Vote, decide - and then let the government govern
Modern democracies are not run through constant referendums, but through elected institutions whose role is to make decisions — even when they are complex, unpopular, and sometimes involve a public cost. After the elections, the public must criticize and monitor, but also allow its elected officials to govern and bear responsibility for their decisions.
Israel is probably one of the most political countries in the world.
There is almost no living room conversation that does not drift into politics, no taxi ride that does not end in an argument about the government, and no day when social media is not filled with commentary, videos, tweets, posts, polls, and forecasts. Every citizen is also a commentator, a strategist, an expert in constitutional law, an economist, and a military commander. It seems that politics for us is not a field of life — it is a way of life.
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Precisely because we are once again on the threshold of an election campaign, this is the right time to be more involved than ever: to argue, to demonstrate, to persuade, to be persuaded, to listen, and to vote. This is the essence of a free society. The defining moment in a democracy is election day. This is the day when every citizen receives power equal to that of every other citizen, regardless of their wealth, status, or education. At the ballot box, there are no tycoons, no social media influencers, and no professors — there is only one ballot for each person. This is the moment of the public's sovereignty. On this day, we do not react to reality, we shape it.
But from the moment we have chosen, another stage begins — the stage of governance. The elected officials are those who must make decisions, bear responsibility, and be prepared to be held accountable for them in the next elections. This is the basic deal of representative democracy: the public grants authority, and the elected officials bear the responsibility. It is impossible to demand responsibility from someone who is not allowed to exercise the authority granted to them. This is also the reason why modern democracies are not run through constant referendums, but through elected institutions whose role is to make decisions even when they are complex, unpopular, and sometimes involve a public cost.
However, in Israel, it seems that elections do not end the political struggle but only reopen it. Every government decision is immediately accompanied by a counter-campaign, protests, constant public pressure, and an attempt to re-manage the decision made at the ballot box. Instead of the government being judged once every few years for its achievements or failures, it is judged anew every day and every hour, as if an endless election campaign is taking place here.
This situation is not only tiring, it also harms the quality of governance. A government that is unable to make decisions without fearing that every step will immediately turn into another public battle finds it difficult to plan for the long term. Instead of dealing with policy and promoting long-term plans, it is forced to react constantly to crises and the next news cycle. Ultimately, the price is not paid by the politicians but by the citizens.
This does not mean that one should not demonstrate. On the contrary, the right to protest is a fundamental right in a democratic state, and sometimes it is even necessary. However, when protest becomes a permanent mechanism seeking to reopen every decision made at the ballot box, it ceases to be a tool for overseeing the government and may become a tool that undermines democracy's ability to function.
Democracy relies on a clear division of roles between citizens and their elected officials. The citizen's role is to choose, monitor, criticize, and judge; the role of the elected officials is to decide, govern, and bear responsibility for their decisions. When this boundary is blurred, the meaning of democratic representation is also blurred. Instead of a system based on clear responsibility, a reality is created in which everyone influences, but no one is truly responsible for the result.
This is not a call for silence and not a call for blind obedience. Now, on the eve of the elections, is the time to argue, persuade, and fight for every vote. But on the day after the elections, we all have a duty to respect the public's decision and allow its elected officials to govern. If even after the elections every decision is reopened in the street, on social media, and in the courts, Israel could gradually deteriorate into political anarchy — a situation where there is no decision acceptable to the public and no government capable of governing. Act now, and accept the majority's decision after the elections.
Dr. Kuti Shoham is a lecturer in political philosophy and political thought.
