AVI MAOZ

 

I had planned to go on a trip today. The one-day outing is the first of a series organised by my Kibbutz. The well-planned itinerary included a visit to Kfar Etzion and Herodion.    Unfortunately, I had to cancel and stay home.

Last weekend I wasn’t feeling my usual perky self, so on Sunday I went to our clinic to find out what was ailing me. You guessed right. I tested positive for Corona or whatever it is called now.

I’m okay, more concerned about the composition of our new government than my slight indisposition.

By all accounts, it looks bad. Irresponsible politicians are about to receive very responsible jobs. There is still a lot of wheeling and dealing before everything is finalised.

Nevertheless, it’s worrying even if most of what they are threatening is empty rhetoric.

I refer mainly to statements made by leaders of the Religious Zionist Party. Arguably, the most outrageous “threats” were made yesterday by Noam party leader Avi Maoz. His party is the far-right faction of the Religious Zionist Party.

Avi Maoz

Maoz has been campaigning to impose his interpretation of “Jewish Identity”, which he argues should be: against Arabs, secularism, and Reform Judaism. He has advocated strongly against LGBT rights, calling for a ban on Pride parades and the legalisation of conversion therapy. He is against women serving in the IDF and has called for increased gender segregation in public events.

Prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to assure the public that “the pride parade in Jerusalem will continue to march,” stressing that a government headed by him “will not harm the LGBTQ community or the rights of every citizen in Israel.”

Netanyahu’s calming words haven’t reassured me. I rely more on public indignation than Netanyahu’s promises.

A copy of the coalition agreement between Maoz and the Likud seen on Wednesday revealed that Maoz will receive control of the Education Ministry’s unit responsible for external programming at schools, which is liable to undermine the ability of LGBTQ organisations to interact with the education system.

According to the agreement, within 30 days of the establishment of a government, the Unit for External Programmes and Promotion of Partnerships will be transferred from the Education Ministry to Maoz’s new National-Jewish Identity Department, which will be a part of the Prime Minister’s Office. The new department will receive a budget of NIS 100 million in its first year and rise to NIS 150m. a year later.

The Unit for External Programmes and Promotion of Partnerships is responsible for the development and leading of dialogue between societal sectors in the units of the Education Ministry while imparting skills for sharing processes and creating a culture of participatory governance.

Unless I’m mistaken Maoz will exploit his newly acquired authority to the fullest.

“NGOs and foreign countries that finance study programmes in the Education Ministry have infiltrated the country,” Maoz said pointing to over 3,000 study programmes he said are organised by “left-wing entities.”

Maoz added that he intends to “return all public systems to Jewish identity,” stating that he would remove “gender studies” from the education system.

In Netanyahu’s response, he did not address the decision to transfer authority over the education system to Maoz.

In Maoz’s letter to IDF Chief of General Staff Aviv Kochavi regarding the army’s Gender Affairs Department, the party leader cited recent statements by Kochavi in which he said that politics should not be inserted into the IDF.

“If there is an example of deep political involvement in the army, then this example is the Gender Affairs Department, whose whole concern is to promote foreign agendas of so-called equality gender, etc., which are in extremely sharp political controversy, and which were brought into the army under pressure from civilian elements, who are all about promoting these civil agendas,” Maoz said.

I find it truly mind-boggling. Before the recent Knesset elections, I hadn’t heard of Avi Maoz. Now he is making headlines.

Anyway, take it easy. Have a good weekend.

 

Beni                                                    2^nd of December, 2022.