Israel's Political Divide Defined by 'Bibiist' Label
As Israel approaches its next election, the political discourse is increasingly centering on the binary of 'Bibi or anti-Bibi,' overshadowing issues like Iran, the economy, or the judicial reform. The term 'Bibiist,' originally referring to a supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has evolved into a pejorative label used by the 'Anyone but Bibi' camp. This group characterizes Netanyahu's supporters as cult-like, blindly loyal, easily manipulated, and primitive.
The article argues that the debate has shifted from Netanyahu's suitability for office to a critique of his voters, reflecting anxiety within a specific sociological group about changes in Israel's power structure. This group, historically identifying with the secular, Ashkenazi, and Western-oriented establishment, feels it has lost electoral control while retaining influence in the judiciary, academia, and media. Sociologist Prof. Baruch Kimmerling termed this group 'Achuslim' (Ashkenazi, secular, veterans, socialists, nationalists), though their socialist and nationalist leanings have diminished.
Since the 1977 'revolution,' this establishment has allegedly transferred power from elected bodies to institutions controlled by 'experts,' predominantly from the 'Achuslim' group. This process has been documented by figures like Prof. Mani Maozner and Prof. Ran Hirshl, who described the empowerment of courts as a way for threatened elites to shift power away from the majority-represented political arena. While leaders like Menachem Begin and Netanyahu initially did not actively combat these trends, contemporary right-wing groups, including traditional Mizrahi Jews (often labeled 'Bibiists'), religious Zionists, and Haredim, are now systematically working to dismantle the 'judicialization of politics' and reclaim power for the political sphere.
The term 'Bibiist' also carries ethnic and class connotations, echoing past derogatory terms like 'Tzakhchachim' (a term used to describe Mizrahi Jews). The article suggests that the debate over judicial power is fundamentally a struggle for political control and ownership of the state among different sociological groups. While right-wing psychology may emphasize group loyalty and tradition, the article posits that this loyalty, built on trust, can be a stabilizing factor, contrasting with the perceived fragmentation of leadership on the left. The labeling of traditional Mizrahi voters as 'Bibiists' hinders rational discourse and prevents fair agreements on political power distribution, as the 'Bibiist' is portrayed not as thoughtless but as a citizen whose desire for a stake in the country's governance is still being resisted by the old elite.
