The exchange rate of the dollar against the shekel: is it affected by the legal reform? (Photo: ShutterStock)
After they finished arguing about the number of participants in the demonstrations, the shofaras - on the right and the respondents on the vending machine - on the left (in other words: there is no truth here, only a position), moved on to argue over the fateful question, without cynicism: does the legal reform harm or at the very least - could harm - the economy The Israeli one?
In a word: no.
In three words: maybe yes.
With your permission, we will explain:
the legal reform has nothing to do with the willingness of institutions and private capitalists to invest in Israel, which is still a safe destination for money and where business can be done freely without fear that an extremist leader will rise up and extort the money (as I have read here and there in some of the publications opposing the changes in the legal system) .
It is true that Israel's position is special, when the continued control of the territories of Judea and Samaria is considered by many international bodies as an "occupation" (with or without quotation marks) and for them the Supreme Court of Israel has sometimes served as a fig leaf that legalized what in their eyes is considered a creep, but this is not the case For many reasons: in the countries of Western and Northern Europe, for example, they do not need reasons to hate Zionism, including the State of Israel and its inhabitants, if they have not boycotted us until today, they probably will not do so either because of the demonic threat to world peace in the form of Yariv Levin.
If the so-called "left" in Israel so often quote the late Menachem Begin, they may also recall what he said about the international response to the Golan Law and the Jerusalem Law, two decisions that actually annexed disputed territories to Israel (even then we were threatened with an international boycott).
But Begin will rest in peace knowing that Israel's economy is much stronger than its whims, even if they are not democratic (let's say) of this or that government: on the morning when these words were written, the shekel exchange rate against the dollar weakened by 1 percent.
Is it related to the reform of the judicial system?
Not really - the exchange rates of currencies are affected by quite a few factors.
I may not be a qualified historian of economic processes, but even I can easily remember many other times when the shekel weakened against the currencies of the world for a variety of reasons that were not related to one legal reform or another.
In other words, the attempt to attribute some economic phenomena to the government's decisions is almost the current oppositional equivalent of the "blood dance", as used by Knesset members from the right after terrorist attacks during left or center governments: terrorist attacks have been and will be under every government, as they are part of the reality of our lives as a party to a distant conflict from a solution.
And the same is true with regard to economic phenomena: the sequence of events we have seen - from the drop in the exchange rate of the shekel to the drop in bank stocks, has nothing to do with the changes that Netanyahu and Levin want to enforce on the judicial system.
So why does the reform not harm Israel's economy, we understood - now to the question to which the answer is more complex: why it might harm it, perhaps it already does.
Demonstration against Israel in Cardiff, Wells (2015) A connection between the intellectual left and classical anti-Semitism (photo: Walla! system, Oren Yosifovitz)
because of the wind
First it can hurt because of an elusive thing called wind.
Although we are dealing with material, the economy - just like a party running for elections - is not always influenced by true data (examine yourself: what do you know about the platform of the party you voted for?) and pure logic, but mainly by the wind that blows at its back or hits it in the face.
That is to say - the atmosphere of ne'er-do-wells that has taken over the business sector in the State of Israel, especially the high-tech entrepreneurs and the middle-class-manufacturers, is a factor that may have a negative impact on the local economy.
In other words: the legal reform, which may have already been formulated, but is not yet expressed on the ground, does not affect the economy as such.
What does affect?
The resolute opposition to reform.
And what's more: this spirit does not stop at the borders of the land but blows beyond it, beyond the sea: at first to communities of Israelis around the world, where it finds a listening ear mainly among those who seek to justify the relocation of their place of residence from here to far away, and from them further on, to those who attack it As a source of much loot: usually organizations or political currents of the intellectual left, whose legitimate criticism of Israel is often steeped in classic anti-Semitism.
The other factors are those who seek to bring about change in Israel with the help of their money.
A phenomenon that characterizes quite a few Jewish and other parties around the world: from the generous sponsors of the Kohelat Forum - from the ranks of the extreme-conservative right (and often, we have to say, also the completely insane: from the attitude of free weapons for every citizen to the prohibition of abortion for every female citizen).
And to the financiers of a large part of the left associations.
If you will, the last campaign, even before it is waged in Israel, is waged between those who seek to influence its policies with their money: a reform carried out by those supported by foreign money is met with a protest organized by bodies, a large part of which is supported by foreign money.
legit or not?
Judge for yourself, while we get back to the big bucks.
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King David (Michelangelo's version).
You will be surprised, but he precisely defined the legitimate boundaries of the current protest (Photo: ShutterStock, Federico Magonio)
David's Lamentation
It seems that the greatest threat to Israel's economy following the planned changes to the legal system is the negative sentiment that has been created towards it among the centenarians in Israel - and following them abroad as well.
I have no objections to the first part: the full right of every Israeli citizen to support or condemn the government's policy, no matter what It is the right of every capitalist to do with his money as he wishes. Such a step could have an impact on the economic situation in Israel (several real estate entrepreneurs with whom I spoke report an increase in the interest of Israelis in purchasing properties abroad - not only from classic investors as in the past, but also among buyers A second apartment, sometimes even a first!), but as troubling as it may be, it is not a serious consequence (the really serious consequence is if those people - and their children - follow the money overseas. With all due respect to the world of Torah, I do not see how to recruit scholars from near to serve at 8200. for example).
I want to say: even those who have anger in their hearts against the protestors, must understand that dialogue with you is essential for the economic strength (and not only) of the State of Israel in the future.
elite?
rich?
Think about them what you want, without them there is no existence for Israel.
However, the public responsibility does not fall only on the shoulders of those who are supposed to want to appease a little those who feel that their world has been destroyed just because of the composition of the committee for the appointment of judges.
Since I am short of preaching morals to others, I will invoke the words of Naim Zimirot of Israel, King David, in his lamentation over Saul and his three sons, demanded of his people: "Do not say in Gath, do not preach in the streets of Ashkelon, lest you encamp the daughters of the Philistines, lest you make the daughters of the deserts rejoice."
The biblical text can be updated with the folk saying that holds that dirty laundry is washed only at home.
As long as the debate is conducted in the mouth of the Israeli public, almost everything can be heard and voiced.
At the moment when international parties are involved in the hope that they will boycott Israel or exert economic pressure on it (which means breaking a staff for them - not of the rich, but rather of the poorest), they are effectively granting a divorce to the legitimate public debate.
It is difficult to support a legal reform, even if there are large parts of it that are dictated by reality, then its whole matter is one sentence of one person.
At the same time, the legitimate opposition to it must remain in demonstrations and attempts to convince and influence.
Whoever legitimizes an economic boycott of Israel, breaks the rules of the game of democracy that he seeks, so to speak, to protect.
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