Democracy Under Threat

We held an exceptional Salon on Israel and Democracy on Wednesday. You can catch up here. https://fb.watch/iK-WV_tZzQ/

 

One important question came from a member who asked what democratic grounds exist for disputing the will of a government elected, as Israel’s government clearly is, by a clear majority. It’s an important question, if somewhat of a canard.

 

Democracy is indeed, ‘power exercised by the people’ but for that power to be measured, the mechanical structures, the constitutional arrangements, are at the heart of the matter. Even in Judaism – where a perfect God is the assumed source of obligation – an entire Seder of Mishnah is dedicated to the careful balancing of the expression of power. How are courts to be set up, who serves, who holds power over whom? When it comes to the expression of the will of humans - fallible, corruptible and power-hungry as we are – the need for controls become even more important.

 

As a Jew, the phrase ‘power exercised by the people’ evokes a particular and particularly deeply rooted reaction. I’ve struggled to explain this in inter-faith and non-faith settings. Visions of pogrom-ing Cossaks and Nuremberg rallies flash before my eyes. And besides, as a Jew I’m more than at home in being dis-established and a member of a minority. Existentially, I believe in minorities as the source of creativity, progress and the test of ethical decency in society. Of course we are all minorities in one way or another. We should all be far more keen to ensure minorities are protected than lulled into the persuasive power of majorities.

 

The role of a democracy is to limit the unfettered exercise of power by the majority. It is to stop majorities thinking that decency comes merely through number. It is NOT to nod through the claims of the masses as if simply through their number they accrue an existential right to be considered decent. Faith, our faith, has a similar function. I spoke about this in a recent sermon inspired by the Reith Lecture of former Archbishop Rowan Williams. My sermon is here. http://rabbionanarrowbridge.blogspot.com/2022/12/why-be-religious-archbishop-rowan.html

 

I’ve co-authored an op-ed in this week’ Jewish Chronicle on the threat to democracy in Israel, a threat coming from, I’m sad to say, from the duly elected majority. It’s a threat that needs to be pointed out, the democratic claims of the Jewish State are under threat. The article is here https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/all/the-extremists-in-the-israeli-government-are-undermining-zionism-6BKSiwGbPuSBi2T91ZJcLM. It’s part of a campaign you can sign up to here https://choosedemocracy.org.uk/. I would be particularly keen to hear from members on this issue, particularly as we consider how best, as a community, to stand with and engage with this issue.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Rabbi Jeremy