A Flawed Government Prioritizing Political Survival Over the Public Good
Key Highlights :
The protests that have been taking place in Israel for days are not just about the judicial overhaul, but about the government itself, which has been organizing Sundays for its own benefit. This past Sunday, the cabinet chose to focus on “kosher electricity” instead of solving the problem of electric power for the entire public. Decisions that would have ensured electricity supply for all Israelis, such as restarting the Reading Power Station and building new power stations in the Sharon region, were put off due to political pressure. On the other hand, the Haredi parties did succeed in getting a decision passed that contributes nothing to Israel’s electricity supply, except for the ultra-Orthodox.
The cabinet decision directs the Israel Electric Corporation to develop a giant battery facility that will be charged up during the week in order to supply “kosher electricity” (power not produced by Jews during Shabbat) on Fridays and Saturdays. This means that in order to provide the Haredi minority with electricity not generated on Shabbat, Energy Minister Yisrael Katz is ready to redirect resources that should be going toward ensuring future supplies of electricity to all Israelis.
This decision is unacceptable, as it is not at all clear whether there will be sufficient electricity supply for the general public in another three years, yet the government is working to provide kosher electricity for a minority with idiosyncratic requirements. The government has shown once again that its priorities are flawed, that it is interested more in political survival than in the public good. This is another reason why the protests should not only continue but should expand.
Israel deserves a government that works for the public and not for itself. It is time for the government to prioritize the public good and make decisions that will benefit the entire population, not just a select few. Only then will the protests come to an end and the nation will be able to move forward.
