My Torah (Bible) is Israel’s Declaration of Independence. My Faith is in The People of Israel. My Belief is That Israel is The National Homeland of All Jews.

I am a proud, albeit questioning Jew. I am a proud Zionist.  I believe passionately in the right of the Jewish people to self determination, and a home of our own in our national homeland, the Land of Israel.

I am not religious.  I do not keep the sabbath, nor do I attend Synagogue. I do however have a deep personal connection to our history, our traditions, our culture, and yes, even our religion.  I admire personal faith and have great respect for those who find strength, comfort, and meaning in the Torah and their Jewish faith.  I have little faith however, with the institutions of religion. My own Judaism manifests itself in my Zionism, in my passion for Israel, the land, the people, our common goals, common  interests and our future as a nation.   

My Torah (Bible) is our Declaration of Independence,

Our Declaration of Independence is a magnificent and magical document that delivered so much for the Jewish people and in my opinion, articulates a true miracle of the twentieth century.  This document gave birth to the modern Jewish State.  After more than 2000 years of wandering, hoping and praying, the Jewish people finally came home, realising the hopes and dreams of a people living in exile for far too long..  The Declaration of Independence is a meticulously crafted document setting out the establishment of the modern Jewish by right.

“BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL.” 

Importantly, the document also clearly sets out the basic values and ideals upon which the state would be based.  “THE STATE OF ISRAEL WILL BE OPEN FOR JEWISH IMMIGRATION AND FOR THE INGATHERING OF THE EXILES; IT WILL FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL ITS INHABITANTS; IT WILL BE BASED ON FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND PEACE AS ENVISAGED BY THE PROPHETS OF ISRAEL; IT WILL ENSURE COMPLETE EQUALITY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS TO ALL ITS INHABITANTS IRRESPECTIVE OF RELIGION, RACE OR SEX; IT WILL GUARANTEE FREEDOM OF RELIGION, CONSCIENCE, LANGUAGE, EDUCATION AND CULTURE; IT WILL SAFEGUARD THE HOLY PLACES OF ALL RELIGIONS; AND IT WILL BE FAITHFUL TO THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS.”

For me our Declaration of Independence is a de facto constitution, a “sacred” document, providing a robust vision of  Jewish and Democratic State, in which I believe, and for which I have fought and advocated my entire adult life.

Regrettably this vision is now under threat.  There is a concerted effort to dismantle the pillars of Israel’s democracy and betray the values upon which the modern State of Israel has been built.  It falls upon us all to defend the Zionist dream from those who would turn it into an extremist nightmare. 

My faith is in the people of Israel, 

All the people of Israel!  OK, the country is broken, or at least badly damaged.  But the people of Israel, at least, the majority, are “bigger” than any ideological divide, religious difference or attempt to divide us.  All evidence to the contrary, we are not so easily swayed by narrow minded fanatics, determined to sew hate and division for the sake of self-aggrandisement, personal interest, fanaticism and ultimately, power and control. 

Many will read this and call me naïve, or blind, but my faith is based upon my lived experience.  In the military, I served with my fellow Israelis from all walks of life, different religious and ideological backgrounds.  We served together, relied upon, and trusted each other, in the most extreme situations.  We were true brothers in arms, where unity was an absolute necessity.  

On the surface Israelis often seem rude, detached and at odds, yet the goodness and kindness in everyday life in this country never ceases to amaze me.  I had a beat-up old car which broke down on several occasions.  Every time however, without exception, someone would stop to see if I needed help.  Twice it was Arab Israelis who stopped. One was actually a mechanic who fixed my car there and then, but refused when I offered to pay him. My elderly father out shopping, has been offered aid and rides home by total strangers, religious, secular and all. 

I made a film with a Haredi editor, an experience indeed.  We had little in common in the way we lived our lives, but working together was, I believe, an enriching as well as fun experience for us both. It lso produce one hell of a film. I play poker with a mixed bunch, including religious Jews and Arabs.  It often makes for vigorous debate, even arguments across the table, but our friendship, tolerance for the other, common interests and “love of poker” ensures we get together time after time and enjoy each other’s company.

These are but a few examples, with too many stories to tell. The fact is, ordinary Israelis do amazing things for each other on a daily basis. As stand by my faith in the people of this country, and their desire to live together as one people with respect and dignity for all. 

In truth, most Israelis are politically somewhere in the middle, be it centre left or centre right.  The vast majority of Israeli Jews are Zionists. 

The Jewish and Zionist identity of modern Israel is very much intact.  Sure, we have different ideas of what that means, how the country should be run, along with what place religion should take within the framework of the State.  However, despite the differences and the sometimes seemingly insurmountable disagreements, the vast majority of Jews in Israel see themselves as connected to each other.  They understand that we live in an imperfect world yet, in the miracle that is the modern State of Israel, we live together and somehow we manage to get on, with the typically Israeli attitude of “it will be OK”.

Of course, there are those among us who seek to exploit our differences, sew hatred and division.  Currently to many of us, it feels as if they are succeeding, but only to a point.  Even as they try to undermine the very pillars of our democracy and tear away at the fabric of our society, people across the full spectrum of Israeli society are making it clear that this is unacceptable. 

Hundreds of thousands of ordinary Israelis, people who are ideologically at odds with one another, religious and secular, Ashkenazi, Sephardi, right wing, left wing and everything in between, are marching together to say no.  This will not be.  And even those who are not marching, in the course of their everyday lives, still manage to interact with civility and mutual respect, in numerous ways.  

Israel is a tiny country. Like it or not, we live among one another.  There is no room for ghettos. On the street, in the shops on buses, in taxis on the train, wherever, we are all in the same boat.  We cannot escape nor should we want to. We are all different yet we are all the same, We are Jews. We are Israelis.

The imbalances and divisions are all too real.  They are serious and perhaps today more serious than ever in our short history.  Our long history however teaches that division leads ultimately to disaster.  It has always been said that if our enemies were just to leave us alone for fifty years or so, we would turn on each other and ultimately destroy ourselves.  We have tended to laugh at the notion, although perhaps now is the time to stop laughing, to realise the danger we pose to ourselves.  Apparently, the lunatics believe they can run the asylum. But, the majority of right-minded individuals, people who love their country are screaming out, “stop the madness” and demanding that sanity prevail.

And what of non-Jewish Israelis?  

After all, over 20% of us are not Jews, but are Israelis, with an important role to play in our society and in our country.  In the past year alone, three non Jewish members of the security forces have given their lives in the service of their country.  Yes, Border Police officer Asil Suaed, from the Bedouin community, Border police officer Yezen Falah from the Druze community, and Police Officer, Amir Khoury, a Christin Arab, were all proud Israelis who paid the ultimate price defending their country and their fellow Israelis, Jewish and non Jewish, religious and secular.  May their memories be a blessing. 

There are an increasing number of Israeli Arabs, Bedouin and Druze who proudly serve in the IDF, Border Police, Police and security forces, yet there are those, many of whom have not served a day in their life, who would see these fallen Israeli heroes, their families and their communities treated as second class citizens.  Shame on them.

Without Arab medical professionals, doctors, nurses and all, our health system could not function.  Arabs feature in all professions and across all sectors, working together with Jews.  Do we live together, no not really.  There are separate Arab towns and villages, with only a few truly mixed towns and communities.

Yet there are also separate Hasidic towns and neighbourhoods,  Is there racism?  For sure.  Do we live in an imperfect world? Absolutely..  But the fact remains that the vast majority of Israeli Arabs, whether they identify as Palestinian Israelis or as Israeli Arabs, who want the country to thrive and prosper.

And they want to play their part, as well as receive their fair share in that prosperity.  There is also and acceptance that Israel is the national homeland of the Jews (perhaps reluctantly for many).  For the first time an Arab political party sat in a coalition government, with their leader stating unequivocally, and publicly, that Israel is the national homeland of the Jewish people, However, as a minority in the Jewish State they expect and even demand that they receive full and equal rights, not just under the law, but in practice, as laid out in our Declaration of Independence.

Israel is a small country living under constant threat. We have a diverse population, a rich mosaic of cultures, backgrounds, religious beliefs and political ideologies.  Our eclectic nature can be our strength or our downfall.  The only way for us to survive and thrive is through unity, mutual respect, freedom and equality for all.  If we fail to live up to our Declaration of Independence, we are doomed.

My belief is that Israel is the national homeland of all Jews.  

Israel was created as the national homeland of all Jews, from the most observant to the wholly secular.  No one group has rights or preference over the other, nor should it.  As things stand today, Orthodox Judaism retains control of Judaism in Israel.  They have control over the Kotel (Western Wall) the holiest site in Judaism for all Jews. The orthodox also control many aspects of everyday life in Israel, including births, deaths and marriage. 

They have a monopoly on Kashrut, and have considerable influence in the education system, the health service, the IDF and other Israeli institutions.  This is the reality even though in Israel, Orthodox Jews are in the minority of Jews in Israel and an even smaller percentage of world Jewry.

Israel is also the national homeland of Judaism, but that means Judaism in all it’s forms and guises. The country has provided an environment for Orthodox Judaism to thrive, which is welcome, but there must be equal respect and accommodation for non orthodox Jews, who make up the majority of Jews, both in Israel and across the world.

The Conservative, Masorti (traditional) and Reform movements must be allowed to practise their faith in Israel, in the manner they see fit.  The Kotel and other holy places are holy and national sites and monuments of great importance to all Jews.  Secular Jews in Israel live what they see as a modern Jewish life, where their Judaism manifests itself in their Zionism, their patriotism, or in their daily lives as Jews in Israel, celebrating Jewish holidays, Jewish culture and even Jewish history.  Serving in the army is a big part of Jewish life in Israel, as are youth movements, volunteering and other everyday non religious activities throughout the country.  

One might argue that it was a new kind of secular Judaism that established and built the modern State which in turn enabled the Orthodox community to flourish.  Yet important aspects in the lives of secular jews in Israel are controlled by the Orthodox. How is it possible, let alone fair, that there is still no civil marriage in Israel.  A secular Jewish couple who do not wish to be married in an Orthodox ceremony must leave the country to be married officially, a bizarre and unacceptable situation in a modern democracy, even a Jewish one.

And finally, along with being the national homeland of all Jews, Israel is a liberal democracy, albeit imperfect,  dedicated to all Jews as well as freedom, equality and human rights for all citizens, as set out in our Declaration of Independence, my personal Torah (bible).  

The Jewish identity of our country is strong.  It does not need strengthening.  Those who claim to want to “strengthen” the Jewish identity of Israel want no such thing.  What they want is to strengthen religion in the country, to gain a stranglehold on the country, to drive our country backwords.

An extremist minority see an opportunity to take advantage of a weak and desperate Prime Minister, and impose their beliefs and way of life on the majority. 

We must all stand up to those who would divide us. We must all make it clear that only in unity can we survive as a country, as a nation and as a people.  We must make it clear to the extremists among us that we will not allow them to turn the Zionist dream into an extremist nightmare.