veil of shame – an essential component of a civilized society – prevented them from openly celebrating it. In the run-up to the election, and even more so since October 7, it has taken deep root in the mainstream.
The photo of Ben-Gvir disgustingly waving a bottle of champagne in the Knesset in a celebration of raw barbarity was posted on the Knesset website. The site is supposed to report dryly on events there, but the photo represents a normalization of what was once considered not only morally wrong but also unacceptable by the right itself.
For weeks, Ben-Gvir and his friends have been running around with noose pins made of on their lapels in sadistic imitation of the pins worn by those identifying with the hostages. In the Kahanist world, the pin is a sign of the future here in Israel – a vulgar celebration of death and a severing of the last bonds of humanity and civilization, making us much like the worst of our enemies.
And a word about the Jewish opposition: Only Yair Lapid and Yair Golan came out publicly against the law shortly after its passage. The main candidates to replace the prime minister – Gadi Eisenkot (who has spoken out against the law in the past) and Naftali Bennett were silent. Avigdor Lieberman enthusiastically joined in the celebration.
It was nothing less than a collaboration with the crowning of Ben-Gvir king. But anyone afraid of upsetting the Kahanists will end up being trampled by them.