Ilan Gal-Dor (Photo: GPO)
"The Israeli public believes that we must redefine what the democratic State of Israel is and what the Jewish State of Israel is. How these two important values fit together." This is what Ilan Gal Dor, executive director of Gesher, said yesterday at the organization's "Social Constitution 2023" conference.
The conference dealt with the social tension created in Israeli society, and the solutions required to regulate and ensure shared life in the State of Israel.
Gael Dor added, "It's good that there are different shades of the people, but it has to be based on common ground. This basis should be a new constitution or social contract. This discussion must take place on the street, in movements, in social organizations, in the government and in the Knesset. It is precisely here that I would exclude the courts from the discussion. Social debates do not happen in the swoop of a judge who decides one way or the other."
Rav Gondar (retired), Orit Adato (Photo: GPO)
Social Constitution Conference 2023 (Photo: Gesher PR)
Gesher Chairman Rabbi Gunder (ret.) Orit Adato said from the conference podium: "Political instability affects society. A divided society is a weak society. We have no right to reach such a situation. Our duty is to serve as a counterweight, to reduce rifts, to contain diversity. It creates synergy, and that's the goal. We at Gesher are committed to this. As evidence, in recent months we have carried out countless activities of about 200 'Bridge in the Living Room' meetings in cooperation with 'We Brothers People', dozens of meetings in the 'Listening Journey' in cooperation with the Amit Network and much more."
The various panels featured senior figures in Israel's political, public and media systems, who presented various insights and thoughts on how to reform the social divide and unite Israeli society. Great weight was given to the public protest that is sweeping the country, and an interesting statement on the subject was provided by Rabbi Aharon Agel-Tal, advisor to the Minister of Heritage Affairs, Amichai Eliyahu, in a panel on the future social constitution for Israel: "For 80 years we thought that there was an entire public here that only cares about when it will drink its macchiato, we discovered that there is something else here. My subjective feeling is that there are people fighting for their opinions, and that makes me happy," he said.
Also on the panel were Rachel Azaria, Executive Director of the Derechnu Movement, Sarah Hatzni-Cohen, Chairperson of the My Israel Movement, and one of the leaders of the social protest, Or-Lee Barlev.
Social Constitution Conference 2023 (Photo: Gesher PR)
During the session, Barlev said that "before discussing the need for a constitution and ways to establish it, we must agree on what is true and what is not. If we fail to agree on facts and truths, we will not be able to reach a discussion, let alone move forward in the dialogue. We need to close what the truth is and start the discussion from there."
Rachel Azaria, executive director of the Derechnu movement, claimed that "the Israeli public was busy establishing a state and taking care of the economy. Now we need to define who we are on the basis of a Jewish and democratic state. We need to return to Judaism and the Declaration of Independence."
Social Constitution Conference 2023 (Photo: Gesher PR)
The second session dealt with the tension between a Jewish and democratic State of Israel, and during the session, social activist and freelance journalist Tomer Avital stated that budgeting for the ultra-Orthodox was out of balance.
"The ultra-Orthodox public today is the preferred public. We want every sector to live as it wants. But, it got out of balance. I'm afraid of a terrifying scenario that we will become Iran. How will my children live in a country that is collapsing, in a country where such a large public does not work?", Ayala Dekel, head of the secular yeshiva in Yena, who also took part in the moshav, claimed that "the Jew is obligated to take care of the people around him." "Does the Judaism of the State of Israel have to be a religious Jew with a beard?"
Dana Veron, an ultra-Orthodox media personality, said during the session that "the ultra-Orthodox sector feels under attack, to the point of speaking in terms of war. The High Court violates my rights as an ultra-Orthodox woman. The ultra-Orthodox public is not allowed to be in academia. We will become an inherent 'anti' to the very issue of religion in Israel, and then what is the argument against the ultra-Orthodox that there are no core studies?! The ultra-Orthodox public is trying to integrate. But the experience is that no matter what, the ultra-Orthodox public will not be able to please the secular public."
An entire session of the conference was devoted to Israel-Diaspora relations
The session was attended by Im Tirtzu Movement Chairman Matan Peleg, Adv. Yaron Shavit, Deputy Chairman of the Jewish Agency Board, Carol Noriel, Executive Director of the Anti-Defamation League in Israel (ADL), and Shlomit Malley, Executive Director of the AMI Administration, the National Directorate for Israel-Diaspora
Relations.
"The boy called the State of Israel grew up. The Jewish community in the United States, and around the world, also needs to understand the extent to which it wants to intervene in his private life. Even if I give my child pocket money, it doesn't buy me the right to tell him all the time what to do, and world Jewry should give more credit, and not actively intervene excessively in what is happening in the State of Israel, and certainly not in classic internal issues," Im Tirtzu Movement Chairman Matan Peleg declared.
Deputy Chairman of the Jewish Agency Board, Adv. Yaron Shavit, disagreed with Im Tirtzu's
remarks:
"World Jewry established the State of Israel. It's not just philanthropy. 95% of world Jewry influenced the Balfour Declaration and November 29. Everything we do here affects Diaspora Jews, for better or worse – whether Israel is racist, democratic or non-Jewish. There needs to be an ongoing bilateral dialogue with Diaspora Jewry." "The events now are an opportunity to connect Diaspora Jews to what is happening in Israel," he added.
Carol Noriel, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League in Israel (ADL), argued that the fear among Diaspora Jews over the tensions and rifts in Israeli society that have recently intensified is not limited to American Jewry, as many in Israel believe.
"The level of concern in the Diaspora and caring is heartwarming. Diaspora Jews do not want to interfere in what is happening in Israel, but rather they want involvement. This crisis is not just about one law or another."
Shlomit Mali, Director General of the AMI Administration, the National Directorate for Israel-Diaspora Relations, said during the discussion that "we have a nation. Let's trust him. We need to talk to Diaspora Jews."
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