In a Stew

Grief, shame, fury, helplessness, frustration and a stubborn determination are churning in an uncomfortable stew in my gut. Maybe it’s because we have reached Ellul – the month of cheshbon nefesh, soul-searching. Maybe it’s because the imminent Chagim will force us again to confront the Chag which is synonymous with joy and which last year turned, terrifyingly, to ashes. Maybe it’s just because it’s been such an agonizing year and I’m tired.

However, my churning emotional stew has one major ingredient: fear. There has been much talk about unity and resilience. Truly this year has been catastrophic on so many levels; yet despite that we have seen a remarkable everyday coming-together of ordinary people from all political and religious stripes. Whether volunteering in the fields, collecting and providing essentials and comforts for our soldiers, helping with housing and services for displaced residents from the south and north, people have been doing their utmost to use their specific skills and resources to “keep the home fires burning” as the quaint, outdated British wartime expression has it.

Of course, the fault lines – religious and political – have been ever present but, up until now, they have not erupted into deep open fissures. Citizens have shown almost super-human patience with the fumbles and stumbles of a coalition cobbled together with elements so disparate that, under normal circumstances, most of the cabinet ministers would be at each other’s throats.

And here is my point. Since the grim news last week that six hostages who, somehow, had managed to survive for over 300 days under the most barbaric conditions were brutally murdered by Hamas, we fell apart. That we, the public, disintegrated from grief is understandable – obvious even. As hundreds of thousands of people pour onto the streets to demand a ceasefire deal in order to save the remnant of our hostages, the recriminations against the government have become ever louder.

Bibi went on TV to address the nation on last Monday evening. Whatever your views of our prime minister, he outlined his reasons for refusing to compromise on the Philadelphi Corridor. His arguments, whether you agree with them or not, laid out cogent objections to withdrawing from the border area with Egypt which has actually been the oxygen of supplies to Hamas. He is right about that. He articulated the fear that, once abandoned, a theoretical ability for the IDF to retake the area would, in practice, become a diplomatic bête noir as it proved in the previous withdrawals from Gaza and Lebanon. He may be right about that. He also argued that, after the brutal execution of 6 hostages, major concessions on the ground would only reward and embolden Hamas to strike again. Good point. Hard to argue with that. But was it necessary for him to insult those who hold a contrary view?

The counter-argument to Bibi is equally powerful and the following night we were treated to it. Gantz and Eisenkot basically made the point that the only way we might just be able to avoid more of our hostages being shot in the head and returned home to us, as Hamas have gloated, in coffins is to make a deal. They articulated the view of the military and defense establishment that we could indeed do a deal, withdraw from Philadelphi in phase one of a ceasefire and, if necessary, retake it or deal with the security implications of such a withdrawal. Yet again insults were hurled. This time in Bibi’s direction.

Lapid too could not resist joining the insult-fest as he chastised Benny Gantz (supposedly nearer his side of the political see-saw) for shaking hands with Ben Gvir at a wedding. Self-righteously, Lapid declared he doesn’t shake hands with supporters of terror. Ben Gvir, predictably shot back with further insults.

Who is right? I have no idea. Neither, in reality has anyone else. We have no crystal ball which could give us a clear cut ‘he’s right’ to either camp. We just cannot foresee the consequences of either decision.

So, what is my problem? The tone of the arguments played out by our leaders borders on infantile; the vocabulary, inflammatory. At this most dangerous time, with the most fateful decisions to be taken, instead of acknowledging each other’s legitimate concerns and trying to hammer out which course of action poses the least risk and the greatest chance of success, we have been treated to the spectacle of our most senior politicians trading insults like kindergartners!

So, my stew with its cocktail of vile ingredients, continues to simmer slowly. Why is fear the most overpowering ingredient? Agreeing with others is easy. There are many things our politicians agree on. We must defeat Hamas. We must bring back the hostages if humanly possible. We must return our displaced populations to their homes. However, if we cannot learn to conduct our disputes with respect and civility, we will only succeed in tearing ourselves apart. When we finally lost the ancient Kingdom of Israel it was not only the Romans who defeated us. We contributed through exactly the internal division and hateful infighting between factions that we see now. That’s why I’m afraid. If any responsible leader out there is reading this – wake up! Treat your brothers like brothers. Listen to each other. Find consensus. It is said that to obtain the blessing of peace one must first take three paces back. Take those steps – now.