Rabbi's Message - Parshat Chayei Sara, November 23, 2019
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B"H Parshat Chayei Sara, November 23, 2019
Israel - post election thoughts
Although I have no right to interfere in Israeli politics my heart still palpitates with concern when I contemplate the outcome of the Israeli elections. I worry about who will be the next prime minister of Israel and what the makeup of the coalition will look like. The potential of a minority government using anti-Israel members of parliament as a method to position themselves as the new government seems incredibly dangerous and shortsighted. There are moments when I want to throw in the proverbial towel and sever my relationship with a masochistically inclined system of governing. But then I realize that as an outsider my opinions only serve to alienate me from the people of Israel.
Israel as a country is really no different than the United States. Some citizens lean to the right while others lean to the left but most are passionate about their country and want to make things better. They may have differing views, ideals, and approaches but anyone who served in the IDF and risked their life protecting the State of Israel shouldn’t be criticized by a rabbi from the USA. Who is correct may never be known but thankfully continual power and control in a democracy is intentionally limited. One day the opposition will eventually attain power and balance is achieved in a democracy.
However, as an American citizen I have every right to vote and make decisions that are self-serving. I have every right to make Israel my number one consideration in elections. I can’t demand that others concur with my choice but I nonetheless have every right to make that choice. As an American I’m proud of my country and proud it continuously runs interference for Israel. I’m no longer shocked when only eight countries vote against ignoring Judaism’s connection to the Temple Mount and decide to refer to it solely by its Muslim name. I’m proud that my country stands up against the incessant biases emanating from the United Nations’ chambers. I’m tired of hearing from those who fear that supporting Israel may have negative political ramifications when standing against Israel will certainly have negative ramifications.
President Trump was begged not to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.The worst was predicted and it was warned that Muslims would riot and chaos and terror would envelop peaceful Arab and Muslim neighbors. I’m proud of our President for standing up to the pressure while thankful that the doomsayers predictions didn’t come to fruition. In the aftermath of the European Union’s pro-BDS and anti-Israel labeling laws, I’m honored that my country announced that the West Bank is not to be considered occupied. I’m delighted that the Golan Heights was also deemed by the United States to be legally under Israeli jurisdiction and though the world vehemently opposed the new understanding, the new reality has done little to rock the relative calm. No, I don’t agree with everything the president does and almost nothing he verbalizes or tweets but I must give credit where credit is due.
Four thousand years ago the Torah gave an account of a seemingly trivial transaction. Sarah dies and Abraham negotiates with the Efron, the leader of Hebron, to purchase the Cave of Machpelah as a burial ground. The contract and the price paid was duly noted and it’s the only time in the Torah that a financial transaction is recorded for posterity. What seemed trivial for thousands of years has taken up immense significance today. The UN may deem Hebron occupied, but the question must be asked, occupied by whom? We have a deed of sale recorded in texts sacred to all religions and thereby giving undeniable legitimacy to our sovereign control over many areas in the West Bank.
Should peace be given a try? Absolutely. I firmly believe that even one life is too high a price to pay for an expansion of territory. Furthermore, territorial concessions is the only way to ensure a lasting and secure coexistence between Israel and its Arab neighbors. However, as much as I hope for peace, I also realize that it can never be obtained from a position of weakness. Fear is a precursor of failure; it sends a message to those who want to destroy us that we are ripe for the taking. It is only when the fear they have of our God mirrors the respect they have for their prophet that our mutual goals can be accomplished.
Elections have consequences and indeed the elections in Israel have changed the dynamics. The right has been weakened while the left has not improved sufficiently to be of significance. Ultimately, a resolution will be found and all I can do is pray that it will pave the way for a coalition based on strength and not fear. A coalition that will embrace the ideological view that Israel is a country that has and will always be uniquely Jewish regardless of how the world may react to that reality. A coalition that will understand that all sectors of our Jewish family are vital to our national identity. A coalition that acknowledges and accepts that Arabs, Druze, and Christians have rights equal to our rights. And a coalition that will be fearless in promoting the ideals of Zionism by being an or lagoyim, a true light to people of all faiths.
