Connections and close ties we Israelis thought would endure forever have become detached or completely erased. We have suddenly discovered that the IDF is no longer a safe space from political debate but within our army, there are absolute majorities in favor of one opinion or another. The one thing that is abundantly clear is that the melting pot is not functioning properly.

The fact that the country can be paralyzed for five consecutive elections demonstrates that we are not ready to compromise or negotiate in good faith. We feel too threatened by the other. If we do not admit this painful truth and don’t try to create a new common path, we, Israel and her citizens, will be lost and doomed.

I’m not angry at the Israel Air Force pilots. I am confident that signing that letter was a tortured decision. I can imagine the conflicted pain they are enduring through this process. I also can relate to the Egoz unit troops who signed and promised to report to their officers. I know they care for our country just as much as the pilots. I’m not angry at them either for mixing politics and military service.

The words that Tami Arad uttered following the protest of 69 Squadron and the reactions against her have ripped at my heart. Tami suffered a tragedy that no one deserves and never once sought to take advantage of her situation. How have we forgotten the price she paid out of love for the country and trust she gave to the country and its elected officials?

Even if I disagreed with every word she said, I cannot accept the cruel words that were thrown at her. The only appropriate response to her comments and to her grief over her husband Ron Arad, should be the one that we learned from the High Priest Aaron when his two sons were killed in a heavenly fire, “Vayidom Aharon” (Aaron was silent) (Leviticus 10:3).

'Handmaid's Tale'-inspired protests across Israel on March 16, 2023 (credit: SHAY KORIANSKI)
'Handmaid's Tale'-inspired protests across Israel on March 16, 2023 (credit: SHAY KORIANSKI)

Jewish people and disagreements

SEVENTY-FIVE years of independence are beginning to show a different side of our nation. Our country, the one that was constructed in the aftermath of the horror of the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews in Arab countries, succeeded in welcoming Jews from throughout the world and embracing the principle of mutual respect. Even when mistakes were made along the way, it was clear to all of us why we wanted to be here in a united country and not just a shelter for refugees.

Unfortunately, many wars that arose after the declaration of the state threatened to collapse and destroy the Zionist dream. From the weeks leading up to the Six Day War, the brotherhood of the fighters on Yom Kippur, these were very challenging times but also served as the glue that fused us together. Now it seems that the glue has dissolved and there is nothing left that unites as Israelis. We have disconnected from one another because of our opinion on every topic imaginable; religion, politics, economy, lifestyle and settlements.

Everything has become so polarized and personal and emotional. It is as if a volcano is erupting. When our national glue was still strong we managed were able to avoid harming each other. Now that the glue is evaporating, the volcano is erupting and we are on the brink of being burned in boiling lava that will consume the Israelis and Israel.

Henry Ford was quoted as saying, “To be united is a beginning; to remain united is progress; to work together is success.” It seems to me that we only succeeded in two of the tasks. When we were united, it was perhaps because we didn’t have any other choice. We stayed united perhaps because our external threats were even more frightening.

But, it is now clear that we have not yet found the way to work together and achieve success. If we do not know how to work together, to pave a new and common path, we cannot be considered successful. In its place, we will have erased the progress we have made and, God forbid, we may once again become a people without a country.

We must stop, listen and make the necessary changes to our government structure. We do not have the privilege to give up after everything we have already sacrificed. We must come to our senses and create a common path before it is too late.

The writer is the mayor of Efrat and was one of the lead authors of a letter signed by more than 100 Israeli mayors demanding respectful, national dialogue on the judicial reform proposals.