#Former Chief Minister

[rightnewshindi]

मंत्री अनिरुद्ध सिंह का बड़ा दावा, कहा, जयराम ठाकुर ने मस्जिद निर्माण के लिए दिए थे दो लाख रुपए; जानें क्या बोले पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री

मंत्री अनिरुद्ध सिंह का बड़ा दावा, कहा, जयराम ठाकुर ने मस्जिद निर्माण के लिए दिए थे दो लाख रुपए; जानें क्या बोले पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री #News #RightNewsIndia #RightNews

Himachal News: हिमाचल प्रदेश के मंत्री अनिरुद्ध सिंह ने बृहस्पतिवार को दावा किया कि पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री जयराम ठाकुर ने अपने कार्यकाल के दौरान संजौली मस्जिद के एक हिस्से के निर्माण के लिए दो लाख रुपये दिए थे और भाजपा अब राज्य में शांति भंग करने की कोशिश कर रही है। ठाकुर ने इसे निराधार बताते हुए कहा कि कांग्रेस के मंत्री अपनी विफलता छिपाने के लिए ”झूठ” बोल रहे हैं और कांग्रेस आलाकमान के दबाव में…

[townpostin]

Former CM Champai Soren Receives Warm Welcome at Jilingoda Residence

Singhbhum Gau Raksha Sangh Leader Mantu Dubey Praises Soren’s Leadership On Saturday, former Chief Minister Champai Soren’s residence in Jilingoda was bustling with visitors as Singhbhum Gau Raksha Sangh leader Mantu Dubey and his supporters met him, presenting a bouquet and expressing their admiration. GAMHARIA – On Saturday, former Chief Minister Champai Soren welcomed a steady stream of…

[rebel-bulletin]

“मी भाजपला सोडलय, हिंदुत्वाला सोडलं नाही”; उद्धव ठाकरे यांनी एकाच वाक्यात विरोधकांना सुनावलं

मुंबईः शिवसेना पक्ष आणि चिन्ह शिंदे गटाकडे गेल्यानंतर आज पुन्हा एकदा उद्धव ठाकर यांनी उत्तर भारतीयांबरोबर संवाद साधत पत्रकार परिषदेत शिंदे गटावर तोफ डागला. शिंदे गटावर आणि भाजपवर टीका करताना माजी मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव ठाकरे यांनी ठाकरे शैलीत मी भाजपला सोडल आहे, हिंदुत्वाला सोडलं नाही अशा शब्दात उद्धव ठाकरे यांनी भाजपला आणि विरोधकाना सुनावलं आहे. उत्तर भारतीयांसोबत उद्धव ठाकरे यांनी संवाद साधताना…

[awesome-gautam-sandesh-blog]

बीएल वर्मा ने अपने राजनैतिक गुरु कल्याण सिंह की अष्ट धातु की भव्य प्रतिमा लगवाई

बीएल वर्मा ने अपने राजनैतिक गुरु कल्याण सिंह की अष्ट धातु की भव्य प्रतिमा लगवाई

बदायूं जिले के कस्बा उझानी में पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री एवं पूर्व राज्यपाल कल्याण सिंह की जन्म जयंती मनाई गई, इस अवसर पर केंद्रीय बीएल वर्मा ने तमाम जनप्रतिनिधियों के साथ अपने राजनैतिक गुरु कल्याण सिंह की अष्ट धातु की प्रतिमा का अनावरण किया, साथ ही विशाल जनसभा का आयोजन किया गया। शीत लहर के बावजूद समारोह में प्रदेश भर से आये लोगों ने दिवंगत कल्याण सिंह को याद किया। विशाल समारोह को संबोधित करते हुए…

[suetravelblog]

Komtar Tower George Town Penang Malaysia

From Top of Komtar Tower Yesterday, I visited the Komtar Civic Complex in George Town. Komtar is the tallest skyscraper in Penang – 68 floors – and second tallest in Malaysia. The architectural style is brutalist, and the architect is Lim Chong Keat. Keat is considered one of the “most important architects of Singapore and Malaysia“. Lim Chong Keat Architect – Medium The tower is officially named…

[xtruss]

From Prison, Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Says “Top Pakistani Coward & Corrupt General Asim Munir” Betrayed Secret Deal To Stay Out Of Politics

Sources Close To The Ousted Prime Minister Say Khan Also Accuses “Coward and Corrupt General Asim Munir” For Assassination Attempt and Cover-ups.

— Ryan Grim, Murtaza Hussain | June 27 2024 | The Intercept

Illegally Ousted By Pakistan’s Corrupt and Coward Generals Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, before he was imprisoned, speaking to supporters in Lahore, on April 27, 2022. Photo: Arif Ali/AFP Via Getty Images

From His Prison Cell, Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed escalating criticism of Pakistan army chief Asim Munir’s drive to seize political power, according to multiple sources who remain in close touch with Khan.

The communications include new allegations about Khan’s history with Munir. According to those in touch with the imprisoned prime minister, Khan is making new allegations that Munir violated an agreement to remain neutral in Pakistani politics in exchange for Khan accepting his appointment as army chief.

— Imran Khan Is Making New Allegations That “Corrupt & Coward General Asim Munir” Violated An Agreement To Remain Neutral In Pakistani Politics In Exchange For Khan Accepting His Appointment As Coward Army Chief.

The deposed prime minister also alleges that Munir conspired with his civilian political rivals, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to cooperate against him in exchange for dropping corruption charges that had forced Sharif into exile.

The escalating personal conflict between Khan and Munir also looms large in the communications. Khan alleges that Munir ordered agents of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence service to kill him and that the general covered up assassination attempts by squashing a police probe and burying CCTV footage.

The allegations from Khan about Munir come as the general has continued amassing political power and leading a brutal crackdown on rival political parties, activists, and the press in Pakistan.

The crackdown included the removal and imprisonment of Khan, Pakistan’s most popular politician; violence and arrests targeting his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party; and a rigged election this February.

Khan’s fate remains the biggest unanswered question in the country’s politics, which the prison communiques suggest are driven by acrimony between him and Munir.

— “Pakistan’s Military Ruler “Corrupt & Coward General Asim Munir” Is Now Targeting American Families of Pro-Democracy Activists.”

With transnational repression reaching the U.S. — the military reportedly detained Pakistan-based family members of rivals living in the U.S. and Canada — the crackdown is drawing increasingly stronger condemnations from American officials.

Last week, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., issued a video statement condemning the targeting of family members of Americans and called for sanctions to be placed on Pakistani military leaders including Munir.

“Pakistan’s military ruler Asim Munir is now targeting American families of pro-democracy activists,” Khanna said. “We all know the elections in Pakistan were rigged, and Imran Khan is still in jail. The United States needs to sanction Asim Munir and any military leader in Pakistan who is targeting Americans.”

Assassination Attempts

Khan’s allegations about Munir were shared with The Intercept by a number of sources close to him who requested anonymity to protect their security.

In the communications, Khan alleges the existence of CCTV footage and other evidence showing that Munir concocted a scheme to have Khan killed at a tumultuous court appearance on March 18, 2023.

Khan’s car was mobbed by spectators on the way to court, some of whom, Khan alleges, were Inter-Services Intelligence agents dressed in civilian clothes. The attempt on his life, Khan says, was only thwarted by a crowd of PTI supporters who surrounded his car.

Khan also offered his own narrative on a November 2022 incident when he was wounded in a shooting attack at a political rally that killed one of his supporters. The Pakistani government detained a single person for the attack, whom officials claimed had been motivated by religious extremism.

According to sources close to the former prime minister, Khan accused Munir of being behind a cover-up of the incident. The general, he claims, blocked an independent probe into the attack and that eyewitness accounts pointed to the involvement of multiple assailants.

A truck painted with a portrait of Pakistan’s Coward and Corrupt Army Chief General Asim Munir, in Islamabad, on Aug. 16, 2023. Photo: Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images

Munir’s Political Plays

Pakistan has been held hostage to the political clash between Khan and Munir, with the former prime minister now imprisoned on charges widely seen as politicized.

Khan claims that Munir bargained with his civilian political rivals, including Sharif, the former prime minister, to spare them from corruption charges. In exchange, the politicians like Sharif supported jailing Khan and cracking down on his party.

— Khan Claims Munir Bargained With His Civilian Political Rivals, Including Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, To Spare Them From Corruption Charges.

The crackdown — extrajudicial killings, torture, mass detentions, and other sweeping measures aimed at dismantling the PTI — has so far failed to dim Khan’s popularity. In elections this February, candidates affiliated with PTI won sweeping support, according to exit polls, before electoral rigging engineered by the military allowed a coalition government of Khan’s opposition to form.

Khan characterizes the events as a betrayal by Munir. In Khan’s telling, according to the sources close to him, the prime minister’s downfall was precipitated after Munir reneged on an agreement. Khan says that the then-President Arif Alvi, a senior member of his party, had the power to block Munir’s ascension to the top military post in the country but allowed it to go forward after the general’s emissaries said he planned to stay out of politics.

Munir, like Pakistani military leaders before him, plays a prime role in the country’s political affairs.

Khan’s legal status remains in flux after serious corruption and espionage charges against him were thrown out in court. The former prime minister now remains imprisoned solely on charges that he improperly married his third wife in contravention of religious guidelines.

PTI meanwhile remains at odds with the military establishment, with halting attempts to mediate a resolution to Pakistan’s ongoing political standoff so far unsuccessful.

Deepening Crackdown — and Crises

Khan’s removal by his military and civilian rivals came in a 2022 no-confidence vote organized amid pressure from the U.S. over the prime minister’s foreign policy stances.

Since the removal, Pakistan has been wracked by overlapping economic and political crises that have paralyzed the nation of 200 million.

Even with Khan and PTI sidelined, the military continues its attempts to suppress speech. This year, the military blocked X and issued a statement denouncing “digital terrorism.” Government officials have also made reference to imposing a national firewall on the country’s internet.

Khan’s personal safety is widely believed to be in jeopardy by his supporters, including Pakistani Americans who recently lobbied for Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to contact the Pakistani government about his safety.

In addition to blaming Munir for betraying his trust and attempting to engineer his murder, from prison Khan has repeatedly raised the specter that the general is leading the country toward a repeat of its traumatic 1971 partition — a stinging embarrassment for Pakistani nationalists.

The partition occurred following a military-led crackdown and massacre after an army rival won elections. The civil war spurred the secession of the eastern half of the country into the nation of Bangladesh.

[uttarakhand-jagran]

मुख्यमंत्री धामी ने शहादत दिवस के अवसर पर खटीमा में मुख्य चौराहे के पास स्थित शहीद स्थल में शहीदों की मूर्तियों का किया अनावरण

खटीमा ; मुख्यमंत्री पुष्कर सिंह धामी ने राज्य स्थापना के लिए 1 सितंबर 1994 को शहीद हुए आंदोलनकारियों के शहादत दिवस के अवसर पर खटीमा में मुख्य चौराहे के पास स्थित शहीद स्थल में शहीदों की मूर्तियों का अनावरण किया। इस दौरान मुख्यमंत्री धामी ने शहीदों की मूर्तियों पर माल्यार्पण कर श्रंद्धाजलि अर्पित की और शहीदों के परिजनों को शॉल भेंट कर सम्मानित किया। मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा कि शहीदों तथा राज्य…

[banglakhobor]

অনেকটাই ভাল আছেন বুদ্ধদেব ভট্টাচার্য, ছুটি শীঘ্রই... দুপুরেই হবে আলোচনা

কলকাতা: অনেকটাই ভাল রয়েছেন প্রাক্তন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী বুদ্ধদেব ভট্টাচার্য। সংক্রমণের মাত্রা কমেছে। শনিবার দুপুরেই আলোচনায় বসবে মেডিক্যাল বোর্ড। কবে হাসপাতাল থেকে বুদ্ধদেবকে ছাড়া হবে তা নিয়ে আলোচনা হতে পারে বলে জানা যাচ্ছে। এই মুহূর্তে নন-ইনভেসিভ ভেন্টিলেটরে রাখা হয়েছে বুদ্ধদেবকে। শনিবার পর্যন্ত অ্যান্টিবায়োটিক চলবে।  বুদ্ধদেবের চিকিৎসায় গঠন করা হয় মেডিক্যাল বোর্ড। ওই দলে রয়েছেন চিকিৎসক কৌশিক…

[werindialive]

Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy   passed away after suffering from prolonged illness

Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy a renowned Congress veteran took his last breath on early Tuesday morning. He died in a Bengaluru hospital after struggling with a prolonged illness. He was 79 years old and was undergoing treatment for cancer since 2019.

His son broke the news on social media as he wrote, “Appa has passed away.” The news was made public at around 4:30 am.

The mortal remains of Chandy will be flown back to Thiruvananthapuram and will be kept for public homage at the Congress state committee office and later at the Durbar Hall of the state government secretariat. A two-day mourning and a public holiday have been declared by the state government on Tuesday. The funeral will be held on Thursday at Puthuppally in Kottayam.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shared condolences on the death of a senior leader. “It is extremely difficult to bid him farewell.”

“We were elected to the Legislative Assembly in the same year. It was at the same stage that we came to the political fore through student life. We led public life at the same time and it is extremely difficult to bid him farewell. Oommen Chandy was a capable administrator and a person who was closely involved in people’s lives,” he added.

Chandy was the chief minister of Kerala from 2011-2016 and 2004-2006. He was also the opposition leader in the state assembly from 2006-2011.

Born on October 31, 1943, at Puthuppally in Kottayam, Chandy first got elected from Puthuppally at the age of 27 in the assembly elections.

For more national and political news India in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.

[rightnewshindi]

पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री चंपाई सोरेन ने विधानसभा सदस्य और मंत्री पद से दिया इस्तीफा, कहा, भटक चुकी है जेएमएम

Jharkhand News: झारखंड के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री और कद्दावर आदिवासी नेता चंपाई सोरेन ने बुधवार को झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा से इस्तीफा दे दिया। उन्होंने राज्य विधानसभा के सदस्य और झारखंड के मंत्री पद से भी इस्तीफा दे दिया है। चंपाई सोरेन ने झारखंड मुक्ति मोर्चा के प्रमुख शिबू सोरेन को संबोधित अपने त्याग-पत्र में लिखा मैं जेएमएम की मौजूदा नीतियों और कार्यशैली से क्षुब्ध होकर पार्टी छोड़ने को विवश हूं।…

[townpostin]

Hemant Soren Challenges Summons Contempt Case in High Court

Former CM Seeks Quashing of MP-MLA Court Proceedings Jharkhand High Court grants time extension, directs ED to file response. RANCHI – The Jharkhand High Court on Saturday heard a petition by former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, challenging the summons contempt case against him in the MP-MLA court. Soren’s legal team contested the court’s cognizance order in the ongoing case. "We requested…

[sleepintro]

TODAYS A HOLIDAY BAYBEEEE

[mysterioushimachal]

Shanta Kumar: Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Influential Indian Politician

Shanta Kumar, born on 12th September 1934, is a prominent Indian politician who has played a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh. As a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he has held various significant positions, including the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Union Minister in the Government of India. This comprehensive article delves into the life,…

[sayruq]

The former head of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, allegedly threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation, the Guardian can reveal.

Yossi Cohen’s covert contacts with the ICC’s then prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, took place in the years leading up to her decision to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in occupied Palestinian territories. That investigation, launched in 2021, culminated last week when Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in its war in Gaza. The prosecutor’s decision to apply to the ICC’s pre-trial chamber for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, alongside three Hamas leaders, is an outcome Israel’s military and political establishment has long feared. Cohen’s personal involvement in the operation against the ICC took place when he was the director of the Mossad. His activities were authorised at a high level and justified on the basis the court posed a threat of prosecutions against military personnel, according to a senior Israeli official. Another Israeli source briefed on the operation against Bensouda said the Mossad’s objective was to compromise the prosecutor or enlist her as someone who would cooperate with Israel’s demands. A third source familiar with the operation said Cohen was acting as Netanyahu’s “unofficial messenger”. Cohen, who was one of Netanyahu’s closest allies at the time and is emerging as a political force in his own right in Israel, personally led the Mossad’s involvement in an almost decade-long campaign by the country to undermine the court.

[newscast1]

Ex-Pak Army chief Bajwa favoured Imran Khan in Bani Gala house case, claims PM Sharif’s aide

Ex-Pak Army chief Bajwa favoured Imran Khan in Bani Gala house case, claims PM Sharif’s aide

Former Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa influenced the then chief justice to favour ousted premier Imran Khan in his Bani Gala house case, a top aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has claimed. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan (L) and ex-Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. (File photo)/PTI) By Press Trust of India: Former Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa influenced…

[xtruss]

Analysis: What Israel Can Teach the U.S. About Confronting a Constitutional Crisis

Sometimes you not only need to vote—you also need to vote with your feet.

— By Aaron David Miller and Daniel Miller | Foreign Policy | March 18, 2023

A protester waves an Israeli flag during a massive protest against the government's judicial overhaul plan on March 11 in Tel Aviv, Israel (Illegally Occupied Palestine). Amir Levy/Getty Images

Over the past four months, in an extraordinary display of national resolve and resistance, millions of Israelis have rallied in the streets to protest their government’s efforts to revolutionize the judiciary. Because Israel does not have a written constitution or bicameral parliament, these so-called reforms, if enacted, would eviscerate an independent judiciary, remove the one check and balance standing in the way of unbridled government power, and fundamentally undermine Israel’s democratic system.

In a recent conversation with the author, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak noted that the behavior of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government during the current crisis evoked thoughts of the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

Can the United States learn anything from Israel in its own efforts to stop democratic backsliding and combat a future constitutional crisis in the event, for example, that a president seeks to hold on to power, overturn the results of a free and fair election, and threaten the very essence of constitutional government?

At first glance, the sheer size of the United States and fundamental differences between the two countries’ political cultures and governance systems might appear to render comparisons moot, if not irrelevant. But a closer look reveals important takeaways from Israel’s situation that are worth considering. If Israelis succeed in checking this judicial juggernaut, and even if they don’t, there are lessons for Americans should U.S. liberal democracy be seriously threatened.

The biggest takeaway from what has been happening in Israel has to do with the size, tactics, and endurance of the protests themselves. For months, the world has watched Israelis engage in sustained, massive, nonviolent protests and civil disobedience in cities and towns across the country, drawing participants from nearly all sectors of society.

The scale, scope, and composition of these demonstrations are unprecedented in the country’s history. Hundreds of thousands regularly attend the protests, which are largely grassroots demonstrations, locally organized with former officials and intellectuals recruited to speak. On April 1, close to 450,000 Israelis took to the streets. That is close to 5 percent of the population, roughly equivalent to 17 million Americans. A recent poll showed that 20 percent of all Israelis have protested at one time or another against the judicial coup.

Given the vast disparity in size, replicating this kind of sustained protest movement is no easy matter. As a point of comparison, the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21, 2017, drew between 1 and 1.6 percent of the U.S. population. But that doesn’t mean this is impossible. Indeed, the Black Lives Matter protests that took place in the United States in the summer of 2020 were largely spontaneous and may have included as many as 26 million—and perhaps more—protesters in total.

Size is critical, but so is the character of demonstrations. The essential element is nonviolence. As Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan have demonstrated in studying civil resistance movements that occurred between 1900-2006, using nonviolent tactics—which can include protests, boycotts, and civil disobedience—enhances a movement’s domestic and international legitimacy, increases its bargaining power, and lessens the government’s efforts to delegitimize it. Although the vast majority of Black Lives Matter protests were peaceful (despite the false or misleading media and government claims to the contrary), there were acts of violence, looting, and rioting. Any future protest movement in the United States must shun this kind of destructive behavior.

The Israeli movement’s endurance and persistence has also been an asset. The struggle for democracy is not a 100-yard dash—as demonstrated in other countries, such as Serbia. In Israel’s case, the perception that the so-called judicial reform wasn’t just some technical adjustment to the political system, but rather a fundamental threat to Israelis’ way of life, sustained the protests. The profound anger and mistrust toward the Netanyahu government further catalyzed Israelis from virtually all sectors of society to turn out in the streets.

A second essential part of the response to the judicial legislation in Israel has been the active participation of military reservists who have signed petitions, participated in protests, and boycotted their formal and volunteer reserve duty. These reservists play a critical role in both intelligence and air force operations that are key to the current security challenges Israel faces.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is the most respected institution in the country. In fact, what led Netanyahu to pause the judicial legislation was the surge of protests that followed his (since rescinded) decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant had publicly called for a halt to the judicial overhaul, arguing that it was jeopardizing Israel’s security. Adding to the pressure, a host of former IDF chiefs of staff, commanders, and former directors of Mossad have publicly opposed the judicial legislation. And even active, lower-level Mossad employees have been given permission to participate in the protests.

Such actions by former and current government officials are precisely what is needed to imbue the protests with additional legitimacy and to amplify the seriousness of the moment. Active members of IDF units have not refused to serve, and we’re not recommending that active U.S. military units join the protests. Indeed, given the U.S. tradition of the subordination of military to civilian authority, uniformed military would be hard-pressed to intervene in a political crisis.

Still, before the November 2020 election, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power pending the results, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley issued a public statement that the military had no role in an election and would “obey the lawful orders of our civilian leadership.” And senior military officials might well publicly remind the U.S. military—as the Joint Chiefs of Staff did in the wake of the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021—that their mission is to defend the U.S. Constitution.

At the same time, civil servants from throughout the federal government should consider joining the protests and have their organizational representatives (the American Foreign Service Association at the Department of State, for example), issue statements in support. These employees need not resign, at least at first, but they should make clear their nonpartisan opposition to efforts to undermine the rule of law and constitutional norms. The nonpartisan nature of these actions would be reinforced if they involved not just federal employees in Washington, but also the much larger workforce throughout the country. Furthermore, calls to protest could also involve state employees, particularly if the constitutional crisis stemmed from state action.

Third is the importance of strikes. The Histadrut—Israel’s largest trade union, with an estimated 800,000 members—called for a general strike that followed more limited strikes in the preceding months. That decision shut down departures from Ben Gurion Airport. Israel’s research universities and medical facilities (all public hospitals and community clinics) also called to strike, in addition to the closing of banks, businesses, and restaurants (including the ever-popular McDonald’s).

These tactics worked in Israel because, along with other measures (such as closing highways through acts of civil disobedience), they communicated to government ministers and Knesset members that unless they reassessed the situation, the country would shut down, with grave economic and political consequences. The tech sector had already begun to express major concerns that judicial reform as envisioned by the Netanyahu government could turn Israel’s image as a start-up nation into one of a shut-down nation, raising risks that foreign investment might be curtailed and Israeli entrepreneurs might decide to move out of the country.

To be sure, the same tactics could not be so easily deployed in the United States. First, 25 percent of Israeli workers are in a union, compared to 10 percent in the United States. Second, shutting down a country the size of the United States would simply be impossible (although such a strategy might have more success in a small enough state). Additionally, it is unclear if such strikes would help or hurt the opposition politically, particularly in light of the fact that COVID-19 school closures and other lockdown measures were fraught. But strikes should be explored and studied as possible tools. In the summer of 2020, tens of thousands of U.S. workers participated in a “Strike for Black Lives.”

Furthermore, taking a page from the sports strikes in the wake of the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, there are more creative measures to explore in place of or in conjunction with traditional worker strikes. Sports leagues at both the college and professional level might suspend games until the crisis was resolved. If individual leagues were unwilling to participate, their stars could—and many likely would. What better way to cause a sustained, nationwide conversation about a specific topic that punctures all information bubbles than by forcing the cancellation of college football games, or the NBA playoffs, the World Series, or even the Super Bowl? In recent years, sports figures have increasingly become involved in politics, including ones from places you might not expect.

Similar strategies could be considered in the realm of Hollywood, the music industry, and other areas where Americans have a shared cultural appreciation and imbue their idols with the recognition and respect once enjoyed by political leaders. To avoid the appearance that these measures were partisan or political, these actions would need buy-in from actors, singers, entertainers, and writers from across the political spectrum, including from those who have always stayed above the political fray or who belong to the opposing political parties.

Fourth is the importance of respected political leaders, both current and former, joining the response to a severe political crisis. In Israel, former prime ministers have participated in the protest movement, including Barak and Ehud Olmert, as well as foreign and justice ministers such as Tzipi Livni. Former U.S. presidents have generally avoided this kind of participation, but in a severe crisis one can imagine former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, as well as other former senior officials from across the political spectrum, speaking out and participating in demonstrations.

Leadership extends beyond mere symbolism. Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid made calls for a general strike, among other involvement by elected officials. Similar kinds of bipartisan leadership from those in the U.S. House and Senate would be important to amplify the message of the protests and provide legitimacy. And of course, if the constitutional crisis originated from Congress itself, elected representatives could use their authority to shut it down. In this case, the protesters and other stakeholders, such as businesses, should view their opposition as a way to lobby Congress, including by promising to withhold financial backing to any member who participates in the unconstitutional scheme. There were similar actions in the wake of Jan. 6.

It would also be imperative for leaders to come from outside government, including from media organizations that represent a broad spectrum of U.S. politics. Given the United States’ problem with misinformation, this would be essential to accurately portray what was happening on the ground, including dispelling any untruths—for example, the notions that the protests had turned violent or that they were simply partisan reflections of one political party or another.

Finally, perhaps the most important lesson of all is to look for ways to motivate the public with an inclusive national response that transcends party and partisan affiliation. The reason the Israeli protests have been so effective is that even in a society rent by so many divisions, Israelis have gone into the streets because they believe deeply that their very way of life—the character of their society, and the image they have of Israel as an open, tolerant, and democratic polity with all its weaknesses, including and especially the Israeli occupation—is fundamentally threatened. As journalist Gal Beckerman has written, Israeli protesters have wrapped themselves in their flag—the most visible symbol of the protests. And this is something, according to Beckerman, that Americans should take to heart.

It is important to emphasize, though, that most Palestinians—including both those who are Israeli citizens (roughly 2 million out of a total population of 9.7 million) and those under Israel’s occupation and control—see the protests as an effort to protect Israeli Jewish democracy, not a movement to extend equal rights or statehood to them. Arab political parties in Israel have backed the protests, but the majority of Palestinian citizens of Israel, even while they have a great deal to lose should the judicial legislation pass, feel the demonstrations don’t address their needs, including equal rights and rising crime.

But without holding the line against a government whose objectives include de facto if not de jure annexation of the West Bank, continued second-class citizenship for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and enabling violence against Palestinians—as seen in the settler rampages through the West Bank town of Huwara—there will be no chance for peace, an end of the occupation, or statehood for the Palestinians.

And while we remain gloomy about any chance in the near term for an equitable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this protest movement has imbued Israel with a new energy and dynamism. It has created a focus on democracy, rights, and equality that hasn’t been seen in years and that could, under the right leadership, drive home the message that the preservation of Israel as a Jewish democratic state depends on ending the Israeli occupation and extending equal rights not just in principle but in practice to Palestinian citizens of Israel. One can at least hope so.

For the United States, the greatest challenge would be finding a way to wrap a movement in the U.S. flag and identify a broader set of unifying purposes that creates the biggest tent under which millions of Americans could rally. In today’s perniciously partisan environment, this would be hard—some might say impossible. To quote the historian Henry Adams, politics in the United States has become a “systematic organization of hatreds.” Without a written constitution, Israelis have turned to their Declaration of Independence as a source of inspiration, even as a set of principles for a future constitution. Perhaps the United States could do the same, turning to the basic founding principles that have shaped the country’s self-government.

The United States is perhaps the only nation in history founded on an idea: self-government in the interest of securing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Fundamentally, no matter the differences between Americans, what makes the United States special is its ability to self- correct, reinvent itself, and make progress toward guaranteeing opportunity, equality, and dignity for all. A truly national protest movement must be grounded in this dream and the aspiration of making it more accessible to everyone. We are hopeful and inspired by the younger generations in the United States today—by their commitment to making the country a better place for all Americans, and by how they would rise to meet the challenge if the United States were truly tested.

Of course, the best way to avoid illiberal backsliding, let alone a constitutional crisis, is to vote for candidates who respect the rule of law, abide by the Constitution, and adhere to democratic norms and standards. Once authoritarians entrench themselves in power, they can use their authority to remain there. But sometimes you not only need to vote—you also need to vote with your feet.

Some of this may seem naive and Panglossian. But the fight for U.S. democracy has always mixed the pragmatic and the aspirational. What has happened in Israel these many months has shown the power that people possess to safeguard their democracy when threatened. It’s not an easy conversation to have. But it’s worth having now because the stakes are so very high, and sadly, the dangers to the United States’ own democratic system are all too real.

— Aaron David Miller is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former U.S. State Department Middle East analyst and negotiator in Republican and Democratic administrations. He is the author of The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have (and Doesn’t Want) Another Great President.

— Daniel Miller is a Lawyer and Activist. Since 2016, he has engaged in various forms of Pro-democracy work and has written for the Washington Post, CNN, Daily Beast, and New York Daily News on democracy issues.