Dotan Rice: The Sweet News of Hegemony
Dotan Rice presents an argument against Avishai Ben Haim's 'Second Israel' theory, and instead proposes recognizing the 'sweet news of hegemony.' Rice argues that hegemony offers professional standards and proven methods, while Ben Haim's traditionalism dismisses them in favor of shallow public opinion and loyalty to the government.
Dotan Rice presents an argument against Avishai Ben Haim's 'Second Israel' theory, and instead proposes recognizing the 'sweet news of hegemony.' Rice accepts Ben Haim's premise that Israel is governed by a liberal-Ashkenazi hegemony, but argues that this hegemony offers professional standards, knowledge, and proven methods. He criticizes Ben Haim's approach, which he claims automatically dismisses accusations against Likud members based on political affiliation, citing Ben Haim's treatment of the investigation into Miri Regev and the Mai Golan affair. Rice argues that Ben Haim's traditionalism does not offer an alternative to journalistic, legal, and professional standards, but rather dismisses them in favor of shallow public opinion and loyalty to the government. He calls for learning the rules of hegemony in order to improve them in the future.