I have used the above quote from the 18th century, Irish politician, Edmund Burke many times in my rant and raves. It is, I fell, most apt to our times.
That said, for the police, security force members, and others reading this tirade, let me make it crystal clear that I do not consider Benjamin Netanyahu to be evil in the sense of a Stalin or Hitler. And for those who call Netanyahu a Nazi, I suggest that post-haste they enlist the service of Dr. Google and read-up on National Socialism and the Nazi Party.
As for the ultra-orthodox who call the police Nazis, they are illiterate, uneducated louts with zero comprehension of the world around them.
Netanyahu is certainly moving along the path to a dictatorship. To my mind, he sees himself as a benevolent protector, akin to the style of Singapore rulers. Alas, Israel is not Singapore.
I see Netanyahu in another light as well. While hankering to emulate Putin or Erdoğan in the sense that they seized the presidency for their respective countries, for, in their minds, the good of the people. Netanyahu, I believe would like to do the same.
Given that Netanyahu has his “black shirts”, La Familia of Beitar Jerusalem Football Club, other comparisons can be made, for example; Benito Mussolini, circa 1922, rather than Benito Mussolini circa 1942. What about Francisco Franco of Spain, António Salazar of Portugal, or Juan Perón of Argentina? Certainly, Mrs. Netanyahu sees herself as a modern-day Eva Perón (Evita). Recently, former PM, Ehud Olmert in a Jerusalem Post opinion piece called her ‘delusional’. I’m no doctor, medical-man, but I think he has a point. To me, she is a mixture of Evita, Marie Antoinette, and Elena Ceausescu.
Ehud Olmert’s article can be found below.
"Olmert to 'Post': Police vs. the citizens reflects public outrage"
They will continue to demonstrate until Netanyahu leaves, and with him his delusional wife and deranged son.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/olmert-to-post-police-vs-the-citizens-reflects-public-outrage-636974
While my rants, raves, and ramblings commentaries are stored on the public domain, due to the limited readership, I have not, until now, been concerned about a knock-on-the-door from the police or security forces. I have to say that my thoughts are now somewhat different given the following story.
“Policeman arrives at man’s home, demands he delete Netanyahu photo from Facebook”
Cop tells private citizen his use of undoctored photo, in which the PM appears to make a Nazi salute, is a criminal offense, and warns him he could be summoned for questioning
https://www.timesofisrael.com/policeman-arrives-at-mans-home-demands-he-delete-netanyahu-photo-from-facebook/
The story is worth reading.
I have no intention of showing the photo of Netanyahu from 1995, I believe.
Having looked at the photo, I don’t feel that Netanyahu was giving a Nazi salute, but simply gesturing with his arm to make a point. More telling, however, was the disgust felt by Likud MKs David Levy, Dan Meridor, Benny Begin to the chants of La Familia, which Netanyahu appeared to encourage.
Leading on from the above ‘cop’ story is another example of how Netanyahu poodle, Amir Ohana, is strong-arming the police to his will and that of his boss.
“Report: Ohana hints to contender for top cop he’s expected to strong-arm demos”
Candidate said to tell associates police minister implied promotion was tied to his position on anti-Netanyahu demonstrations
https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-ohana-hints-to-contender-for-top-cop-hes-expected-to-strong-arm-demos/
The following opinion piece by former Likud MK, Limor Livnat, is worth reading.
When reading, remember that Limor Livnat served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015, and was Minister of Communications, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture & Sport, and comes from a Revisionist Zionist family.
Some, if not all of Netanyahu's poodles, would say that is yesterday’s woman, out-of-touch with Israel of 2020. Truth-be-told, it's Netanyahu and his lackeys that out of touch with Israel 2020.
“Ultra-Orthodox are all that remains of Netanyahu's bloc”
Opinion: Netanyahu indulges the Haredi parties, granting them privileges no other citizen of Israel gets - even if it means deepening already monumental national debt or putting entire country in harm's way by admitting 16,000 Americans.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rygOHM111D
Yet another recent opinion piece is the following by Ben Dror-Yemini.
there is no need for me to embellish the piece.
“Netanyahu, this street violence is on you”
Opinion: A small, violent group can endanger democracy, and these thugs look up to you, believe they are doing your bidding, while you and your son spread lies about legitimate demonstrators and do nothing to rein in the mob.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben-Dror_Yemini
The following opinion piece by Einat Ovadia, Executive Director, Zulat (http://zulat.org.il) is thought-provoking given all the rhetoric surrounding ‘fake news’.
As a side issue, Zulat’s ‘Mission Statement’ is worthy of a review, although many will automatically brand the group as ‘lefties’.
“Mission statement: Zulat works to reestablish the legitimacy of democracy, equality and human rights in Israel, using focused research as a catalyst for strategic action and advocacy.”
“Netanyahu is laundering the language”
Opinion: We live in 'post-truth' era, where public attitudes are based on appeal to sense of 'unity,' personal opinions and gut feelings, while facts and truth are of secondary importance in shaping public opinion and get lost in hodgepodge of carefully selected words.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/B1FWCzwgv
The newspaper, Israel Hayom, at least in the past was pro-Netanyahu, recently that stance appears to have changed. Take for example the following article:
“Netanyahu's two bad options”
An unscripted outburst on live television underscored the precarious situation facing Israel's prime minister. Can he stay in power?
https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/07/29/netanyahus-two-bad-options/
While the Blue and White party admit they could end up as ‘roadkill’, the critical sentence for me is "politicians can smell blood, and this time it is Netanyahu's".
Just to put this in perspective, politicians, for the most part, are looking at for No.1, themselves. Leave aside all the chat, pledges, and the chest-beating, politicians, when they sense their leader is on the ropes they search for a new star to hitch their wagon to and thus perverse their own status. Bottom line, the vast majority of MKs have zero scruples, care nothing for the people of Israel and look to their own self preservation. Just as the British Conservative party did to Margret Thatcher, arguably following Winston Churchill, the UK most successfully PM.
As I see it there are four scenarios, of which I hope and pray #4 never, ever displays its ugly head:
1. Netanyahu grabs the presidency and reforms Israel, ‘a la’ Russia, or Turkey.
2. Netanyahu resigns citing the fact that Israel does not deserve a leader of his caliber, i.e. Israel does not merit his abilities and leadership.
3. Netanyahu is forced from office by Likud MKs and Likud activists as they understand that under Netanyahu they will lose power/have lost power.
4. That someone will resort to violence with a bullet, grenade, or other weapons.
So, to quote Sherlock Holmes from The Adventure of the Abbey Grange, "the game is afoot."
Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, had Holmes often say the phrase to his Tonto (Dr. Watson) when the case appeared suddenly to be solvable.
Conan Doyle, I suspect borrowed the line from William Shakespeare, given that the phrase appears in both Henry IV, and Henry V.
The phrase could and should become the call to action of the black flag movement given that "the game is afoot" literally means, "our quarry is on the run, let's get after them (him)!"