A Dysfunctional U.S.A. Bears An Uncomfortable Similarity To Israel

I’v been reflecting on the internal disfunction that’s been festering in Israeli society for decades. We often hear reports about tension between Israel and Palestinian residents having spilled over into violence. Israelis have been subject to periodic attacks by Hamas and Hezbola terrorists.  Ancestral Palestinian Territories have been systematically dismantled to make room for Jewish settlements.  No matter what argument is made to justify them, events like these stoked hatred and acts of mutual vengeance.  Secular and reformed Jews have been at odds with orthodox sects over political and social issues.  Netanyahu has made common cause with orthodox factions while pushing the nation away from democracy toward autocracy. The media portray him as confronting every difficult issue with pugilistic threats.  Knesset sessions have sometimes looked like cage fights.  In the meantime, Netanyahu is up against serious charges of corruption that may well put him in prison, if he ever goes to trial.

Has Israel descended into national chaos?  Probably not, but the country is in such a mess that a gang of well armed thugs claiming religious righteousness figured it was an easy target for a massive attack of violent terrorism.  I doubt Hamas has any idea what it thinks it can achieve.  It only wants to attack and destroy in furious anger.  Like all terrorists, they have attacked the defenseless and unwary, too cowardly to take on anything more formidable. 

On a different scale and under different conditions, the U.S. has a similar record of decades long tensions making us look vulnerably dysfunctional.  I doubt any group seriously thinks they can take down the nation, but what an opportunity they have to wreak violent havoc in order to make America pay for its alleged sins – whatever they might be.

Our country has endured several decades of right wing extremists attacking society in the name of righteousness, religious or otherwise.  On one hand, secular and religious factions have angrily confronted and teamed up in strange alliances. On the other, domestic terrorists attempted a January 6 coup that unveiled how serious and dangerous they are.  As president, Trump declared he alone had the authority to run the country and his campaigns for reelection have celebrated his brand of authoritarianism.  His followers are loyal in the extreme even though he is under indictment on 91 felony counts, a finding of financial fraud and subject to several personal injury civil suits.  It’s the coming home to roost of a lifetime thumbing his nose at the law and disrespecting eveyone but himself.   Still, his rule by fear and intimidation with total disregard for truth has cowed political opponents in this own party and convinced millions of followers that he is the strong man leader they want in office. 

His four years as president so undermined American credibility that trusting the U.S. as an exemplary world leader has become problematic.   The current administration has done much to restore the nation’s reputation, reenergize its economy, and strengthen bipartisan democracy.  But it has had to fight for every inch of progress against entrenched factions in state legislatures and Congress who are intent only on destruction and dismantling, with no plan other than authoritarian rule imposing right wing ideology on an unwilling public. The similarities to conditions in Israel are obvious, and so is the likelihood that some terrorist group will see it as a ripe opportunity to inflict death and damage on unwary and innocent people.  I doubt that Russia, Iran or any other country would dare take the opportunity,  but I believe they would abet and cheer any Hamas like gang of fanatics who would. The frightening part is that in all probability, they wouldn’t be foreigners, rather elements of our own fanatical sects.

What is to be done, other than heightening vigilance?  The electorate must unite behind candidates who are willing to negotiate with others for the greater common good.  It must start with city councils and school boards, and it must continue through state legislatures and federal offices.  If successful, fanatics will complain that they have been suppressed, that their loud voices have been reduced to whispers, and they would be right. The private desires of the few that deny American ideals of the common good in which life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are freely open to all people without prejudice cannot be allowed destroy all that the U.S. stands for.