PRESIDENT OF THE EURO-ASIAN JEWISH CONGRESS MICHAEL MIRILASHVILI ANALYZED THE POST-OCTOBER 7 EVENTS AND HOW JEWS SHOULD ACT.
By MICHAEL MIRILASHVILI, January 1, 2024 15:39
Michael Mirilashvili at the Jerusalem Post Conference
It seems that everyone agrees. However, how do we implement this in real life? The president, in words, expresses the feelings of all of us. With every day that has passed since the tragic events of October 7, the pain caused by the war and uncertainty have intensified. When we return to reality, we risk repeating the deep divisions that have arisen in our society over the years. annually.
But let's try to understand what happened to us besides the terrible national trauma on October 7th. Everyone continues to put all their strength into helping the country and disadvantaged people, although we are all trying to understand what has happened and find a solution to this problem. Let us remember how people who were not going to talk to each other just a few weeks before the tragic incident suddenly found themselves in the same units, tanks, fields, and volunteer centers. At that moment, there was so much warmth, affection, and acceptance. even more unity and support from the Jewish community in the Diaspora.
We realize that rumors about the loss of unity and hatred for each other are inaccurate. We remain one person, but this is said for a reason. We kind of forgot the feeling of unity and togetherness back then. We haven't experienced that in a long time. After October 7, we regained the almost-lost trust of our people.
We respect unity in times of security for a reason. As a nation, we have experienced this feeling of mobility and unity in difficult times, unfortunately. However, we stubbornly forget about this feeling every time the sky is clear and peaceful again. Now we have another opportunity to understand the words about unity, not just as a cliche but as a call to action, because we have experienced them ourselves and have once again realized that they are not really empty words or fictitious ideals.
Tragedy should not have caused this union. It should be our benchmark and our ideal once and for all.
But what does it really mean to gather today?
This does not mean that we should not talk about politics at all, avoid criticism, take care of our own opinions, and remain silent. In a good democratic society, political discussion is normal. But our methods must change. One of the biggest challenges we face today is learning the culture of discussion so that disagreements are no longer a destructive force and help us find the right path. We must improve our public discourse. We are different, and we have very different opinions and perspectives, and that is a fact that we must accept. As a result, we must strive to challenge opinions without breaking the rules. Those who have a different perspective are not enemies, although they see the future of the country in a different way. On the contrary, criticism and political discussion must be based on respect and a deep awareness that those who argue differently are not enemies. Live them for you.
Does unity mean that all the delicate issues that we discussed before the war should be forgotten? That's for sure not. We have to go back to this discussion and solve that problem. While it is true that we had a very difficult conversation in front of us, it had to be done in a different vein.
We do not compete with who loves this country less or who is not patriotic enough. For our present and future, people from all walks of Israeli society are literally sacrificing themselves on the battlefield. Therefore, this discussion is irrelevant. Only the deep conviction that your opponent is your true partner, who, like you, wants good and prosperity for our country and our people, will allow us to speak respectfully and calmly, even when our views are completely at odds.
This applies to everyone, regardless of our social position and our daily activities. However, public leaders are the most important. It's based on two principles: responsibility and transparency. Responsibility for every word and deed, and the desire to speak to society openly, transparently, and honestly. Dialogue should take place in the form of constructive ideas, calls for answers, and respectful responsibility rather than slogans. In essence, everyone should know that the country is not short of people and that everyone plays an important role, as was done a few weeks after the war.
The Jews have experienced terrible historical times. When our existence is in danger, we have passed many critical points. Nevertheless, we always rise and only get stronger. I firmly believe that we will overcome this crisis, like the previous one, regardless of how heated our discussions are. But in the end, we need to learn. The president, who has served as the leader of a very responsible government, must listen to the voice of reason. In addition, I believe that, as a stronger and healthier society, we will be able to get out of any crisis.
The president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is Michael Mirilashvili.
News Sources : ( https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-780304?dicbo=v2-nFcWVmx )
What's Your Reaction?
