JERUSALEM — We’ve long known about the problems at the top of government. Democracy or not, it ain’t easy holding together large and–inevitably– complex societies.
And now the issue is highlighted in the two countries closest to me: Israel and the United States.
In both cases the Prime Minister or President have reached the extreme of illegitimacy.
Donald Trump has expressed his conclusion that the election was stolen, and that he should be heading for a second term.
His doubtful claims are mirrored in the attitudes of Republicans. Most of them say that
• there was a lot of voter fraud,
• that Donald Trump should not concede, and
• that Joe Biden didn’t win the election.
And a and near majority of Republicans polled are
• confident that votes were not counted accurately,
• and that a recount would overturn the results,
This is dangerous. There have been some protests, and violence. So far nothing close to a civil war that authorities have not been able to control. However, the situation threatens the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency.
And we’re still wondering about the turnover of power, and the prior sharing of intelligence. So far no signs from Trump of a concession. a Trump has been playing a lot of golf, while various aides and supporters have tried–without success–to overturn results in several states.
The General Services Administration has ordered the start of information sharing. Is this a sign of White House accord? Or maybe Trump’s acceptance of the election results?
Somewhere we’ll be judging his influence on the spread of Coronavirus. Trump’s refusal to wear a mask, and his tendency for mass meetings has contributed to the US leading all other countries in the incidence of infections and deaths.
Yet, along with all the maniacal demonstrations of his language, Trump has, arguably, done much that is positive.
For us, his movement of the Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, as well as Israel’s control of the Golan Heights and arranging normalization with the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan have led some 75 percent of Israelis to support his re-election. Those and other actions may persuade more Palestinians to abandon their dreams of returning to 1967 lines and other fantasies.
We’re still a long way from agreement with the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza, but most of the time we get along with something close to co-operation.
Trump has also worked against anything close to an environment-friendly posture. However, the New York Stock Exchange has reached all-time highs, and it’s difficult to conclude that the US economy has failed during his administration.
Trump’s Israeli friend, Bibi, is also skating on the edge of what is between decency and corruption. Indeed, he is facing three indictments, and a trial scheduled to begin in January. Can he continue in office while sitting in the courtroom as the accused? That’s something to be decided.
Bibi has also surpassed all previous Prime Ministers in his length of service. He’s also far more polished as a speaker–in English as well as Hebrew–than his American counterpart. And like Trump’s situation, it is impossible to decide in any blanket manner the quality of his rule.
Recent polls show that a majority of Israelis would choose him as the preferred Prime Minister. And Likud polls high enough to make it difficult to decide if–in the event of an election–Bibi or some other Likudnik could form a government.
No doubt that he’s done well, especially in overseas actions, and especially during the Trump administration. Indeed, Bibi’s close to the border of hurting himself and Israel during this period. He delayed speaking with Biden after the election. And he’s appealing to the United States to approve expansion of a problematic Jerusalem site that pokes its way between Palestinians areas. A recent visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to occupied areas of the West Bank, along with his declaration that goods produced there can be labeled “Made in Israel” may sour our relationship with the Biden administration.
And Bibi has worked assiduously to delay his trial, and against the Legal Adviser to the Government and other elements in the judicial process. We have no budget, and get along with delays that evade legal requirements for moving toward a budget.
One and all expect that Bibi will call an election before the time he is scheduled to turn over the reins of government and his Prime Minister’s residence to Benny Gantz.
Yet just as Trump got close to a majority of Americans supporting him, Bibi remains in a position of political power.
Of course, the nature of the two governments differ greatly. Here there’s a parliamentary rather than a presidential form of government. And Israel is stuck with a varied population that makes coalition government inevitable. There is no simple election that can select the head of state-head of government. Yet the US also has separately elected Houses of Congress and the President, likely to cause similar problems in deciding on basic issues.
So the two governments are similarly fixed, or not fixed, for a period of uncertainty, along with issues of leadership and its legitimacy that are troublesome. Or at least worrying.
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Ira Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University. He may be contaccted via ira.sharkansky@sdjewishworld.com.