Dismissive Social Tendency: Inflexible Termination of Controversial Figures or Ideas
In the modern world, democracy faces numerous challenges, and two prominent examples are Israel and the United States.
In Israel, the breakdown of civil society, inequitable enforcement of the law, and violations of the law, including threats to ministers and attempts on the lives of others, pose real threats to democracy. The vituperative descriptions, especially against the Prime Minister, have become commonplace in Israeli society.
Across the Atlantic, American society is polarized, with hate speech proliferating and few seeing any good or humanity in their ideological foes. This polarization has led to the assassination of four U.S. presidents: Abraham Lincoln (1865), James A. Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963). Most of these assassinations were perpetrated by mentally deranged individuals, with the exception of a few, such as John Wilkes Booth, a Southern zealot.
The recent assassination of a prominent figure, Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer, serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of such polarization. His assassin presents as a kindred spirit, motivated by fierce antagonism to Kirk's ideas and feeling no need to prove him wrong.
In Israel, politicians have made claims that the Prime Minister will cancel the next election or cheat to win, which can attract provocateurs. Canceling takes various forms, including social pressure, censorship, termination of employment, bullying, assaults on family, and character assassination. Charlie Kirk, although not a politician, was a victim of cancel culture, with persistent efforts to silence him for holding views disfavored by liberal elites.
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, a former pulpit rabbi, attorney, and author of six books, including "Repentance for Life", living in Israel and serving as Senior Research Associate at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and as Israel Region Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, emphasizes the importance of guarding our tongues as the beginning of repentance. The flippant vilification of opponents as "Hitler", "fascists", "Nazis", "dangers to democracy", or "threats to society" can lead to violent outcomes.
In both Israel and the United States, it is crucial for reasonable people to be able to distinguish between clashes of values and tasteless celebrations of murder. The elites in Israel have coalesced around the judiciary, guarding its privileges zealously, while too much attention is lavished on even tiny groups of protesters.
Most assassinations and homicides of U.S. presidents have been perpetrated by mentally deranged individuals, but the elites' response to such incidents should not be indifference. Similarly, in Israeli society, the response to threats and violations of the law should not be complacency.
In conclusion, the threats to democracy in both Israel and the United States are multifaceted and require a concerted effort from all sectors of society to address. The importance of guarding our words and actions, especially in times of polarization, cannot be overstated.
