On Israel’s 73rd Anniversary of Independence

 

Israel’s Basic Law mandates that, after an election, the President meets with representatives of each elected political party to ask who they would back as Prime Minister before inviting one MK to form a ruling coalition. With Israel’s electorate balanced so precariously, last week’s meetings took on an intriguing significance when President Rivlin invited in the cameras. At the age of 82, at the end of his term as Head of State, Rivlin took an opportunity to imprint on the leadership of each of Israel’s political parties a vision of what Israel could and must become. Noah Efron, of The Promised Podcast, shared an extraordinary synopsis of the day. I have drawn heavily on his reporting in this post.   The President asked the Likud representatives whether a President should consider ethical considerations in considering to whom to offer the opportunity to form a coalition. They responded that such matters should be left to the courts – for who is to say that the President’s ethical compass should overwhelm the expressions of the populace at the ballot box? It was an argument Rivlin accepted as serious and ‘probably correct.’   Rivlin, a lifelong Revisionist son of Revisionist parents (political hawk), greeted the Labour representative Omar Bar-Lev – dove and founder of Peace Now - with great warmth. Rivlin served in Israel’s army under Bar Lev’s father. Bar-Lev Senior, Rivlin noted, had danced at Rivlin’s wedding – despite their political difference.   When the Joint List group entered Beit Ha-Nasi – the House of the President, Rivlin commended their the decision, after the last election, to recommend a Prime Minister from the Zionist parties; the first time an Arab-Israeli party had expressed support for any Zionist potential Prime Minister. Party leader, Ayman Oded shared his party had ‘taken up the gauntlet,’ demonstrating a desire to be partners in forging Israel’s narrative as a country of both Jews and Arabs.   Ra’am MK, Mazen Ghnaim, was also warmly greeted. Ghnaim, previously, was Head of the remarkably successful Bnei Sakhnin Football Club – at a time when Rivlin was Head of Beitar Yerushalayim FC. “My friend,” Rivlin greeted the Islamicist, “We knew back then how to work together, and how to win with teams of both Jews and Arabs.” Rivlin went on to say, “Israeli Arabs are the bridge, the possibility of creating some sort of understanding and mutual trust between the sides, because trust is what will bring peace… These things are etched onto the tablet of my heart as an Israeli citizen and as the son of the translator [into Hebrew] of the Koran.”   The headline, the next day, was that, as expected, the President invited Bibi Netanyahu to form a government. But behind the headline – which seemed to reflect only the intractable nature of Israel’s many political conundrums – lay nuance and hope and a willingness to reach out of silos towards a democratic future for a State whose existence and flourishing is so close to my heart. Maybe that is always the case with headlines and the multi-layered reality they both reflect and conceal.   Kol Od BLeivav – still in the heart of this Jew lies that great hope – HaTivkvah Bat Shanot Alpayim, of freedom, empathy, security and peace. The seeds that will, please God, eventually become the great cedars of this vision of hope have been planted, nurtured and tended by so many for so many years. To those who have built, and even died to protect, the State whose 73-year-old existence we celebrate today, we salute you. To those for whom the Declaration of Independence represent a disaster – the Nakba – we seek to empathise and respond bravely to your loss, even as we affirm Israel’s right to exist in security. And to the future – we still hope. We will always hope.   Yom Ha'atzmaut Sameach