Under Netanyahu and His Government, Passover Has Become a Festival of Emergency
It's hard to celebrate under the heavy burden of the double state of emergency. Israelis are exhausted from fearing for their lives, constant trips to the shelter and economic uncertainty, but we must not despair. To save democracy, we must mobilize en masse, so that next Passover will once again be the Festival of Freedom
This year's Passover should be called the Festival of Emergency: This is the third year that Israel finds itself in a double state of emergency – in terms of both security and civil life – without an end in sight. Its citizens are exhausted from fearing for their lives, constant trips to the shelter, a flight freeze, and economic uncertainty.
But the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn't taking steps to restore Israeli society to normal routine, but rather, it is normalizing the state of emergency and exploiting it for the political and personal benefit of the prime minister and his partners.
In terms of security, Israel refuses to end the war that began with Hamas' invasion and massacre on October 7, 2023. In the latest version of the Israel Defense Forces' war goals, it is working to "create the conditions for regime change in Iran" and a new occupied security zone in Lebanon, from which the Shi'ites will be expelled. The latter is similar to the destruction in Gaza, of which Israel currently holds over half the territory.
Add to that areas the IDF has seized in Syria, and the expulsion of Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the theft of their land – by settlers with the support of the army and the police. It's no wonder that, in the face of such demands from political leadership, without hope of any additional conscripts, the chief of staff is warning that the IDF will collapse.
Netanyahu encouraged United States President Donald Trump to embark on a war against Iran with him, in the hope that its regime would collapse quickly. But the Iranians recovered, took control of the oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and confronted Trump with a dilemma: recognize Tehran's control of energy resources in the Gulf, or escalate aerial bombings and perhaps send ground forces as well.
America's ultimatum to the Iranians to open the strait or face escalation was scheduled to expire overnight. While this is happening, Netanyahu has been reduced to junior partner, and Israel has turned into a firing range for ballistic missiles and drones from Iran, Lebanon and Yemen – its inhabitants subject to Trump's whims.
Netanyahu has been reduced to junior partner, and Israel has turned into a firing range for ballistic missiles and drones from Iran, Lebanon and Yemen – its inhabitants subject to Trump's whims.
The civil state of emergency is just as burdensome as the frequent sirens. Netanyahu hasn't for a moment abandoned his plans to crush liberal democracy in Israel, to rule without checks and balances and to intensify religious coercion.
Under cover of the war with Iran, the coalition passed the law mandating the death penalty for Arab terrorists, the prime minister is calling to ignore the rulings of the High Court of Justice and the police force headed by his partner, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, is resorting to force to prevent protests against the war.
And above everything hovers Netanyahu's request to cancel his trial – which means eliminating equality before the law in Israel – and the real danger of denying the freedom to vote in the upcoming election.
It's hard to celebrate under the heavy burden of the double state of emergency, but we must not despair. The fight to save democracy requires mass mobilization in order to stop the government's plots, so that next Passover will once again be the Festival of Freedom
The above article is Haaretz's lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.