Dear {{first_name}},
I find myself checking the news a number of times throughout the day. I look at an American news site, then the Jerusalem Post, and then the Times of Israel. Time and again I read the news to stay “in the know” about what’s happening here and in Israel. The problem with the news is it’s never good. The news tends to be dark and depressing and about hardship and sadness. Looking for light in the news is a tough task.
Since November, the State of Israel has been working on forming a new government. Israel is a Parliamentary Democracy, and as such, they have a different system than we have in America, a democracy with three distinct branches. The way Israel elects its government is that people vote for a party. Depending on how many votes that party gets, they will receive that proportion of the seats in the Knesset. The total number of seats is 120, and thus 61 is the number needed to form a government. It’s unlikely any single party will receive 61 seats so they form coalitions to get to the 61 minimum majority government. The new Israeli government will be 64 seats, which is a solid majority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest serving Prime Minister in Israel’s history, is back and has managed to forge this coalition. While Bibi’s view and policies were once thought to be those of the far right in a rather liberal western country, they’re now the most moderate in this new governing coalition. His Likud party is being joined by much further right-wing and religious parties.
Over the months since the election took place, the negotiations have yielded a vision many in the State of Israel and around the world are very fearful of. One party is unabashedly anti-LGBTQ, and anti-women for that matter. Multiple parties are openly antagonistic at best towards any expression of Judaism other then their own. Multiple members of the new government have been arrested for crimes and some have even been convicted. The new agreements, which are non-binding, include gutting the legislative review of the judiciary branch, allowing establishments to openly discriminate against people, and allowing bigots into the Knesset. The new government is also pledging to annex the West Bank. It’s difficult to believe all this is happening in our homeland, in the State of Israel, but these are the realities on the ground.
In such a world, we’re forced to confront our deepest fears and our ironclad commitments. We’re fearful of such a worldview and yet we’re deeply committed to the State of Israel. It’s not acceptable to play this reality off with “whataboutisms.” We can’t say “well what about this country and what they’re doing to this group?” Or, “what about America… They have bad people in their government?” It doesn’t matter what happens elsewhere. That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about the land we love and support and our love and support don’t go away now. It’s essential to show our love and caring through advocacy and by talking. We can show the State of Israel and its leaders we’re dismayed and we expect better. Look no further than the sheer number of articles that have been written about this current situation. Look at the statement of the Jewish Federations of North America:
“Jewish Federations of North America congratulate incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on forming a new government. We have had a long and fruitful relationship with the incoming Prime Minister and we look forward to continuing to work with him and the new government to support the growth and vitality of the Jewish State and to strengthen the relationships between Israel and the North American Jewish community. We look forward to celebrating Israel’s 75th Independence Day with the Prime Minister and thousands of North American leaders who will be coming to Israel this April to mark this proud milestone at Federations’ special “Israel at 75 General Assembly.”
Jewish Federations’ commitment to strengthening the ties between Israel and North American Jewry is an eternal one, and the bonds that unite our two communities are unbreakable. Our love and commitment to the Jewish State transcends any one government, any one point in time, and any particular policy or statement. With this principle in mind, it’s important to express our significant concerns over statements and positions held by some members of the incoming coalition, which have serious implications for Jewish communities in the U.S. and around the world. We’ll continue to make clear the North American Jewish community’s perspective on relevant government proposals and to advocate for policies and initiatives that help build a welcoming, inclusive and pluralistic society.
As we gather this Shabbat to read the words of Parshat VaYigash, we’ll read the words of the great reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers. We’ll read about the tears that were shed when the brothers proved they had changed. The tears that were shed by Joseph because he was astonished his brothers showed remorse and showed change. We’ll will read of the real fears the other brothers felt when they realized it was Joseph, the brother they had left for dead and ultimately sold into slavery. The tears and fear are real. We pray for our fears to be unrealized and hope for our tears to be welcomed as we see pride and not sorrow. We hope for our shared vision of Israel, being a light unto the nations, will continue and that our global Jewish unity won’t be broken by voices that don’t speak for the majority. We have so much that unites us and we must never allow moments of disunity, anger and hurt to ever take over our future and our shared destiny.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Hearshen
