When giving the government the benefit of the doubt is warranted
On the surface, the following two stories have nothing in common.
On Wednesday night the Knesset passed the “Big Coronavirus Law” which gives the government the ability to declare a state of emergency and put emergency regulations in place without needing approval from the Knesset’s Coronavirus Committee.
On Tuesday, Israel demolished an illegally built structure in Area C just outside of Hebron. Some left-wing websites reported that the structure was to be a novel coronavirus testing center. In truth it was to be a car dealership.
What’s the connection? Israel’s detractors – whose mindset about the country or the government is very negative to begin with – will always believe the worst about it, or look at something that Israel is doing and take it to its most nefarious conclusion.
One can argue whether or not the government did not arrogate too much power to itself in passing the “Big Coronavirus Law” Wednesday night. This bill allows the government to declare a state of emergency if it is convinced the virus will spread, placing public health at risk.
Under the state of emergency, restrictions can be placed on individuals, businesses, workplaces, schools and public transportation, and the government can do this without oversight by the Knesset’s Coronavirus Committee. The committee will only be able to cancel the regulations one week after they have been implemented.
Those willing to give the government the benefit of the doubt, argue that this law – though problematic in its ability to curtail individual freedom – is a necessary evil considering the corona chaos the country descended into this week, with the government enacting regulations that the Knesset’s Corona Committee then overturned a few hours later.
This flip-flopping on everything from whether gyms should open, to whether restaurants need to close, confused the public already unsure of whom to believe when it comes to the pandemic. This also badly eroded the public’s confidence in the government’s ability to deal with the crisis. And for that reason, the law was enacted – to empower the government to make quick decisions needed to react to the spread of the virus.
Those not willing to give the government the benefit of the doubt will argue that this is just another example of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to usurp more authority for himself, as Israel careens toward becoming undemocratic Turkey.
As a Reuters piece on the bill stated on Thursday, Israeli lawmakers empowered “the government to order anti-coronavirus curbs with limited parliamentary oversight, stirring opposition fears for the country’s democratic health.”
Yesh Atid MK Yoel Razbozov was quoted as calling the law “fascistic and dictatorial.” And that was the theme picked up by some mainstream media interviewing Israelis about the law, with one of the first questions being about what this says about the state of Israel’s democracy.
Those who think the worst of Israel and of Netanyahu, framed this bill as a naked power grab, ignoring the real problems the government faces in trying to get a handle on COVID-19, and how this law may help it do so.
Which brings us to the second story.
The civil administration did tear down an unlicensed building in Area C, under Israel’s complete control, near Hebron this week. But, as Khaled Abu Toameh reports in today’s Post, the structure was not intended to serve as “a center for conducting coronavirus tests” for Palestinians, as was claimed, but rather as a car dealership.
When the civil administration told the Palestinian businessman who built the structure that they intended to tear it down, he informed the Hebron municipality that he was donating the illegally built structure for “public services.”
And those who are willing to believe the worst about Israel ran with it. For instance, the Democracy Now! website ran an item under the headline: “Israel Authorities Demolish Coronavirus Testing Center in West Bank.”
Often there are legitimate reasons for taking harsh measures, but to see that entails a need to sometimes grant the benefit of the doubt.