By Rabbi Dow Marmur
JERUSALEM — In a lengthy interview published on the last day of September 2016 in Ha’aretz and hours before the funeral for Shimon Peres yet another former Israeli spy chief offers a critical and penetrating view of contemporary Israel. Ephraim Halevy, age 82 with vast experience of Israeli affairs, secret and revealed, in the country and abroad, sees the present situation as reflecting the most serious crisis in the history of the Jewish state. Here’re a few of his points; I hope you’ll read the whole interview.
Leadership. The first reason that Halevy offers for his despondency is the lack of leadership backbone among Israel’s politicians. He recognizes the current prime minister’s intelligence but questions his propensity for snap decisions. He fears that Vladimir Putin of Russia may be something of a role model for Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel.
Above all he bewails the fact that there’re no alternatives on the horizon. He comments on the fact that several of the political parties are shaped around one man with no evidence of a democratic process: Lapid’s Yesh Atid, Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi, Kahlon’s Kulanu and others. This is often coupled with the vain and unrealistic speculation in many quarters that a former IDF Chief of Staff (Ashkenazy, Ganz or another) will emerge and save us all.
Peace. Much of the lack of leadership is reflected in the Israelis’ fear of negotiating with enemies for the sake of peace in the style of Mandela and De Klerk in South Africa. Halevy argues that Israel shouldn’t be hiding behind the argument that you don’t negotiate with people with blood on their hands. Peace negotiations can only be conducted with enemies.
He mentions several Palestinians with whom you may not want to go on vacation but to whom Israeli leaders should talk, including leaders of Hamas as well as the notorious Marwan Barghouti who’s currently serving several life sentences in an Israeli jail for terrorism but who has the potential of uniting the Palestinians behind a realistic peace solution. Like so many before him, Halevy fears that without a peace settlement Jews will become a minority in Israel.
Orthodox hegemony. The Orthodox establishment may contribute to it. Though he comes from the world of Anglo-Jewish Orthodoxy Ephraim Halevy is fearful of the role of the Orthodox right in Israel. He sees it as a danger and comments on the schizophrenia of on the one hand promoting aliyah and, on the other, rejecting some of the immigrants on the grounds that they aren’t Jewish.
Even more ominously Halevy seems to believe that Yigal Amir who assassinated Prime Minister Rabin didn’t act alone and that there’re still forces in Israeli society that may be behind him and, therefore, may want to act again.
And yet, Ephraim Halevy says that he’s hopeful – not because the current political leaders will see the light but because the Israeli public will react and put the country back on an even keel. He’s not the only one who places his hopes on the people, but the fact that he articulates it in this ominously pessimistic interview suggests that the mixture of despondency and hope of which I’ve often been accused may be the most realistic assessment of Israel today.
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Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Now residing in Israel, he may be contacted via dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com. Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)