Let’s Boogaloo
Before we get to
Israel, consider this:
Hawaiian shirts are
in among those who want to incite riots during the peaceful protests
taking place
in American cities.
Problem is those wearing those shirts, usually under military-style
combat vests, are, according to a recent Associated Press report,
part of the Boogaloo movement bent on overthrowing the US government
and creating a civil war, if not a race war.
Three white men with
military backgrounds who are loosely affiliated with right-wing
groups were arrested recently in Las Vegas while preparing molotov
cocktails to be hurled at police and buildings during protests.
Another white man from Galesburg, Illinois was arrested in
Minneapolis with molotov cocktails in the trunk of his car.
Yet another man was
arrested in the Chicago suburb of Lombard Illinois walking toward
squad cars with a lighter in his left hand and a Molotov cocktail in
his right hand.. He was accused of encouraging protestors to hurl the
firebombs during the protests. According to the Associated Press the
three Las Vegas men were part of the “Boogaloo” movement, a code
word, along with the Hawaiian shirts, used to convey sympathy with
participating in a civil war by right-wing anti-government
para-military groups. Part of their brief, according to analysts, is
to create a race war.
President Trump
apparently played into these themes as well, according to Gail Helt,
a former CIA analyst who watched for signs of democratic decay in
Asian countries during her 12 years as an analyst. She was commenting
on President Trump using the police to clear Lafayette park by
gassing protestors. “It was everything an autocrat is,” said Helt
in an article published in the Huffington Post. “Trying to show off
the reins of power. That image of him holding the Bible...I don’t
know what that was, but it was disturbing.” The lead sentence in
the Huffpost article asked, “If Donald Trump is willing to have
Americans gassed and beaten so he could stage a photo opportunity,
what will he be willing to do to retain the presidency come election
time?” Another website showed the Trump photo of him holding the
bible standing in front of the Washington D.C. church with that of
Adolph Hitler in a similar pose with a Bible but in Germany before
World War II.
President Trumps
threat to send in the military to quell the protests was met with a
wide range of citicism from military leaders. In an Atlantic article,
former Sec. of Defense Gen. Jim Mathias said that the president was
trying to divide not unite the nation and quoted the Nazi dictum of
‘divide and conquer.’ Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley issued a
message to the armed forces reminding them of their oath to uphold
the constitution which gave Americans the right to “Freedom of
speech and peaceful assembly.” One critic, writing in Haaretz, said
that Trump was absent in fighting the COVID-19 but quick to send in
troops to quell a protest over race.
What, ask some
pundits, is behind Trumps behavior? Who, if anyone, is encouraging
the protestors? Are either Russia or China or Iran using these
protests for their own benefit? Trump, say these pundits, is no
stranger to Russian interference. Is this some sort of long game
Trump and Putin are playing, aimed at the coming elections? Clearly,
the image of Trump holding the Bible will surface during the
campaign, say the pundits. But paranoia can easily grab hold of the
imagination where today fear of a microbe has shuttered entire
cities.
In Israel, PM
Netanyahu is playing a similar game to that of President Trump.
Divide and Conquer, according to analyst. One said, “They are
twins,” referring to Netanyahu and Trump. Using the COVID-19 as a
smokescreen, Netanyahu, according to analysts, is seeking to disrupt
the democratic principles Israel is founded upon. He has launched an
attack on the police who are investigating him and on the Attorney
General who is prosecuting him and on the court system that is trying
him. He has tried to extend the emergency powers available to the PM
because of the COVID-19 pandemic even to allowing police to burst
into private homes without a warrant should they suspect someone with
the virus is lurking there.
But, most of all, as
part of his diversion, says an analyst, he is launching a bid to
annex the settlements in the West Bank on July 1, 2020. The EU, the
UN, and the Palestinian Authority have harshly criticized this
intention. The PA has stopped security cooperation with Israel and
even stopped passing on taxes collected on Israel goods back to the
Israeli government. Israel’s neighbor Jordan, who is involved in a
peace treaty with Israel, has warned of harsh consequences should the
annexation plans go into effect.
Netanyahu claims the
annexation is part of the Trump peace plan. However, some settlers
who have seen the plans now balk at implementation. “Trump is no
friend of Israel,” said Jordan Valley settler leader David
Elhayani. He claims the present map would annex 15 isolated Israeli
settlements that would be surrounded by Palestinian land earmarked
for a Palestinian state. Netanyahu bashed Elhayani in the media and
said Trump is indeed a friend of Israel.
Some pundits believe
that Netanyahu’s aim is to start a war with the Palestinians over
the annexation and thus distract the public from his trial on three
felonies. High court judge Menachem Maoz recently wrote an
explanation why the court allowed Netanyahu to serve as Prime
Minister. A loophole in the basic law, Israel’s version of the
constitution, allows a Prime Minister to serve while under indictment
even though holding the job of a minister or even a lowly bureaucrat
employed by the government is forbidden. Moaz thought Netanyahu’s
running for office ‘a moral failure,” but not illegal. Former PM Ehud
Olmert resigned his office when indicted for bribery. Netanyahu has
so far held fast to his office.
Many observers worry
that Netanyahu, like Trump, will try to push the limits of democracy
as he exerts more and more authoritarian rules. Blue and White leader
Benny Gantz, now Minister of Defense, has said he will oppose any
annexation not approved by the US government. Gantz is considered a
disappointment by many for stealing their votes and joining
Netanyahu’s government. Gantz had pledged during the three
campaigns for PM held within the last two years, that ended in a
stalemate each time, that he would never sit in a government with
Netanyahu.
A few optimists hold
out the hope that Gantz, too, has a long game plan, and entered the
“COVID-19 Emergency Government” in order to keep Netanyahu in
line and not allow the PM to use his office to help stay out of jail.
As Minister of Defense Gantz could, possibly, prevent Netanyahu from
fomenting a conflict with the PA, or Hezbollah in the North, or Hamas
in the South, as a way to stay in power. Or maybe not. Gantz has so
far shown little backbone, according to some. According to others, he
is an idealist who didn’t want to drag Israel into yet another
election. Time will tell if Gantz is a master stratagist or simply an
ambitious politican.
On Tuesday, hundreds
of Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer fans gathered at Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield
stadium to celebrate Tel Aviv’s 3-0 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem.
The crowd was closely packed together ignoring social distancing. “We
can be together at the beach,” said one fan, “why not here?”
Another incident
made the news, too. Channel 12 TV showed footage of a party sponsored
by a modeling agency on the roof of Tel Aviv’s Carlton Hotel.
Neither social distancing nor the wearing of masks were observed
while beautiful models, male and female, danced to the music. The
hotel’s manager was later fined by the Health Ministry for allowing
the party.
In contrast, TV
reports showed that hard-hit Benei Brak residents were carefully
abiding by the mask
and social
distancing regulation. Jerusalem, also a hotspot of the virus, was
also seen as regulation abiding. However, while synagogues have
reopened, if the congregants observe masks and social distancing,
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri reversed a decision to allow foreign
yeshiva students into Israel. Israel’s borders are still closed to
non-citizens unless the visitor has special permission.
The airports were
scheduled to reopen in Israel in July but no firm date has been set.
Meanwhile, the
Boogaloos are still out there and the settlers itching for annexation
are still out there and the COVID-19 is still here, there, and
everywhere. So far Israel has nearly 18,000 cases and nearly 300
deaths, not much compared to other places but enough. ‘Shomer or
Soger,’ (guard or quarantine) warned Health Minister Yuli
Edelstein in a new slogan. With hundreds of new cases over the last
few days, and Israelis tired of being confined and now ignoring the
regulations, experts believe it is only a matter of when, not if, a
new outbreak occurs.
Others ask if the
Twins, Trump and Netanyahu, are in lock-step over annexation and
using the virus as a smokescreen for further authoritarian moves.
With the Boogaloos waiting for the right time to rise up in the USA,
and Netanyahu using his Likud functionaries to spread unfounded
allegations against
the Justice system
and the police, to keep Netanyahu out of jail, pundits wonder what
the future holds.
But, like everyone
else, they have no answer.
