opinions & letters
It’s Time for the Israeli Right
to Take a Step Back
Gedaliah Blum
I have lived in Israel for the last 18 years, and most
of the political disputes I have witnessed had
some measure of nuance to them.

Moreover, I have been generally satisfied with the
trajectory of our country’s growth. However, it is
now clear that internal political disputes are creating
division on an unprecedented scale.

I hoped that the last election would bring right-wing
leaders like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to
power in order to counterbalance the left and ensure
that the political establishment would always keep
the interests of the people in mind. But instead of
irreconcilable differences and division among our broth-
ers and sisters? What if the fabric of our society is unrav-
eling before our eyes? What if we call our brothers evil,
dehumanize them and turn them into our enemies?
In Judaism, there is an idea that God’s judgment
takes into consideration the strict letter of the
law, but also views the people and circumstances
involved with mercy. I believe that judicial reform
is required and long overdue, but at what cost? At
what cost will we stand on our pedestals with an iron
fist and talk about majority rule, emphasizing the
letter of the law without taking mercy into consider-
ation? At what cost will we marginalize a large part
of Israel’s population, even if they are a political
minority? At what cost will we continue to allow this
However, we must not allow ourselves to reach a
point where we no longer see each other as brothers
and sisters, or even worse, as enemies.

We Jews have been around long enough to know
how this plays out. Therefore, it is time for the right-
wing government to climb down from the tree.

Although we cannot be held hostage by the left,
the truth is that it encompasses too many people to
ignore. For the sake of unity, the right must take a
breath, step back and bring down the temperature of
the country. It’s time to stop being activists and start
being pragmatists. 1
Gedaliah Blum is a resident of Eli in the Binyamin
region and a co-founder of the Heartland Initiative.

letters Synagogue Not Dead Yet
What if right-wing policies are
being pushed so forcefully that
they are causing irreconcilable
differences and division among
our brothers and sisters?
being a counterbalance, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are
now perceived as the sole drivers of the government.

As someone who lives in the Binyamin region with
my wife and seven kids, I voted for Ben-Gvir and
Smotrich because they were aligned with my inter-
ests in promoting economic Zionism and strengthen-
ing the Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria, Binyamin
and the Jordan Valley.

I have even started several initiatives that promote
family-run small businesses in the region, hoping
to normalize these areas and create unity between
Hebron and Herzliya. The key takeaway from my
work is the importance of the concept of “normaliza-
tion” rather than imposing my worldview on others.

Here lies the problem. What if right-wing policies
are being pushed so forcefully that they are causing
battle between brothers to escalate?
Taking a step back, I am astounded by the timing
of this division. While Iran is on the threshold of a
nuclear weapon, we are fighting each other. While
Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah, led by
the Palestinian Authority, are either murdering us or
planning our demise, we are fighting each other.

We were in exile for more than 2,000 years and
prayed constantly for the ingathering of the exiles
and the reestablishment of Israel as our homeland.

We came from all corners of the globe with our own
experiences, cultures and languages. What do we
expect? That we are in the times of the messiah and
everything is going to be rainbows and butterflies?
It is only natural and expected that when we come
together to build a country, there will be arguments.

I take exception to the March 2 article, “Congregation
Adath Jeshurun Searches for New Way Forward.”
I had phone calls from friends who indicated they
were sad for us because our synagogue was dying. I
quote “Spamalot” — We are not dead yet!
How many Conservative synagogues of any size
have minyanim twice a day?
How many Conservative synagogues have well
attended, spirited and informed adult education
every month, with some of them weekly?
We engaged a Jewish scholar as a rabbi because
we felt that he would attract new members. And we
were one of the few congregations that had new
members join during COVID.

We have so many different activities at AJ all year
long. It could make your head spin.

We face the challenges that most Conservative
congregations face. For the most part, younger
Jews are not “joiners.” We are continuing to search
for ways to make Judaism an important part of their
lives. A Congregation that has faced challenges since
before the Civil War will find ways to meet these
challenges. 1
Bernie Dishler, Elkins Park
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