The public is not stupid: the lack of symmetry in enforcement against left-wing protesters causes many Israelis to seek and invent tricks to circumvent the guidelines for the fight against the virus • When examining what the High Court ruled regarding the right-wing demonstrations in Balfour during the Rabin period

The right to demonstrate is a fundamental right, derived from freedom of expression, and without them there is no real democracy.

I will admit that I have an appreciation for people who leave their homes to promote values ​​and ideas they believe in, provided that the demonstrations are not accompanied by law and order violations, harm to police officers, threats and unreasonable disruption to the lives of other people. I, too, took part in demonstrations in the village of Maimon against the hallucinatory disengagement and was angry at the rabbis of religious Zionism, who in empty text for false unity gave up the Mishkan, and at others who at the time really cared about compensation and land.

Photo: Yoni Rickner

There are in reality no absolute rights, including basic rights. Even in the exercise of rights, there must be reasonableness, proportionality and balance with other rights. The demonstrations in Balfour in the days when the corona plague is raging are a severe blow, and in my opinion also fatal to the ability of Prof. Roni Gamzo, the health system and the entire Israeli government to deal with the plague. To reduce morbidity the public requires a special degree of responsibility. For the public to meet the requirements and comply with the guidelines, it must be convinced of the integrity and reliability of the systems that are supposed to deal with the virus.

The impression is that there are judges in the Supreme Court who are mainly concerned with holding demonstrations, which advance their personal agendas. There are judges who care less about the residents of Mitzpe Karmim, and are very worried about terrorist families lest their pavilion be destroyed. In right-wing demonstrations in front of the residence of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, in the 1990s, President Aharon Barak imposed severe restrictions on the demonstrators - only 500 demonstrators until 21:00 only. In right-wing demonstrations the court restricts, and in left-wing demonstrations the court shows overwhelming understanding and consideration. If the Supreme Court gives unreasonable legal backing to demonstrations, the ultra-Orthodox seek to take care of the legitimate interests of their electorate, such as traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah or opening synagogues for prayers. Capsules are required in the Western Wall plaza, and in Balfour - complete abandonment. According to the same logic that permeates the Supreme Court, the Minister of Culture wants to hold cultural performances in the presence of as many people as possible, and the Minister of Transport is interested in operating as many transport and aviation lines as possible. When each establishment takes care of its own needs, the public cannot be expected to obey the necessary precautionary rules.

Prof. Gamzo on his own initiative had to go to the Supreme Court sitting as a High Court and convince his judges that a mass gathering of thousands of people in a restricted compound is a real epidemiological risk. The right to demonstrate can be exercised with a limited number of protesters. In any case, the media inflates the number and the public effect will be achieved, and Prof. Gamzo's determination in addressing the heads of Ukraine indicates heroism on the outside and substantial weakness on the inside.

The discriminatory treatment of Balfour protesters and the lack of symmetry in enforcement and conduct cause many Israelis to seek out and invent tricks and tricks to circumvent health system regulations. If the situation is really serious as it is presented, then the demonstrations in Rabin Square and Balfour should stop or be reduced. As long as they continue to exist, there is no chance that the Israelis will obey the instructions. When medical professionals recommend that protesters come without mobile devices, and pundits suggest demonstrating in front of police officers who are at risk, there is an added danger to public safety. Prof. Gamzo's, perhaps the only chance, of succeeding in his difficult task, is the complete separation between law, politics and health. When the three are involved, the storm clouds multiply.