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Israel faces many external challenges. However, it is often internal weakness that dooms a country, not a belligerent neighbor. That is what's happening in Israel today.
The new government in Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in on on Thursday. This government is considered to be the most right-wing in Israel's history and is also the first in which the majority of its members are religious. The right-wing nature of the government, including some members' plans for annexation of the West Bank, has drawn concern from many around the world. However, the real danger this government poses to Israel's future may be its religious makeup. The influence of religious parties within the government, particularly the ultra-Orthodox and Religious Zionist parties, has raised concerns about the long-term viability of the country as a Jewish and democratic state.
As the new government in Israel came together over the past few weeks, it has become increasingly apparent that the traditional political divide between the Right and Left is no longer relevant; instead, the new divide seems to be the one separating the liberal view from an extremely religious one.
This happened in part because a majority of the religious members of the Knesset in the new government in Israel come from the Likud Party's coalition partners rather than from the Likud Party itself.
These partners can be divided into two groups: the ultra-Orthodox and the Religious Zionists. The ultra-Orthodox believe Torah study is the most important profession and seek to maintain their separate societies, while demanding financial support from the larger Israeli society. The religious Zionists on the other hand have a utopian vision for Israel as a religious nation ruling over a large territory from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. Both of these groups follow the directives of their rabbis, who hold significant influence over their communities, particularly among the ultra-Orthodox.
The goals of the ultra-Orthodox and religious Zionist parties endanger the long-term viability of the state of Israel as both a Jewish and democratic state, as well as undermining the economic foundations that have made the country a success. The ultra-Orthodox seek to protect their communities from outside interference and promote Torah study as equal in importance to military service, with the rest of the country expected to bear the burden of supporting the Israeli Defense Forces.
According to the new coalition agreement, the ultra-Orthodox will receive a significant amount of money and the promise that they can avoid integration into Israeli society.
For their part, religious Zionists serve in the army. Their movement's dream is to remake the rest of the country in their image. Religious Zionists are ultra-nationalists who believe God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people, and no one has the right to give away what God has bestowed.
While they are not as isolated as the ultra-Orthodox, Religious Zionists do adhere to a fundamentalist form of Judaism. Many are homophobic and believe in limited opportunities for women. At the direction of their rabbis, they oppose the full integration of women in the army.
Both the ultra-Orthodox and Religious Zionist groups believe that they are following the word of God, and therefore their actions must be correct. As a result, both groups are intransigent in their core beliefs.
While they currently dominate the government, they are still a minority in the country as a whole. Many Israelis are wondering how much of their agenda will actually be achieved, and whether Israel's silent majority will revolt and push back enough to prevent it.
The takeaway from Israel's new government is that Israel's biggest enemy is now within, the threat posed by fundamentalists to the liberal democracy that has been part of this country since its inception.
One can only hope that the Israeli people will rebel against control from fanatics before too long.
Marc Schulman is a multimedia historian.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own.
