Steven A. Cook
What is that old saw? Put two Israelis in a room and you get nine opinions on any given issue. This alleged truism, wrapped up in marginally amusing Borscht Belt humor, is intended to convey something both exasperating and heartwarming about Israeli society.
It is true that Israel is a polarized country and social trust has deteriorated, but on a variety of issues, from the prosaic to the consequential, Israelis seem to agree on quite a lot these days. Based on the 12 days that took me back and forth between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem recently, and to several points in between, here’s my non-scientific read on Israeli public opinion: Everyone hates the endless road construction in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem; most people believe that the Haredim (or ultra-Orthodox), who have traditionally been exempt from enlisting in the Israeli army so they can devote their lives to religious studies, must start serving or get off the government dole; and a consensus has formed around the so-called yellow line in Gaza and why Israeli troops are likely to stay on that line for a while. More on that in a
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