Failure of
Imagination
Alexander Liss
The state of
Such imbalance between future needs of the
state and current form of the political system provokes perpetual internal and
external challenges.
The
peace is based on the balance of force; hence, the state should evoke
sufficient fear in its external enemies. They have to fear extension of the
state beyond its current borders to suppress external challenges through
absorption of neighboring peoples into the state. This means that the state has
to have a political form, which allows easy absorption of peoples living at its
borders.
Seeming weakness of the political system,
real or imaginary, provokes internal and external enemies of
Palestinian
and many Lebanese communities lack civil organization. This leads to hijacking of
these communities by essentially criminal elements and foreign powers, which
pursue goals detrimental to their wellbeing. Existing political system does not
provide means to establish sufficient control over these communities and
provide proper guidance to develop civilized self-governance.
This political system served well in times
of high immigration and perpetual readiness to defend the state against its
powerful and determined external enemies. Currently, it is out of balance with
new internal and geopolitical circumstances. Still, the country famous for its
inventiveness and ingenuity does not make an attempt to change it.
When
discussion comes to forms of democratic government, no one wants to venture
beyond known few forms of democracy. However,
Democracies
have different forms, in different circumstances different forms of democracy
are viable.
A designer of a political system in the
state of
Jews
are treated differently because Jews are different; Jews are “more different”
than other strangers. Note that Jews are not “more different” in
The
cause of it is in deeply ingrained worldview, in subconsciously carried
culture.
An
example should help to understand this. Not religious Jews detect minor transgressions
of religious Jews. These transgressions could be real or imaginary, against
general morality or against religious laws (they way not religious Jews
understand them). This is not because they feel animosity toward religious Jews
or carrying the guilt of being not observant Jews. In most cases they feel
neither. The cause is deeper. They see religious Jews as representatives of the
basis of their culture, of the basis of subconscious, which shapes their
emotions, feelings and thoughts. They are naturally scared, when they suspect that
there is a deficiency in this basis. They know no tools to fix it.
This
is a psychological phenomenon. Even not religious Jews carry the culture shaped
by Jewish religion, which was practiced by their ancestors. In our times, being
a Jew means carrying this special culture, and it shows in myriads of every day
decisions.
Something
similar could be observed in relationships between Jews, who carry the ancient
foundation of a particular culture and Christians and Muslims, who absorbed
this culture and built something on top of it.
Christians
and Muslims cannot possible see Jews as similar to other peoples, as not
religious Jews cannot see religious Jews as some group of people, which has
nothing to do with them. Jews represent the foundation, the basis of their
subconscious, something that is beyond their control, but something that shapes
their perception and their decision making.
Christian
and Muslims feel this, many of them without any conscious understanding of it.
Some, who have internal balance, embrace it and love Jews. Others, who are in
fight with themselves, from one hand ready to believe that Jews are
manipulating the world behind the scene and from the other hand demand from
every Jew exceptionally righteous behavior as an assurance that foundation of
their culture is in order.
This
interplay of cultures is a powerful force. Jews tried to settle in many places.
The only variant which worked in long term was a settlement in the
While
many Jews could not care less for conquering the entire
This
is psychological and political reality. In spite of miserable life in Diaspora
and Holocaust, Jews are perceived by Christians and Muslims as powerful creatures,
representatives of the foundation of their psyche. This is how people around
the world feel, and this is extremely important.
The
political system of state of
It
has to be two layered. The Upper layer should be elected by Jews of the state
and this layer should set and modify the Lower layer, with goal to bring about
self-governance of various communities in the state.
The
state should aim to establish its control over all the
The
Upper layer should retain key functions as defense, foreign relations, etc.
through all political reorganizations caused by growing maturity of the state’s
communities and higher degree of their self-governance.
While
unusual, this is the most democratic form of government in circumstances of the
state of Israel.