Unity of the mistaken

Gil Bringer argues that Israel's political deadlock is an opportunity for a reexamination of the fundamental assumptions of both camps. He quotes Lincoln, criticizes the right's dependence on the Haredim and the left's opposition to any judicial reform, and calls for a unity government that would enable real change.

In an opinion piece on ynet, Gil Bringer argues that the political deadlock in Israel after the 2026 elections is an opportunity for a reexamination of the fundamental assumptions of both camps. He quotes Abraham Lincoln, who wrote during the American Civil War that both sides may be wrong, and applies this to the national camp and the change camp. Bringer criticizes the national camp for its political addiction to the Haredim regarding the draft exemption, and the change camp for its blanket opposition to any judicial reform, even one that corrects real problems. He notes that a unity government could express the national camp's willingness to free itself from its dependence on the Haredi exemption mechanism, and the change camp's recognition of the need for a fundamental and agreed-upon reform of the judicial system. The article concludes with a call for Lincolnian humility and recognition that each camp has accumulated significant mistakes along the way.