Capitol riots: Trump's challenge to democracy

• Date: 07 January 2021
• Author: JPOST EDITORIAL
• Published date: 07 January 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

What transpired in Washington on Wednesday shocked the world. It was impossible to take your eyes off the images: hordes of camouflaged, flag-waving demonstrators storming the US Capitol and forcing the evacuation of the House of Representatives and the Senate, where legislators had gathered to certify US President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the November 3 election.

It was especially shocking here in Israel, where we have long looked to the US as a beacon of democracy, and an example of the path to follow in safeguarding the liberties and principles of living in a free society. To see the foundations of that democracy assaulted from within was painful to watch, and frankly, it hit a little too close to home.

The last four years of this administration have threatened the very essence of the rule of law in America, with US President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to delegitimize long-standing norms and institutions and divide Americans through hatred and mistrust.

It is similar to the tactics employed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing efforts to squash his court case for bribery, and those watching the unbelievable scenes from Washington and thinking it could never happen in Jerusalem are naïve.

Just as Trump over the last four years convinced a segment of the population that they have been duped, the system is against him and them, and they need to do something about it, Netanyahu also has his solid supporters who are convinced that the allegations against him are trumped up and aimed at removing him from power, something that election after election have failed to achieve.

Could they, spurred on by demagoguery, storm the Knesset in a rage to express their frustration, as the misguided masses did in Washington? Possibly. Though we may not be at that stage of vitriol yet, the US insurrection – described by many as an attempted coup – should serve as a sober warning that once democratic cornerstones are questioned by those in power, anything is possible.

Thankfully, order and calm were restored to the hallowed establishments in Washington, despite Trump's lame video released on Twitter...