Israel must become a 'win-win' society - opinion

Have you ever tried to get right of way at a road junction in Israel? It’s almost always impossible. People generally don’t give way on the road; they barge into an intersection and block traffic in all directions as long as they are one step ahead of you.

This traffic jam is where Israel is today. Ten weeks into weekly protests and demonstrations against the judicial reform or judicial revolution, nothing seems to be moving. Attempts by honest brokers like President Issac Herzog or calls and public campaigns by the chairman of the Histadrut labor federation, Arnon Bar-David, to talk have fallen short so far. They are viewed suspiciously by those pushing to advance the proposed legislation and those that wish to halt it.

We see this “win-lose” position in the current stand-off as a deep-rooted sense of competition and zero-sum thinking in Israel. This mindset is entrenched in Israel’s complex history of conflict, trauma, and ideological differences. These differences have made building trust and finding common ground almost impossible.

For Israel to come out of this dispute stronger, Prime Minister Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid must recognize the importance of shifting our country toward a “win-win” society.

What is a win-win society?

At the heart of a “win-win” society is the ability to collaborate, empathize, and problem-solve with each other. These traits are essential to break the current deadlock.

The binary attitude in Israel today, where success for one of the political parties means failure for the other, is pushing the sides of the conflict to double down on populist politics, rather than what’s in the country’s interest. This is our current disaster.

For several weeks I have been joining the demonstrations in Tel Aviv and doing my fair share of tweets and posts on social media. But I don’t demonstrate against; I demonstrate for.

I demonstrate for an Israeli society strong enough to see the complexities of living together in our little country. Religious, orthodox, secular, Muslim, Jew, LGBTQ, and other minorities that don’t compete against each other for a monopoly over power but share power respectfully with discourse and a clear political vision.

Inclusion, not exclusion. A country that can see, accept and include each other in the policy-making process accepts the outcome of elections, even if they aren’t to my personal preference because I know that the needs of people like me will also be respected, not erased. Change, yes, brutal exclusion and reduction to irrelevance, absolutely not.

EXCLUDED AND irrelevant, is precisely how many Israelis have felt for too many years. Israel’s leaders’ emphasis on competition and zero-sum thinking results from historical trauma from multiple wars, daily security concerns, and profound ideological differences. These differences lead Israeli politicians to face pressure from their political base and influential stakeholders to maintain the status quo, even if it means perpetuating the toxic win-lose mentality. This pressure often comes from those who benefit from the current system or fear change.

It’s time to recognize that a win-win approach is essential for creating a growing, vibrant, diverse, and prosperous society.

To shift toward a win-win society, Israeli leaders must lead by example, prioritize building trust, engage in dialogue, and find creative solutions that benefit all Israelis. For Israel to win, it will involve making concessions on all sides, compromising, and taking risks, but the potential benefits of a sustainable equilibrium are worth it.

The role of leadership in this process cannot be overstated. Primarily, Netanyahu holds all of the power cards and can be the historical leader he strives to be. He could be like Churchill, Lincoln, Carter, Mandela, and Gandhi, who all became infamous bridge builders, and negotiators following World War II. Between them, they abolished slavery, ended apartheid; and negotiated Indian independence as a result of their ability to lead by example, demonstrating empathy, the ability to listen, and negotiate. In Israel, our leaders must communicate the benefits of a win-win society to their constituents and encourage a shift toward this mentality at all levels of society.

Moving toward and adopting a win-win society for Israel will not be an easy task, but it is essential for the future of Israel. Israeli leaders can create a more sustainable future for all of us. Until then, I’ll continue to see you on Saturday night, protesting for an Israel that is better every day for our people.

The writer, a Lt. Col. (res.), is director-general of the International Relations Division of the Histadrut. He is a negotiations, conflict resolution and management expert, communications specialist, and former military spokesperson.