The situation in Israel since Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu formed a government seems to be one of constant chaos, with an extremely tense security situation and raucous left-wing protests across the country.

But perhaps a reminder is in order the day before Pesach, the cornerstone of our emunah, that from a religious standpoint, the situation in Israel has vastly improved. Last Pesach, the Lapid-Bennett government was still in power, with its unprecedented disrespect of religion and Rabbanim. There were protests then also but of a different type – protests against cutting the daycare stipends of avreichim and against legislating changes in kashrus supervision opposed by all mainstream Rabbanim.

The beginning of the end of the Bennett-Lapid government was when Yamina MK Idit Silman resigned from the coalition due to religious issues, with the straw that broke the camel’s back being Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz’s order to hospitals to allow chometz into the hospitals on Pesach.

Shortly later, then-Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman showed his contempt for Rabbanim by failing to attend the ceremony to sell the state’s chometz, a ceremony attended every year by Israel’s finance minister.

In a refreshing change from last year, no disrespect was shown to Israel Chief Rabbanim during the Mechiras Chometz ceremony on Tuesday, which was attended by Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich. Like every year, the state’s chometz was sold to Hussein Jaber, a resident of Abu Gush who has been buying Israel’s chometz for over 20 years.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)