As Israelis who serve in the army, pay taxes, and deeply love our country, we find ourselves grappling with what is going on in our country – terrorist attacks, IDF operations, and, Tuesday, a country flooded with protests against the government’s judicial plans.
I have profound concern about the current situation. But my fear is outweighed only by my love and sense of responsibility for the future of this country. We will never let Israel fall to disunity or fraternal hatred, as it fell almost 2,000 years ago.
Regardless of our disagreements, we must remember that there is no “us” and “them” – everything in Israel belongs to all of us: the army, the police, the judiciary. It is our collective duty to address the issues that need fixing – together.
As Israelis, we must stand together for a stronger future
And from that profound sense of love and responsibility, I come to two important assertions:
First, we must do everything to preserve that sense of shared destiny. We cannot stop loving this country or believing that it belongs to all of us.
Recent calls not to show up for reserve duty have sparked a public and personal debate. Such action could jeopardize our responsibility for our shared future.
That is why I call on Israel’s dedicated reservists to show up for duty, regardless of political opinion – Right and Left. While I oppose the current government, reserve duty represents that shared purpose and a sense of belonging; we need to extend this ethos to all aspects of Israeli society.
Not showing up will harm Israel’s security, harm by those people who have contributed most to keep us safe. But it will also do something else, far worse. It will show that we are no longer dedicated to keep on fighting – not against our enemies, but for the future of our country. It will imply that some people are throwing in the towel; that we are giving up. That is both sad and dangerous for us as a people.
Reservists' right to protest: A call for respect and understanding
We need all Zionist Israelis serving in the reserves – and demonstrating in the streets.
At the same time, those who did not serve in the army – including senior ministers in the current government – have no right to criticize reservists who are protesting. I know firsthand, as a minister in the past two governments, how members of the current government who complain about reservists crossing redlines had themselves crossed every possible redline just a few months ago.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the Likud members sent criminals and yeshiva students to demonstrate near the houses of members of the right-wing parties who were part of the previous government, until they broke. “Tik Tok” minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who did not serve in the army, went to the scenes of attacks and disturbed the security forces, to get five seconds of fame on TV. And Benjamin Netanyahu conducted that orchestra, even once or twice claiming in English that the government led by Naftali Bennett was like a dictatorship.
Time for a profound political transformation
My second assertion is that we need a profound political transformation.
The Likud Party, once a symbol of strength and right-wing ideologies, has lost its way and must rebuild itself. It is no longer just about Netanyahu and his trial; the entire party is plagued by a fixation on trivial matters at the expense of the nation’s true needs. The Likud may be a powerful political brand, but its weaknesses and decay prevent effective leadership and meaningful action on addressing Israel’s fundamental challenges, such as governance in the Arab sector and integration of the ultra-Orthodox.
Within the Likud, there exist well-intentioned individuals who privately acknowledge the need for change, but they often hesitate to express their true beliefs publicly. These individuals, referred to as Marranos, resemble the clandestine Jews in Spain during the Inquisition. They fear the social media Inquisition and behave differently on the public stage compared to their private conversations. This lack of courage prevents the party from embracing necessary reforms openly.
For those who seek right-wing policies and government stability, it is imperative to recognize that the Likud, in its current form, falls short. It no longer sustains the ethos of togetherness made famous by Menachem Begin – we are “Jews! brothers!”
If the well-intentioned liberal MKs in the Likud cannot find the courage to speak out and lead to a rebuilding of the party that has led Israel for the better part of 40 years, then there is no question as to what the alternative to it must be.
The need for a new national, liberal right-wing party
Israel needs a new national, liberal right-wing party, a Zionist Right – exactly the opposite of what the Likud and this government have become. It needs a party that is broad and brings back the ethos once proudly embodied in the national liberal movement; a party that brings together the national liberal secular and the National-Religious (dati leumi), who are liberal on questions of church and state, yet conservative on questions of security and defense. This party – and, unfortunately, the Likud has shown it cannot play this role – is not only imperative; it is the only way forward for Israel.
Reservists represent this very ethos. Serving in these units are people from diverse backgrounds who set aside ideological differences and demonstrate their common love and sense of responsibility for their homeland. We must embrace service and look to it for inspiration – for ending polarization; for prioritizing the nation’s long-term interests over short-term gains; for a national leadership, absent today, that will embody the spirit of unity and solve Israel’s big problems; and, above all else, for a party that puts the public good over the personal.
We need a transformation of the political landscape of our country. We need a new national, liberal, Zionist right-wing movement that embodies it. As we seek that, and move forward to achieve it, we cannot relinquish our love and responsibility for the country.
The writer served as communications minister in Israel’s previous two governments.