Divided we fall

“United we stand, divided we fall” is a commonly used phrase that goes to the very core of who we are as a Jewish people. This might be an overused and perhaps abused sentiment, but we witness the strength of these words all the time.

It’s partially for this reason that we pray together. Praying together strengthens our prayers. As our sages have said, while private prayer may not always be heard, communal prayer is always heard.

I see this as the power of numbers and community.

Right now, we have Tehillim groups all over the world praying for Refoel Chaim Sholom Ben Rivka Chava, a young dad in our community who is battling to recover from what’s believed to have been a brain aneurysm. His plight is shared across the continents, mostly initiated by South African Jews and expats. If there is any chance that our united prayers work, he will recover.

This is the power of community. This is the power of a united front working as one. People setting aside their differences, ignoring what they perhaps don’t agree on, and focusing on what they can do together to help one another and to do good. That is what this is all about.

In the case of this young man – soon to be a father of three – it’s easy to do what we can to support him and his family. How can you not want him to recover?

As a community, we’re quick to stand up and offer our help and support where needed. It doesn’t take more than a social media post to get people behind an uplifting or a help-someone-in-need campaign. It’s the most astonishing thing to see how swiftly our community jumps in to help.

That is who we are.

And seeing things with such clarity also helps. When you see what you believe to be right or wrong, it’s easy to act accordingly.

However, when we see something as green and others see it as orange, then it’s not so easy to get behind the same cause. And here I’m not talking about people’s medical or health conditions. I am referring to politics, religion, and all those areas where we may not always agree.

In Israel this week, there have once again been massive protests against judicial overhaul. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets, closing off highways and bringing the country to a standstill.

To be honest, looking at the photographs and videos, it’s exciting to see people of all ages and backgrounds on the street, protesting. In all honesty, it looks like fun from here. And they may well be having fun, but they have taken time out of their busy lives to take a stand. And in some cases, they have put themselves in jeopardy, facing the risk of losing their jobs or being arrested.

The protesters are clear that they have only one country and so they have nothing to lose by protesting for change.

And those in power look down their nose at the protesters, calling them rabble-rousers and denigrating their struggle. The authorities have arrested many civilian protesters. However, there has been no looting or people going out to physically harm others.

Do I agree with the protesters or don’t I, you may be wondering?

Truth is, my views are irrelevant. What is relevant is that the country is divided. Protesters who are demanding to be heard are being arrested. People are wasting precious work time to protest. And there’s an apparent stalemate.

Each side is getting more and more angry with the other. Hatred is building.

Now, I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Israel is as strong as its last person and it is a powerhouse when it is united. When Israel is under threat from the outside, nothing can dampen the spirit of Israelis. They unite and become a giant of a force.

However, right now they are divided, and that is a major problem.

I got shivers when I first heard senior Israelis in the defence forces saying they would refuse miluim (reserve duty) because they felt this was a way to protest what the government is doing.

That’s a terrible idea and can only end badly. I agree people should stand up for what they believe, but standing up in a way that will cut Israel off at the knees is absurd.

The military protects Israel from outside enemies. Harm that and no matter the in-fighting in the country, Israel becomes defenceless.

I do understand that the battles within the country are essential, and Israelis need to fight for what they believe. However, this cannot be at the expense of the country’s safety and security. It also cannot be at the expense of democracy.

I’m not an expert on Israeli politics, but I do believe this is going on for way too long. The country needs to find a solution that’s acceptable to the majority. I don’t know what this is, but it must be found.

It’s high time people stop talking over each other and start listening and figuring out a way forward. It’s not acceptable for this to continue endlessly. It’s taking its toll on the nation’s psyche and needs to come to an end.

Israel is a democracy. Israelis need to sit down at a round table and argue it out like all good Jews do. It may take a while, it may take a long while, but they should not get up from the table until they have solutions to the problems.

We cannot continue to allow the country to be gnawed away from within. We must stand strong and be resolute in finding answers to make Israel one again.

While I appreciate protest is healthy, it’s high time to end the protest and find solutions to the problems.

In our community in South Africa, we have in the past set an incredible example of working together. Perhaps Israel can take a leaf out of our book now!

Am Yisrael Chai!

Shabbat Shalom!

Peta Krost

Editor