opinions & letters
An Amazing and Impactful Night
T Douglas Altabef
he demonstration held in the heart of Jerusalem
on April 27 carried many abiding lessons for our
leaders and for ourselves.

Whether attended by 200,000 or 600,000 people
(and the true number was most likely somewhere in
between), the “Million March,” as it was called, was
a virtual love-in for the state of Israel, for Israel as a
Jewish state, for Israel as the Jewish state.

It was also a show of resolve and determination: We will
not be treated as second-class citizens, we are not giving
up, were themes that echoed throughout the night.

Of course, there was chafi ng at the Supreme Court’s
juristocracy and the stranglehold that unaccountable
legal advisers and the attorney general have on the
government, and therefore on public governance and
policy. But demonstrators also sent the clear message
to the government that their constituency, those who
made the coalition of 64 mandates possible, expected
the elected leadership to persevere and follow through
and implement the judicial reform plan.

Unlike the anti-reform protests, the Million March was
not a cover for advancing a variety of agendas. For its
participants, the judiciary’s stranglehold on the country
is the issue, one that needs to be faced head-on. There
was little subtext involving prevailing social animosities
or confl icts, no problem with the existence of secular,
left-wing citizens.

The message was not about the need to pull any
group down but rather a call to elevate those who, as
part of the majority often ignored or dismissed by the
Supreme Court, insist on sovereignty being exercised
by the elected government of Israel.

There was considerable disbelief and satirization of
the accusations, often made by the opposition, that the
reforms represent a threat to democracy. Several speak-
ers, Knesset member Simcha Rothman most especially,
contrasted what is actually democratic with what is not.

This taking of the argument directly back to the
other side was a smart way of defanging the absurd,
yet widely prevalent claim, that would-be dictators are
set to dismantle a freedom-loving Israeli democracy in
favor of a theocratic, hateful regime.

The demonstration made clear that there are two
distinct points of view regarding the true source of the
threat to Israeli society. This was perhaps the major
takeaway from the event.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed incredulity at
the event; somehow, to him, protest is the sole province
of those not in power. But last night was not a protest
so much as it was a demonstration. A demonstration of
engagement, of caring and of insistence that the issues
that people voted for be addressed and acted on.

Of course, there was a protest against the self-sus-
taining Supreme Court, which is seen to be opposed
to the will of the people. But the thrust of the evening
was the personifi cation of Middle Israel, the heretofore
mostly silent majority, saying loud and clear that they
are not unaware, that they will not be passive and that
they have expectations for the performance and follow
through of Israel’s elected leaders.

“The people demand judicial reform” was the mantra
of the evening. Not a zero-sum fear of the opposition,
not resentment regarding how our larger society works;
rather, this was a focused insistence that the system
of justice so crucial to our societal well-being be fair,
balanced and somehow refl ective of the will of the people.

One interesting aspect of the event was that it
represented the successful cooperation of several
grassroots Zionist organizations, who were able to
eff ectively join forces and work for a common cause.

This could have important and pervasive implications
for our society and our government.

Years ago I attended a dinner with the leaders of
many of Israel’s leading Zionist organizations. Naftali
Bennett, then a member of a right-wing coalition,
expressed his appreciation for the birth and growth of
Yes, I’m going
to a community
celebration April 27 Poll Results
Are you celebrating
Israel’s 75th birthday
(Yom Ha’atzmaut)?
No 41%
12 MAY 4, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
Yes, I’m celebrating
a diff erent way
letters Biography Lacking
Elliott Abrams’ op-ed (“Israeli Sovereignty and
American Intervention,” April 13) took to task the
Democratic Party and Biden administration over the
issue of the United States government and some
American Jewish opposition to Netanyahu’s pro-
posed judiciary changes in Israel, but nowhere in
Abrams’ credentials at the end of the piece is there
mention that he served in three Republican adminis-
trations (Reagan, George W. Bush and Trump).

Identifying his party might let readers know who is
writing. ■
Democratic Committeeperson
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Douglas Altabef is the chairman of the board of
Im Tirtzu, Israel’s largest grassroots Zionist organi-
zation, and a director of B’yadenu and the Israel
Independence Fund.

David Broida, Lower Merion/Narberth
24% How do you feel about Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock,
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both right-wing advocates and think tanks, phenomena
that he said were recent developments in Israel.

The April 27 event was a coming of age for that
emergence, and there is ample reason to believe that
these groups can cohere to be a powerful third wheel or
adjunct to a National Zionist Camp-type of government.

Bottom line, the Million March will not be a blip, a
two-day news story quickly forgotten. It represented
the spirit of the majority of our nation. That spirit was
optimistic, hopeful and not seeking to be divisive, dicta-
torial nor exclusionary.

For those concerned that we are doomed, that we are
courting social division and upheaval, this event was a
needed antidote. The unmistakable message was one
of responsibility, engagement and love of country.

May the word go out, and the message be conveyed,
that not only is democracy alive and well in Israel, but
that the core of the nation is strong, loving, hopeful and
tolerant. Our future is bright, not grim. Israel can and will
address its problems while still preserving the social
fabric of an amazing tapestry of people. ■
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