Now is the time to raise our voices
If we do not act now, we will never forgive ourselves.
In light of recent events, it is crucial to reflect on Albert Einstein’s assertion that the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who stand by and do nothing. As our beloved homeland endures a year of conflict, we must confront the painful truths and take action.
If we do not act now, we will never forgive ourselves.
Our country is in distress and needs help and healing. My beloved homeland has been in a terrible war for a year, which began on a day when about 1200 civilians and soldiers were killed and around 250 people were abducted to Gaza, including children, teenagers, the elderly, mothers, fathers, and one golden-haired baby.
The war has not stopped to this day, but the suffering began long before that black day. The signs were written on the wall. October 7 is the greatest national disaster to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust. We were attacked from outside, but primarily we fell apart from within. In the first three months of the war, we saw the people unite for one another, with slogans of “together we will prevail” flying everywhere. Today, after a year, we see a divided and fractured nation. The unity of the people has failed because the leadership is value-less and inept. This has happened under the watch of the most extreme government ever established in Israel.
The people of Israel, who are attacked daily by enemies from the south, east and north are primarily attacked from within by a government made up of far-right parties. This government is dismantling the basic values that are the unwritten covenant of mutual responsibility of the Jewish people – a covenant between citizens and citizens, between citizens and the state, and between the state and its citizens. Mutual responsibility for saving human lives, which is above all personal or political considerations, is the supreme value that justifies the existence of the strongest army in the world. Without this value, our path leads to destruction.
I was born into a country that sanctifies life. I was taught that the sanctity of life is always above all else. I grew up on the heroic ethos that values saving lives above all, beyond politics. In the current war, the rules have changed. It is now clear that cheap politics and personal interests have triumphed over values, violating the covenant and winning over the sanctity of life.
At the head of the Israeli government stands a man against whom criminal investigations are ongoing. Out of personal interests, he is obstructing hostage negotiations and continuing the war. He acts against the opinions of numerous senior security officials, including the current Minister of Defence and two former chiefs of staff whom he himself brought into the coalition at the beginning of the war. Even Knesset members from the mainstream right understand that to maintain his coalition, Benjamin Netanyahu has kept the army in Gaza for almost a year, regularly opposing deals, even those he himself initiated.
It is clear to everyone that the Prime Minister of Israel is being blackmailed by the extreme right. Active ministers from the extreme right, such as Smotrich and Ben Gvir, whose ideology is associated with the outlawed party of Kahane, threaten to dismantle the coalition whenever a deal is almost ready to go. Netanyahu needs extremists to save his government.
Unfortunately, all this is happening while Israeli hostages languish in Hamas tunnels, and only a deal can save them. The recent murder of the six hostages who survived for 11 months under conditions of horror proves that military pressure only leads to the deaths of hostages. Netanyahu is indifferent to this. His political survival is his motive. It is clear and transparent.
If we do not act now, we will never forgive ourselves. Act now!
I am sure that behind closed doors, many leaders of the Jewish community are already expressing these thoughts.
Now is the time to raise our voices and create a public outcry.
Community leaders, this is a pivotal moment. On behalf of the hostages that are held for nearly a year, I urge you to raise your voices against the government’s policies that undermine our shared values and jeopardise lives. While there will always be time for ceremonies and remembrance, the hostages do not have the luxury of time – they need action now.
Let us unite across political lines to prioritise saving lives and restoring the principles that define us as a nation. Your leadership is crucial in holding the Israeli government accountable and advocating for those who are suffering. Together, we can create a powerful movement that reflects our commitment to justice, compassion and humanity.
Tal Silverstein is an Israeli citizen living in Melbourne.
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