2012 has thus far brought a lot of activity to Israel that could be indicative of the year it is expected to have.  The growing internal strife that has become very public between the religious right and most others to the left of them is threatening the foundation of Israel’s society.  In addition to the social difficulties it poses, the squeeze of the widening financial burden on those who produce income and those who rely on the State for services is taking its toll on the patience of the general society.
Adam Kaufman, of Adam B. Kaufman & Associates, PLLC and longtime Woodmere resident said, “What’s been happening between the religious and secular communities is disheartening.  Israel and Jews have enough people wishing harm without us wanting to harm one another.  Sadly, at times we can be our own worst enemies.” To Mr. Kaufman’s point, the internal conflict would be enough to keep such a small society busy.  Yet, that could be viewed as a minor bump in the road when looking at it in the context of the world it exists in. 
This week brought news that Egypt’s leading presidential contender, former Arab League Chief Amr Moussa said that he would maintain the peace treaty with Israel, but in a modified version. He would seek to increase troop deployment in the Sinai, but what’s possibly more troubling is that he would reconsider supplying Israel with natural gas.  Moussa would do this to appease the naysayers within Egypt who are opposed to Egypt’s assistance to Israel in any practical way.  Cutting off the gas supply would be a hard hit for Israel and would affect the lives of its citizens in a real way.
“It’s for exactly reasons like Egypt’s gas supply to Israel why Jews need to act as a unified people inside the state,” Mr. Kaufman said.
Then there is the issue of Gaza.  The December 2008 “Cast Lead” campaign did not yield the results Israel needed.  In fact, a member of the IDF General Staff said that “Gaza is possibly Israel’s most volatile front today... It is a front that can explode at any given moment.”