by Col (Res.) Dr. Raphael G. Bouchnik-Chen
[O]pponents of the right-wing ideology led by Benjamin Netanyahu claim to be united in their devotion to a “progressive universalist” worldview
Israeli leftist demonstration, photo via Facebook page of Annexation Is Intifada
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,657, July 23, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Many are wondering: how
have retired leading members of the Israeli defense establishment come
to locate themselves on the political left, at times even on the radical
left? Having devoted their professional lives to the task of defending
the country and carrying out the orders of the political echelon, they
are now spearheading various “anti” movements.
The Israeli defense establishment’s retired senior
officers and officials are an elite group. Contrary to what one might
expect, members of this elite now fly the flag of the “progressive” left
and its rigidly enforced politically correct culture. They support the
left’s hijacking of the public agenda by aggrandizing the enlightened
“we” whose humanity purportedly stands in stark contrast to that of the
ignorant herd. This state of mind is also on display among media people,
who routinely aim their derision at senior Likud ministers and
politicians.
The English philosopher John Locke, considered the
father of liberalism, gave the world the enlightened principles that
led humanity to adopt the idea that there are natural rights to life,
freedom, and property. In its modern form, liberalism is concerned with
relations between citizen and government, emphasizing freedom of
movement, freedom of expression, and so on. Is this the intellectual
authority that guides Israel’s self-glorified opinion leaders? It
doesn’t look that way, though the opponents of the right-wing ideology
led by Benjamin Netanyahu claim to be united in their devotion to a
“progressive universalist” worldview.
For the enlightened “anti” contingent, Netanyahu
is a demon who must be fought by any legitimate means necessary, even if
those measures verge on anarchy. From their standpoint, the same dark
thread runs through the corruption allegations, the greed economy, the
“occupation,” and of course the “annexation” plan for the West Bank.
Ousting Netanyahu would supposedly burst the dam that stands between all
that is evil on earth and a new era in which the longed-for progressive
utopia becomes reality.
It would be naive to think the guild of the
“has-beens” just wants to do some housecleaning, affirm their integrity,
and expunge corruption. They aim for something much higher: a phased
transition in the political domain, or, to put it more explicitly, an
embedding of the ideology of the left, which would entail separating
from the Palestinians via a two-state solution along the lines of the
June 1967 borders. This lofty aim has a strong tailwind from
semi-governmental elements in the “liberal” West. One might characterize
this mindset as an updated version of post-Zionism that values
universal principles ahead of historical justice or a national bond with
the Land of Israel.
The path to this yearned-for objective is paved by
broadcasting blunt and resonant messages across the media spectrum.
This is not difficult as most leading media outlets sympathize with the
progressive position. Their coverage is thus almost invariably biased.
The military world has its own term for these
efforts at consciousness engineering: psychological warfare. The retired
generals’ familiarity with this technique gives them an advantage.
Their ability to make sophisticated use of this tool to suit their own
purposes works as a kind of force multiplier.
The political right maintains that a solid
majority of the Jewish population of Israel supports Netanyahu, and
trends indicate that that support is rising. The noisy campaigns of the
enlightened “has-beens” are making a mark, but it appears to be mainly
among those who are already persuaded. Their awareness of this fact
perturbs them no end, further aggravating their urge to protest and even
providing an intellectual justification for their violation of the
rules of the democratic game.
This is an edited version of an article published in Israel Hayom on July 6.
Source: https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/israel-retired-officers/
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