Between these extremes

Ted Lapkin’s article “The hidden stakes of Israel’s fifth election” (August 7) totally distorts the anti-Bibi issue and comes to the absurd conclusion that the “hidden stakes” is the clash of contending visions “between those who cherish Israel’s Zionist essence and those who seek to transform the world’s sole Jewish state into another non-denominational western democracy.”

Lapkin seems to believe that the only possibility for Israel is to be a non-denominational western democracy, or for its Jewish institutions to be strangled by the extreme haredi rabbinate as it was and will be under a Bibi-led government. Surely, there must be something better in between these extremes.

It’s not non-denominational to honor the Kotel agreement or to treat prospective converts with understanding and respect while staying within Jewish law. These are just two of the many improvements that can be made to our Jewish state without Shas, the Religious Zionist Party and United Torah Judaism in the government.

It seems that Lapkin’s conclusion was created to distract us from the real stakes of a fifth election: 1) a sixth election (which could cost the Israeli economy over NIS 3 billion) because Bibi refuses to relinquish his hold on power, or 2) a government with a prime minister whose first priority is to use his position to solve his legal problems and is beholden to haredi parties.

In forming his thesis, Lapkin erroneously claims that Bennett “cited those [Bibi’s] criminal charges as a rationale for boycotting a Netanyahu-led government.” Bennett never boycotted a Netanyahu-led government. In fact, before the last election, Bennett agreed to join Bibi’s coalition which brought the mandate count up to 59. Short of the 61 mandates needed to form a government, Bibi negotiated to add the Arab party Ra’am to his coalition.

This attempt to form a coalition fell apart only because Bibi’s coalition partner the Religious Zionists wouldn’t accept Ra’am. Bennett attempted to help form a Netanyahu-led government!

Also, Lapkin misplaces the blame for five elections in four years by placing it on the “anyone-but-Bibi” caucus. There is certainly a very large number of voters who only want Bibi. But there is also a very large number of voters in the “anyone-but-Bibi” crowd. What is really causing the endless elections is Bibi’s failure to step aside.

It is seriously dividing our country. The only certain solution to endless elections is for Bibi, for the sake of his country, to finally retire and endorse a successor in Likud who can carry on his policies. There are plenty of talented candidates. Are we asking too much of him?

RAYMOND ARKING