Israeli society is a work in progress. What we’ll end up with depends in no small measure on how we read what’s going on around us – and how we respond.
By DAVID BREAKSTONEIsraeli flags 521(photo credit: Illustrative photo: Reuters)
This is our life here in Israel. It’s possibleto imagine the kind of society we’d really like to have. The truth, however, is that we have no alternative butto continue languishing in stale molds of thinking.It’s so difficult to break habits and far more comfortableto go on caring only about ourselves. It’s impossible to think that we might live happily and with a sense of meaning.Instead we are raising our children to be apathetic and without purpose.We no longer wantideals like mutual responsibility and concern for the downtroddenand instead we rewardhypocrisy, power and pride. We no longer accept the essence of our anthem is something to live by.Hopedoesn’t reside here anymore.Cynicismis the only way to survive.In the world we’ve created, valuing our interdependencehas been rebuffed.The culture of ego, contempt and self-righteousnessengulfs us. The spirit of compassion and caring for the stranger in our midstbelongs to the past.Acceptance of prejudice and gender discriminationhas become commonplace.Dedication to the common goodis a value no longer in vogue.Materialism, that is all that interests us.The pursuit of peacehas been discredited and the domination of deceit, avarice and exploitation characterizes our society.Social justicehas been rejected andreligion as a source of intolerance and coercionhas become the norm. “Love your neighbor as yourself,”that’s the biggest cliché there is.There’s no possibility of changing anything anymore.It’s ludicrous to maintain thatthere are those who still believethe ideals of Zionism aren’t lost forever,that we can make things right.Keep dreaming.We are not what we once hoped to become. It is time to move on and turn the page.**It is time to move on and turn the page.We are not what we once hoped to become. Keep dreamingthat we can make things right.The ideals of Zionism aren’t lost forever.There are those who still believe. It’s ludicrous to maintain thatthere’s no possibility of changing anything anymore.That’s the biggest cliché there is.“Love your neighbor as yourself”has become the norm. Religion as a source of intolerance and coercionhas been rejected andsocial justicecharacterizes our society.The domination of deceit, avarice and exploitation has been discredited andthe pursuit of peace,that is all that interests us.
Materialismis a value no longer in vogue.Dedication to the common goodhas become commonplace.Acceptance of prejudice and gender discriminationbelongs to the past.The spirit of compassion and caring for the stranger in our midstengulfs us.The culture of ego, contempt and self-righteousnesshas been rebuffed.In the world we’ve created, valuing our interdependenceis the only way to survive.Cynicismdoesn’t reside here anymore.Hope,the essence of our anthem is something to live by.We no longer accept hypocrisy, power and prideand instead we rewardideals like mutual responsibility and concern for the downtrodden.We no longer wantto be apathetic and without purpose.Instead we are raising our childrento think that we might live happily and with a sense of meaning.It’s impossibleto go on caring only about ourselves.It’s so difficult to break habits and far more comfortableto continue languishing in stale molds of thinking.The truth, however, is that we have no alternative butto imagine the kind of society we’d really like to have.It’s possible.This is our life here in Israel.The writer is vice chairman of the World Zionist Organization and a member of the executive of The Jewish Agency. This column was inspired by and adapted from a video clip produced by The Arvut Social Movement www.arvut.org/he/
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