Naftali Bennett: The face of class amid a gov't of chaos
Amid all the shouting and catcalls, all the ill will and chaos, Naftali remained calm and resolute. He did not stoop to the level of his detractors, he did not answer in kind.
By STEWART WEISSITAMAR BEN-GVIR of the Otzma Yehudit Party is led out of the Knesset after heckling Bennett. (photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Let’s start here: Mazal Tov Prime Minister Bennett! You have been blessed by God with the highest position in the Jewish world. It is a daunting and formidable task, yet one for which you are eminently suited. You have served with distinction in many diverse roles – and you are creative, intelligent and indefatigably hard-working. Most of all, you have a deep love and commitment to the land of Israel, the people of Israel and the Torah of Israel.Sadly, your term was launched devoid of the honor and respect it deserved. The now-opposition members of the Knesset behaved in a revolting, disgraceful manner that shamed not only them but our entire nation. Before the eyes of millions, both here and across the globe, the haredi parties gave a master class in hillul Hashem, publicly desecrating God’s name. Screaming out uncontrollably like wild animals, with no respect whatsoever for their position or for the institution of government, they used every slur in their vicious vocabulary, from “heretic” to “traitor” to rasha (evil one). They even sarcastically called upon you to remove your kippa.They did this more out of fear than out of anger. The lavish money train upon which they have been traveling for more than two decades is rolling to a halt, and they are facing the dreaded prospect of having to integrate into Israeli society at large, with all the responsibilities and obligations that includes. The invisible prison they have erected – denying their communities the tools to join the workforce, demeaning the IDF and demonizing those who do join, establishing themselves as elites who deserve a privileged status – is starting to be dismantled. Perhaps the phrase that scared them the most is when you promised to “give them their fair share.” But they don’t want their fair share; they want infinitely more than that. That is what happens when you are infected by the disease of extreme entitlement.And so they are panicking. This is a syndrome the rabbis call Tamei, tamei yikra (those who are impure call everyone else impure). If the haredi parties are afraid that conversion will become diluted and rampant in Israel, why did they not work over the years to find a viable solution to this ever-growing crisis? If they are concerned that kashrut standards will be lessened, why did they not use their influence to upgrade those standards in a way that was palatable to the public? And if they fear that the Chief Rabbinate will decline, why did they work while in power to subvert that very office, denying the leadership to eminently qualified Zionist scholars like Rav Yakov Ariel, Rav Simcha Kook, Rav Hayim David HaLevi and Rav Stav? Most of all, why did they not positively influence the public with a Torah “whose ways are pleasantness, leading only to peace?”My bubbie used to say in her inimitable Yiddish: A Galach ken zein frum, ober a Yid darf zein ehrlich (A priest can be religious, but a Jew must have integrity.) Integrity is a byproduct of humility and a healthy dose of hakarat hatov, appreciation and gratitude for everything you have been given.As the father of a fallen soldier killed in battle by Hamas terrorists, I was particularly outraged when members of the “Religious Zionist” party held up pictures of victims of terror, implying that this coalition, which includes Mansour Abbas, is an insult to the victims and will be weak on terror. But didn’t your fearless leader Benjamin Netanyahu open the door to bringing Abbas into the government? And let us not forget that Bibi was the one who caved in to public pressure in the Gilad Shalit fiasco, freeing more than 1,000 bloodthirsty terrorists in 2006, many of whom have returned to their evil ways and have already perpetrated dozens of murders of innocent Jews.As for the former prime minister, he sadly cemented his decline from superb statesman to Mr. Sour Grapes. He could have admitted his failure to gather a coalition in four tries, as well as his adamant refusal to step down from the Likud premiership, which certainly would have enabled the forging of a right-wing government. He could have graciously passed the mantle of leadership to the newly elected representatives and wished them success. Instead, he, too, chose the low road. He heaped scorn and derision on Bennett and Lapid, engaged in shameless self-promotion, and then defiantly swore to do everything possible to work against the new government. As Shakespeare would have put it, “Ah, what a falling-off was there.” The man who accomplished so much, who led so admirably for so long, simply could not check his ego for the good of the nation.Amid all the shouting and catcalls, all the ill will and chaos, Naftali remained calm and resolute. He did not stoop to the level of his detractors, he did not answer in kind. Instead, he pledged to work and fight for all of Israel’s citizens – represented vividly by the scope of his coalition – and even thanked Netanyahu for all his many accomplishments. He acted like a mentsch, displaying the same virtues and strengths that have distinguished his career and will make him a superb prime minister.The road ahead is fraught with innumerable obstacles and challenges. No doubt it will be made even more formidable due to the opposition, who are striving mightily to fulfill Pogo’s ominous observation, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” But Bennett has shown his fortitude under fire many times before, from his days in Sayeret Matkal, in the competitive international business world and virtually every aspect of Israeli leadership. He needs our support and he deserves our prayers.Naftali, as the first Israeli PM to wear a kippa, you make us proud and you bring pride to our country. As for the size of that kipa, remember that it is what’s under the kipa that really matters. May Hashem bless you with strength and success. The writer is director of the Jewish Outreach Center of Ra’anana. jocmtv@netvi
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