Ben Gvir's insensitive 'the salad bar is open' comment represents the coming onslaught

You know things are pretty bad when the brother of right-wing, extremist Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich expresses outrage over the inflammatory comment made over the weekend by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who tweeted the comment, “The salad bar is open.”

The uber-insensitive remark was just another way of rubbing salt in the collective national wound of millions of Israelis, who have been protesting for 29 weeks against the proposed reforms which they believe will dramatically and irreversibly change the democratic and pluralistic character of Israel.  

Tuvia Smotrich, whose brother Bezalel, has certainly contributed his own share of insensitivity and outrageous remarks, which have often landed him in hot water, opined by saying, “I have already said and will say it again: I will never again vote for a list which Itamar Ben Gvir is a part of. Whoever believes that ‘me,’ me, me’ outweighs all national responsibility, does not deserve to receive my vote in the elections.”

The reference was made in an attempt to insinuate that there is much more to come, and that the coalition is just warming up for what’s to come.

Is anyone surprised by the proverbial finger in the eye, which is meant to lord over everyone, just how much leverage is in the hands of this power-hungry government? It shouldn’t be shocking to anyone when a coalition, made up of the same voices, all of whom want to go in one direction, speed up the train to get there. No roadblock will be too difficult to remove or stand in the way of reaching their goals – not even the endless hordes of Israeli citizens who have relentlessly shown up week after week, to do all they can, to cripple daily life as we know it.  

Willing to hurt ourselves and make life terribly uncomfortable and even debilitating throughout our work week, freedom-loving Israelis understand that if they don’t take this step now, their lives will forever be altered, and that is why we’ve been willing to suffer through this type of massive upheaval.

But Ben Gvir’s remarks only serve to divulge the kind of ethos which is behind the callous political players who are willing to force their fellow citizens to go, kicking and screaming, as they literally drag them towards the establishment of an autocratic system where absolute power is wielded. 

In his warped mind, the national security minister has chosen to reveal his hand at what’s in store for Israelis following the passage of the Reasonableness Standard Law, which would put an end to the High Court’s ability to continue their robust system of checks and balances as it relates to holding governmental policy fully accountable.  

Ben Gvir has no problem reminding the country that they are in charge now, and that the “salad bar” will be in full swing, boasting its many offerings, which will be in full array with no holds barred. As he put it, “I have been working on this issue for more than a decade.”

And this is the key!  When you’re willing to wait it out and play the long game, once you get a seat at the table, you’re not likely to capitulate, because everything is riding on the success of your gambit. This is why he can unashamedly say, “We definitely are not bending and not apologizing. We are legislating.”

What Ben Gvir fails to recognize is that a salad bar, as good as it looks, can often make you sick because it also can be a hotbed of bacteria and other toxins which cause great harm to the system, and in this case, a large swath of the country would tend to agree that this particular salad bar is tainted by the poisons of a self-serving coalition, which would rather get their way, at all costs, than try to work for the good of everyone.

There’s an interesting story, concerning a salad bar, which took place in Dalles, Oregon. The year was 1984 when a cult group decided to sprinkle bacteria on the salad bars of 10 local restaurants. What ensued was the hospitalization of 45 individuals who became violently ill while 751 others were also horribly affected. This became known as the largest bioterror attack in American history.  

While an investigation sought to initially cast blame on food handlers, who they claim were not properly trained, eventually, guilt was placed upon the cult leader, whose followers were faithful to his orders. In the end, this episode was responsible for completely changing food safety policy in America.

Why is this story analogous? While the government coalition may not necessarily be compared to a cult leader, although some might be tempted to believe otherwise, many of its members, who are trying to bring about new and unwanted policy, resemble those improperly trained food handlers. Having no real experience, they are indifferent to the outcry of the masses and ill-prepared to handle the country’s delicate balance which, every seasoned politician knows, must be a serious consideration.  

Their recipe for dramatic change, will not only affect many for the worse, but it has the great potential to completely disenfranchise the weak and unrepresented, whose voices could forever be silenced, leading to a great sickness within Israeli society.

Let’s face it, this salad bar is not very appealing to the masses, who have put their lives on hold, trudged the highways since last Thursday, through the sweltering temperatures of a summer heatwave, in order to march to Jerusalem, the country’s capital, and camp out there, to make their voices heard. Those voices cannot be squelched by “improper handlers” who have waited ten years to foist their brand of heavy-handed government on the rest of us.

Israel is at a true crossroads where everything else hinges upon what happens today, and in the next few days, as reasonable and measured officials work together to try to prevent a monumental catastrophe from taking place and hijacking one of the greatest democracies, which has stood as a real beacon of freedom to the entire Middle East, as well as the world.  

Ben Gvir’s salad bar is nothing more than a collection of self-interested, egocentric, narcissistic characters, whose ultimate endgame is the full control of every Israeli citizen.  This is why we must prevail, and with God’s help, we will, because it is, after all, His land, and we only bow the knee to Him!