This Government is a Threat Against Democracy

It has become increasingly clear in recent years that Benjamin Netanyahu who was originally a bona fide defender of liberal democracy has become part of the international trend of elected politicians and political parties who abuse their elected positions to undermine democracy. I write this with some reluctance because Benjamin Netanyahu is a person whom I used to greatly admire, not least for his genius-level rhetorical skills. But the reality is that the Likud under Netanyahu’s leadership has become a one-man show and it appears that Netanyahu is on the way towards turning Israel as well into a one-man show as already happened in countries such as Turkey, Russia and Venezuela. Indeed, there is clear and present danger. This government is not democratically legitimate. Merely being elected in free and fair elections (even Erdogan was elected in free and fair elections) does not confer democratic legitimacy. Not only is the Likud controlled by a person who lost his democratic compass, but his coalition partners which make up half of the government’s parliamentary basis are openly anti-democratic political parties. This government is dangerous and Benjamin Netanyahu in particular is a peril.