- ‘I believe that most Israelis understand the need to make concessions,’ Raz says
JERUSALEM
Israeli politician Mossi Raz suggested that Israel is heading to a “very deep constitutional crisis” and a possible collapse of the entire regime as a result of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies.
"The division in Israel is not related to the Palestinians,” Raz, a former Knesset member from the left-wing Meretz Party, told Anadolu in an interview.
"The split is between Netanyahu's supporters, who support everything he does to weaken democracy, promote corruption, and violate people's rights, and his opponents, whose lack of sufficient resistance against the (Israeli) occupation I’m not satisfied with."
“This is the main issue in Israel. This is the battle,” Raz said. “Israel has never seen demonstrations of this magnitude before.”
Mass protests erupted across Israel in recent days against the government’s decision to fire the Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and withdraw confidence from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, moves widely seen as attempts to consolidate Netanyahu’s control over state institutions.
Protesters also demanded a halt to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip to avoid endangering the lives of Israelis held captive in Gaza.
“Half of the nation rejects the protests, and the other half supports them. It is perilous. It is not healthy," Raz said.
Regime collapse
The Israeli politician, however, ruled out that Israel was heading to a civil war.
"I don't think Israel will head toward a civil war," Raz said. “The bonds between Israelis are very strong."
"I don't think we will witness a civil war, but a portion of the Israeli right will violently attack Palestinians and Israelis, and that is very dangerous. However, I don't see most of the right joining the attack on Israelis."
Raz suggested that Israel is heading to a constitutional crisis.
"If the (Supreme) Court refuses to dismiss the head of a security agency, and the government attempts to dismiss him, we will enter a very deep constitutional crisis."
Israel's Supreme Court is set to review petitions challenging the government’s dismissal of the Shin Bet chief on April 8.
"I think the government will do what the court decides. Of course, they will say that it has no right and that this is a dictatorship, but I think they will do what the court decides. Otherwise, it will be worse than a constitutional crisis; it will be a collapse of the entire system," Raz said.
Elections
On Tuesday, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) passed the 2025 state budget, in a major victory for Netanyahu’s government.
The Israeli government had to pass the budget before the end of March or it would collapse automatically and go to early elections.
The budget passage "likely means that there will be no (early) elections in 2025,” Raz said.
"But anything is possible. The government is still suffering from internal crises, most citizens do not support it, and the protests are very active. People have put their lives on hold and are taking to the streets to demonstrate."
Netanyahu has rejected calls by the Israeli opposition for his government’s resignation and to hold early elections.
"The question that is more important than the date of the elections is whether we (the opposition) are preparing for the polls and ensuring our victory in the vote,” Raz said.
"There are differences, and the opposition can win, but they have to do many important things that are not happening now," he added, without elaborating.
Gaza genocide
The Israeli army has launched a brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 50,100 Palestinians, injuring over 113,700 others, and leaving the enclave in ruins.
“The parties are now moving in the wrong direction, both in Israel and in Gaza. Neither the Israeli government nor Hamas wants a solution," Raz opined.
The first phase of a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement ended in early March, but Netanyahu refused to enter negotiations for the second phase of the agreement. Instead, he wants to extend the first phase of the deal.
Hamas has refused to proceed under these conditions, insisting that Israel abide by the terms of the ceasefire and immediately start negotiations for the second phase, which includes a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a complete halt to the war.
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing nearly 800 people, injuring over 1,600 others, and shattering the ceasefire that took hold in January.
"The confrontation continues, and more Palestinians and Israelis are being killed," Raz said.
"This is a real danger, because one day, something even more horrific could happen here, in the West Bank and Jerusalem, in Israel, and elsewhere."
The Israeli politician reiterated support for the Gaza ceasefire deal.
"I personally support the agreement, and I believe the majority in Israel supports it,” he said. "But the government in Israel represents the extremists. They believe they can use their weapons to destroy Hamas, and they don't care about the prisoners or the hostages."
Israel estimates that there are 59 Israeli captives in Gaza, 24 of whom are still alive. More than 9,500 Palestinians, meanwhile, are languishing in Israeli prisons, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, many of whom have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights.
“The only thing the government cares about is destroying Hamas and disarming it, which I believe is possible, but only from a political, not a military, perspective,” Raz said.
"But they still believe in this military option, which has not been destined to succeed.
“There have been many years of conflict between Gaza and Israel, and what happened on Oct. 7, 2023, did not improve the situation."
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
Palestinian displacement
The Israeli politician said that most Israelis back the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
"Unfortunately, I think most Israelis would be very happy to wake up one morning and see the people of Gaza somewhere else, in Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, the US, or somewhere else,” he said.
"But I think most Israelis realize that this is not possible and will not happen, and that Palestinians and Israelis must live here together. Even if they fight, both peoples will survive."
Last weekend, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the formation of an agency to encourage what it called the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from Gaza.
On March 4, an emergency Arab summit in Cairo adopted an Egyptian plan worth $53 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing its Palestinian inhabitants, in a counterproposal to US President Donald Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza and resettle Palestinians to develop it into what he called the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Trump’s plan for Palestinian displacement was rejected by the Arab world and many other nations, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
2-state solution
Raz believes that a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is still applicable.
"Yes, I believe so more than ever, because both countries have realized that if one of them doesn't have security, neither will the other,” he said.
"The more the fighting intensifies, the more we see that the problem cannot be solved by military means.
"If 2,000 Israelis are killed, Israel will remain. If 50,000 Palestinians are killed, the Palestinians will remain. Therefore, if the Palestinians have security, Israel will have security, and vice versa."
Raz opines that most Israelis will not accept the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
"I believe that most Israelis understand the need to make concessions," he said.
"Perhaps they don't realize that the two-state solution must be based on concessions, and perhaps they don't yet realize that the two-state solution is the 1967 borders.
"But the majority will not allow the government to annex the territory. In fact, the government is not even trying. It has not brought the issue of annexation to the Knesset."
In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
