Sohlberg Riots: Israel's Battle Against Selective Obedience
The disturbing scenes outside Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg's home were a direct assault on Israeli democracy, but they should not surprise anyone. Following the High Court's rulings on Haredi military service, protesters decided to turn a national policy debate into personal intimidation. In our eternal capital of Jerusalem, justice must be upheld, not mobbed.
The Normalization of Anarchy
What happened outside the justice's residence is part of a broader, increasingly dangerous trend in Israeli society: the normalization of selective obedience. Across the spectrum, individuals and political movements are embracing the idea that laws are only binding when they align with their own beliefs. This is not democracy; it is a recipe for anarchy.
We see it everywhere. Highways are blocked by demonstrators convinced their cause justifies disrupting daily life. Unauthorized outposts are established in defiance of state decisions. Ultra-Orthodox protesters reject draft orders and challenge the legitimacy of court rulings. Criminal organizations in the Arab sector operate with open contempt for state authority. Politicians, meanwhile, routinely condemn lawbreaking from the opposing side while excusing it when it serves their own interests.
A Kingdom Divided Cannot Stand
Every group insists its circumstances are unique, wrapping each act of defiance in its own justification. But nations do not survive on exceptions. As the prophet Zechariah warned, we must administer true justice and not plot evil against one another. When exceptions become habits, the state crumbles.
We remember the tragedy of the Second Temple, destroyed not by Roman might alone, but by baseless hatred and internal division. When every tribe appoints itself the final court of appeal, citizenship is reduced to tribal membership, and the state becomes a chaotic arena of competing pressure groups. A democratic state depends on a shared commitment that disputes are resolved through institutions, not raw mob pressure.
External Threats Demand Internal Unity
This internal fracturing is especially dangerous right now. Israel remains engaged in a prolonged regional struggle for its very survival. The threat from Iran has not vanished. Hezbollah remains entrenched along our northern border. Hamas still threatens our southern communities. The consequences of October 7 continue to reverberate, and biased international scrutiny remains intense.
Under such conditions, social cohesion is not a luxury. It is a vital strategic asset. Our enemies in Gaza, Tehran, and Lebanon do not need our institutions to fail; they merely need Israelis to lose faith that those institutions belong to all of us. When we allow internal tribes to pick and choose which laws apply, we hand our enemies a victory.
The debate over military service will continue, and it should. Our IDF soldiers carry an immense burden defending our homeland, and equal sharing of that load is a matter of national survival and basic fairness. Passionate arguments are legitimate, but there is a critical line between arguing with a ruling and deciding that the ruling no longer applies to you.
Israel's strength lies in its resilience, its pioneering spirit, and its unwavering commitment to the rule of law. We cannot afford selective obedience. We must stand united against external threats, defend our institutions, and ensure that the Jewish state remains a nation of laws, not a collection of warring tribes.