JERUSALEM — One reason why I didn’t go to Tel Aviv on Saturday night to attend the rally in support of Israeli democracy was because I attended the celebration of 25th anniversary of the founding of Kol Haneshama, our congregation in Jerusalem.
Kol Haneshama was born in the home of its spiritual leader Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman and gained prominence when, having moved to a public hall, the local Orthodox rabbi came with other thugs to physically attack it one Simchat Torah because women were dancing with the Torah. The mayor, the late Teddy Kollek, was so incensed by this attack that he gave the congregation a piece of land that enabled it to grow.
Today, it’s the largest non-Orthodox congregation in the country with an international reputation second to none. Most Reform and many Conservative groups from abroad visiting Jerusalem have spent a Friday evening service there and often been even inspired to take a tune or a practice with them home as a kind of lasting souvenir.
The rabbi suggested at the celebration that the event, too, was a demonstration for Israeli democracy. The very existence of the synagogue, together with many others, has reminded Israelis of the virtue and value of pluralism and persuaded them to identify with it, even if they themselves pray elsewhere or, which is more likely, don’t pray at all
The fact that the success of Kol Haneshama is at least in part due to an act of bigotry and violence that propelled it into prominence may also be a clue to the theme of the demonstration in Tel Aviv. According reports, Avigdor Lieberman and Iran were cited as the two major contemporary threats Israel, with Lieberman considered to be an even greater menace from within than Iran from without.
But the fact that the foreign minister’s latest rant, this time against human rights organizations in Israel, has created such a reaction suggests that, instead of delivering a blow to democracy, he has in fact invigorated its exponents – just as that rabbi who attacked members of Kol Haneshama achieved the very opposite to what he intended.
The same may be true of Iran. Though that threat is indeed serious, and the current antics of Hezbollah in Lebanon yet another manifestation, there’s also much to suggest that even more than Israel has reason to fear the regime of the Ayatollahs, so have most of Israel’s Muslim neighbours. It’s, therefore, not inconceivable that, at least some of them, most likely surreptitiously, will recognize that close cooperation with Israel, perhaps as orchestrated by the US, is their best hope for survival.
The demonstrators in Tel Aviv may have had good reason to state that Lieberman is more dangerous than Iran because only the Israelis themselves can deal with him – not, God beware, by violence but by democratic means, if not immediately then surely the next time the country goes to the polls. The sooner he’s out of power the better for all.
Iran, on the other hand, isn’t only a matter for Israel. In fact, unilateral Israeli action, even with American blessing and support, may not only be risky, costly and bloody but also counterproductive. Here’s an opportunity for large scale concerted action
The allegedly dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process may well receive a real boost as a result of Arab interests in curbing Iran. Whether Israeli politicians, with Lieberman still responsible for foreign affairs, can pull it off remains uncertain, but not impossible. Turning adversity into triumph has been a characteristic of Jewish history.
*
Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. He now divides his time between Canada and Israel.