Democracy, according to dictionary.com, is government by the people. This means that the citizens decide how they want their country to be run and how things are handled in politics. They elect someone who is best fir to run their city, state, or country and that person is responsible for a larger area of people. Moshe Arens argues that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is handling politics in the dark of the people and is not informing them of what deals are being made. Netanyahu is trying to make a deal with Mahmoud Abbas, and he is not letting his board or the people of Israel know what is happening in the negotiations.
When opening up his article, Arens states a quote from President Woodrow Wilson that says that peace talks and all international diplomacy should be seen in the public view. He then mentions times in the past that leaders have kept their people in the dark. One of the people he compares Netanyahu to is Adolf Hitler. This comparison sparked a sense of hurt when reading the article. The author was trying to show that although the deals might not seem like a big deal at first, people’s lives do depend on the agreement.
When you are a child, it is easier to get forgiveness from your parents after you do something bad than to ask for permission. Getting permission for eating a cookie before dinner never happens, but getting away with it is a lot easier. Arens uses the same kind of analogy to explain how Netanyahu is approaching the state of Israel. Arens feels that the reason that Netanyahu is making deals in private is because it would be easier to get people to agree with a deal that is already made than one that has not been finalized yet.
Arens writes about Ehud Barak and the negations he attempted to make in 2000. He kept the information from the public and the views on him plummeted. His ratings went down, and he lost in the election in February 2001. Arens is making another comparison and clearly showing that he believes that Netanyahu should not keep his people in the dark and inform them of the deals that are being made.
At the end of his article, Arens stats that, “Some would say that the end justifies the means. But that is a principle applied in totalitarian regimes. It is not fit for a democracy.” He believes that not allowing the public to help make decisions is not democracy at all. Although I agree that the public should be able to see what is going on, the citizens of a county elect a President, Prime Minister, or other political figures because they believe they are competent enough to make decisions for them and help better their country. Netanyahu might be capable, but the fact that he is making deals in secret is what is making him look bad. Netanyahu is making poor decisions on not allowing Israel to see what decisions he is making, but I have faith that he will make a good deal and everything will calm down in short time.
Moshe Arens is a reliable source for this article because he lives in Israel. He is also involved in politics and was elected to the Knesset as a lawmaker for the Likud. He has need the ambassador for Israel to the United States, an Israeli Defense Minister, and also served as a Foreign Minister. All of these political ties give him the background he needs to write this educated article on one of Israel’s political leaders.
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