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Time to Speak Up
Shalom Chaverim,
“Let us not allow our grief to harden into indifference, nor our love for Israel to blind us to the cries of the vulnerable. Let us rise to the moral challenge of this movement.” Statement of the Union for Reform Judaism
Israel’s government has become a major risk to the future of the country – maybe bigger than Israel’s formidable enemies. It is divisive, racist, and anti-democratic. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the government is degrading Israel’s moral standing in the world.
Hunger in Gaza
The disaster in Gaza is not just a military failure, it’s a moral failure. A large portion of Israelis have come to realize this.
The failure of the Netanyahu government has turned Israel’s closest allies against it and reduced the chances for new regional alliances. It has allowed Hamas to harden its positions which will, ironically, help Hamas to survive the war – the worst outcome for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The government has now opened the gates to aid. This is an admission of failure. It will not erase the disaster it created.
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) issued this statement on the situation in Gaza.
Violence with impunity
It doesn’t help Israel’s moral reputation that West Bank settlers regularly damage the property of West Bank Palestinians, and often attack individuals. Yet the criminals are rarely arrested and almost never charged.
The Minister of National Security (Itamar Ben Gvir) and the Minister overseeing the military in the West Bank (Bezalel Smotrich) are both racist ultra-nationalists. They are behind this disgraceful situation.
Today is the 6th of Av on the Hebrew calendar, only 3 days from Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning the consequences of Jewish infighting and extremism, even in the face of external threats.
Israel is a wonderful country – the homeland of all Jews. We pray that Israelis will have the strength to overcome their current government and put the country back on a path towards democracy, justice for all, and the pursuit of peace. We must do all we can to help.
