Just Because the Knesset Closed for a Few Days, Israeli Democracy Was Not about to Collapse
The political crisis is real, but the hysteria is unwarranted.
March 24, 2020
Just Because the Knesset Closed for a Few Days, Israeli Democracy Was Not about to Collapse
The political crisis is real, but the hysteria is unwarranted.
With Israel facing a political impasse due to the uncertain results of the most recent election, the speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein, canceled the opening of the legislative session last week, first citing fears of coronavirus spreading among the members, then citing a desire not to interfere with coalition negotiations. Soon articles began appearing in the Israeli press warning of imminent danger to democracy, which were then echoed by an American press eager to believe the worst. But the Knesset resumed its business yesterday, with members voting in shifts, and no more than ten members allowed in the room at any given time. Haviv Rettig Gur explains that there was never a threat to democracy but a problem of a very different sort:
March 24, 2020
Raed Salah, Who Spread Islamism among Arab Israelis, Goes to Jail
The man behind Temple Mount violence.
Gaza’s Rich Jewish History Includes Decades of Friendship with Local Arabs
From the Hasmoneans, to a famed poet, to the rabbi and imam who coauthored a book.
Does Talmud Study Really Explain Jews’ Remarkable Contributions to Modern Civilization?
Genius and Anxiety.
How a Once-in-a-Generation 19th-Century Rabbi Responded to Cholera
Clean your houses, wash your hands, don’t eat pickles—and avoid crowds.