It’s also time for partnership with world Jewry

Thank you!

I was privileged, proud and inspired to participate in Friday’s “It’s Time” peace conference at Binyanai Hauma, the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

Congratulations to the organizers who cooperated exceptionally to fill the auditorium with incredible energy and diversity: Jews and Arab Palestinians, secular and (notably!) national-religious, young and old. Israeli citizens of all backgrounds!

You achieved what is probably unprecedented cooperation among important organizations all working on a range of critical peace-related issues: relations between Jewish and Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel, relations between Israelis and Palestinians, democracy, social justice, human rights and more. The diplomatic community was there in force, so too Jewish and Arab Palestinian MKs of the left and center. President Macron delivered an inspiring message of hope.

Among all this welcome diversity, one key constituency was prominently absent or at the very least highly under-represented: world Jewry!

All the data gathered for the London Initiative by our partners at Molad show that, as with citizens of Israel of all backgrounds, an absolute majority of world Jewry agrees on the need to strengthen mature liberal democracy, advance societal fairness for all citizens of Israel and achieve secure peace with the Palestinian People.

As with the futures of all Israelis and Palestinians between the river and the sea, the futures of all Israel’s citizens and world Jewry are interconnected. The spike of antisemitism that began on 7th October is evidence enough.

Since then, it has become ever clearer to a significant majority of world Jewry that if Israeli democracy is suppressed by Israel’s extreme, corrupt and autocratic government, if this war never ends and the hostages are not returned, if the killing of innocent civilians continues and if – heaven forbid – the extremists in this government are successful in their most repulsive fantasies for Gaza and the West Bank, that it all spells moral and pragmatic catastrophe for world Jewry as well as for Israel.

It is therefore strategically important that these literally millions of potential allies around the Jewish world are embraced, energized and encouraged to get Israel back on a sane track and advance secure peace.

As the majority of world Jewry understands increasingly clearly since 7th October, secure peace is not only critical for Israel. It is equally critical for their Jewish futures around the world! To put it bluntly, beyond all those living between the river and the sea, no other community has – like it or not – the skin and the stake in the game of world Jewry.

In practice, there is a considerable and growing gap between the horror and worry of the majority of world Jewry about Israel’s disastrous direction of travel and the much more conservative public face of most institutional leadership around the Jewish world. The propaganda machine constrains them through the fear of being tainted as “leftists” or that most ahistorical of Jewish curses, “Peaceniks” who have overreached and empower Israel’s enemies and fuel antisemitism. Sadly, these leaders will inevitably lose their constituencies and their relevance if they fail to close this growing gap by doing and saying what is right morally and pragmatically for Israel and for their constituencies.

It is a statement of fact, not of ideology, that if Israel is going to get back on a sane and decent track, it is much more likely to happen with the support of world Jewry. Ergo, if Israel does not get back on a sane and decent track, it is also clearly a catastrophe waiting to happen for the great majority of world Jewry.

So, it is time for the outstanding leaders of “It’s Time” and all Israeli leaders for positive change – Jewish and Arab Palestinian – to build unprecedented partnership between like-minded citizens of Israel and world Jewry. Together they – we! – comprise what we at The London Initiative have identified as “the endangered majority”. If properly leveraged this majority will become an unstoppable force for positive change.

For the London Initiative this partnership represents strategy, goal and opportunity. But for world Jewry to be included going forward, it is important to address a possible explanation for the absence of the representatives of millions of prospective allies from around the Jewish world at the It’s Time conference. That is the concern that this might be viewed dimly by Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinian partners.

In this regard, while the partnership of world Jewry is for liberal Zionists like me and my co-founder of The London Initiative, Sir Mick Davis, also an ideological proposition, as a strategy it in no way requires Jewish or Zionist motivation or endorsement.

Honest and bold Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel leading civil society shared citizenship initiatives of all kinds will readily acknowledge the important role of world Jewry in funding their initiatives!

To make effective change, the partnership of like-minded world Jewry to move Israel in the right direction is as legitimate and appropriate as is the partnership of like-minded Palestinians, and all friends – activists and political leaders of all faiths and nationalities – around the world. It is also essential given the very considerable potential influence and power that world Jewry properly energized can bring to bear.

Therefore, partnership between like-minded Israelis and world Jewry critical of Israel’s current trajectory – the silent and silenced majority – must be cultivated and encouraged by Israelis way beyond philanthropy.

World Jewry must be viewed by Israelis as substantive partners in a shared fate, not primarily or sometimes even exclusively as funders.

For this to happen world Jewry needs to be invited by Israelis to speak up and speak out and robustly defended when – as will inevitably happen – Israel’s government and their mouthpieces across the Jewish world will aggressively move to shut them down. They will – it is certain – do this by claiming overreach. By their rules and ruling, only world Jewry that prays, votes, eats, donates, loves and above all hates like them are welcome partners in the future of the national homeland of the Jewish People.

So well done again to the magnificent organizers of “Its Time”. We at the London Initiative are here to help and that must mean helping you establish unprecedented partnership between the endangered majority of like-minded citizens of Israel and world Jewry.