A Day at the Knesset with Yesh Atid

A real alternative to a self-serving governing coalition

I attended Barnard College in the Reagan 80s and majored in political science.  I vividly remember sitting in Kosher Kitchen with our group of friends, all of us Zionists, and formulating our plan for the “Columbia Cabinet.” We were all going to move to Israel, and each of us chose our preferred ministerial position in the governing coalition. We were all determined to change the world.

After graduating, I worked for close to two years at the United Nations.  It made sense at the time. Unfortunately, reality hit hard and it became clear that at the UN, I wasn’t going to improve anyone’s life. Instead, I went back to school and finished up my pre-med requirements. After studying Chiropractic, completing my internship and working for six months in the United States, I made Aliyah. Staying true to my goal of making the world a better place, I realigned my expectations and felt satisfied, knowing that by changing the life of one patient, there would be a ripple effect to everyone in that person’s life.

For the past 28 years, I have tried my best to be a good citizen: voting in every election, volunteering for various local candidates in Jerusalem, attending various pro-democracy rallies and protests, and encouraging my daughter to defend her rights and those of others. When protest marches reach Jerusalem, we head to Gan Sacher and deliver food and supplies to the tent cities there.

In the face of the negligence of this governing coalition and particularly since October 7th, I have felt helpless.

Other than giving treatment to soldiers who have witnessed atrocities and who both literally and figuratively carry too much on their backs, I have felt limited in my impact.

Alone, I don’t have the power to bring the hostages home, or to force members of Knesset, particularly on the right, to step up and take responsibility for this government’s failures. But I refuse to give up on the idea that together, in our imperfect Democracy, we can help bring the change this country desperately needs.

And so, I decided to dip my toes into the waters of Israeli politics once again.  This past week, I attended a meeting at the Knesset of English speakers in support of Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party.  A whole day was planned to get a peek at the activities and initiatives of the members of Knesset, and to understand Yesh Atid’s plan to get Israel to elections and back on track. The diverse group of English speakers included now-Israeli citizens originally from the United States, Australia, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

One MK who spoke to us delivered a statement that seemed to repeat itself throughout the day: that the fate of the hostages is ultimately in the hands of one man, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu isn’t doing what must be done. Netanyahu is driven by political considerations, and it is therefore up to all of us – the clear majority that supports a hostage deal – to raise our voices.

Many of the MKs also expressed the belief that there were growing cracks in the coalition – even within Netanyahu’s Likud party – and that elections will come sooner rather than later. The coalition somehow thinks it’s appropriate to take a three month vacation in the middle of this war, only because it may keep them in power a little longer.

Of course, the female MKs from Yesh Atid are just as impressive and dedicated as the men of the party. For example, MK Shelly Tal Meron spoke with us about her work forming the Knesset’s Hostages Caucus as well as the Global Coalition Against Sexual Violence in Areas of Conflict.

In an emotional moment, the mothers of Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza, along with members of Knesset including from Yesh Atid, participated in the “Nine Months of Labor” march through the halls of the Knesset.  With the reality of the 24 hour news cycle, the hostages have unfortunately fallen out of sight and out of mind in the media.  The march inspired me and showed that at least for Yesh Atid and the opposition, the hostages have not been forgotten.

Another Yesh Atid MK spoke about his approach to public service: Freedom, Excellence and Compassion.  He called for the return of compromise and the idea that our politicians must serve the public and the country over their own self-interests, pointing out that in so many cases, it’s clear what needs to be done to address so many of Israel’s problems, but those solutions are hampered by this government’s focus on only what directly advances its own political interests.

The day culminated with a visit to the original bomb shelter of the Knesset, where PM Levi Eshkol and his cabinet made the momentous decision to unify Jerusalem.  Our “tour guide” at that spot, Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid, tried to instill hope that Israel’s current predicament can be changed, albeit with hard work.

Lapid told us, “Politics becomes history.  History is the story of people who did the extraordinary.”

We can, all of us in our own way, do the extraordinary, and work together to create a better reality for our children and grandchildren. As a mother of a child who will be drafted to the IDF in three years, I pray for a reality where every Israeli is safe and able to reach their fullest potential.  Where we don’t wake up every morning afraid to turn on the news.