Prime Minister Netanyahu to Make Bible Priority
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is back and eager to lead Israel including making the Bible a central part of Israeli society.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu pose for a group picture of the new government with Israeli
Ministers at the president's residence in Jerusalem, on December 29,
2022
Here are three central issues for Netanyahu’s incoming government.
Bring the Bible back
First, strengthening Jewish identity and affinity with Jewish history and tradition was not only a campaign slogan for some of the parties but was covered thoroughly in the coalition agreements.
For some, calling to strengthen Jewish identity in Israel can be understood as potentially leading to religious coercion on non-religious and non-Jewish populations such as banning the possession of Chametz (food containing leaven that is forbidden during Passover). However, one clause in the agreement between the Religious Zionist Party is less spoken of in public discourse, highlighting public education as its primary target. Setting the identity of the political parties aside, this issue should actually garner a broad Zionist consensus among Israelis from all over the political spectrum.
After years of slowly decreasing the study of issues of Jewish history and the Tanach in public education in Israel, the coalition parties agreed to revamp the curriculum on these subjects. Included in the list of subjects to be integrated in public school curriculum is the Bible, the history of Zionism and the history of all of the Jewish communities from Yemen and Iraq to Ethiopia and Eastern Europe.
Whether you identify with the Zionist left or the Zionist right, teaching these subjects is necessary for raising future generations of Israelis who believe in the importance of Jewish peoplehood, recognize the historical role of the Jewish homeland and have a keen understanding and deep connection with Jewish tradition on their own terms. It is crucial for ensuring a secure future for Israel as a Jewish state.
Moreover, historically in Israel, studying the stories and traditions of Jewish communities from Arab and Muslim countries has been given far less attention. This could be a way of increasing the awareness and equal standing of Mizrahi Jewish heritage with that of Ashkenazi (European) heritage.
Gay rights in the Holy Land?
The second topic is one which represents a possible ideological rift specifically between the Likud and the rest of its coalition partners—LGBTQ rights. Although the politicians have raved with joy since the elections saying that the new government is an “all out” right-wing government, the Likud self identifies in general as a socially liberal party and adheres to supporting LGTBQ rights while the ultra-orthodox and religious Zionist parties in his government do not.
The Noam faction of the Religious Zionist Party, who signed their own independent coalition agreement with the Likud, has announced that a central part of his political agenda during this government is to fight against LGTBQ rights and “alternative families” referring to this issue as “a cultural war.”
However, today the Likud nominated MK Amir Ohana to serve as the first homosexual Speaker of the Knesset. In his inaugural address to the Knesset, looking up at his husband and two children observing from the visitor’s gallery above the plenum hall, he said, “Here today with me is Alon, my other half of almost 18 years, my anchor and our two children. This Knesset, headed by this speaker, won’t harm them or any other child or family, period.” Ohana added, “If there is a young boy or girl who are watching us today, know that it doesn’t matter who you are where you’re from, through your own efforts you can get to wherever you want.” At this very moment that he was speaking, ultra-orthodox MKs Moshe Gafne and Meir Parush (United Torah Judaism) looked down and covered their faces.
It goes beyond saying that this issue is going to be a point of contention between the Likud and their more religious and socially conservative partners.
Renew the Abraham Accords
A third major issue on the agenda of the new government is the desire to expand the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu, since it became certain that he was the clear victor in the elections, has repeatedly said that he is committed to convincing Saudi Arabia to join the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan and normalize relations with Israel. This he says will officially end the Israeli-Arab conflict. Interestingly, all of the coalition agreements include a section detailing their commitment to this foreign policy goal.
Although Netanyahu proved in 2020 that he was able to bypass the Palestinians to peace with Arab countries in the region, the Saudi monarchy has been consistent on insisting first dealing with the Palestinians before signing a peace agreement with Riyad.
Will Netanyahu surprise the world and find a way? Will he first seek to
implement at least a short or midterm solution to Israel’s conflict with
the Palestinians? Peace with Saudi Arabia appears to be the primary
foreign policy goal not just of his current government but of his entire
political career. So, we’ll find out soon enough.
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